Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

Wildlife in Denali National Park in 2009

The two RV Gypsies were definitely disappointed in the small amount of wildlife they saw in Denali National Park. Ads led them to believe that they would see a lot of wildlife. BUT, after all, it is wildlife and can not be guaranteed. Plus the weather was unseasonably warm, as indicated by the caribou laying on the patches of ice below.
A gold-colored Grizzly Bear walking in the middle of the road

A butt shot is better than no shot.

FYI: The Grizzly bears' heart beat drops from 70 to around 10 beats a minute when they hibernate. While asleep they recycle stored fat, carbohydrates & muscle proteins that allow them to survive without eating or drinking for months. In Denali, 80% of a bear's diet is plant food. Bears are omnivores & will eat anything.
Below: Caribou - Do you know the difference between caribou and a reindeer? They are the same animal, but caribou are wild, reindeer are tame.

Below: It is summer, and the caribou were shedding, so they did not look their best.

Below: The two RV Gypsies do not want the caribou feel left out, so here is butt shots of the caribou too - -LOL-

FYI: Caribou have large hooves that keep them above the snow in the winter. They forage for lichens by pawing through the snow on open tundra.


Below: A RED FOX

Foxes are predators with large parts of their brain dedicated to sorting out smells. They are quick and very patient.

The two RV Gypsies also saw a black fox, and Lee Duquette filmed it on video. Karen Duquette did not get a photo though.
Below: And the most popular wildlife in Alaska - the MOOSE



Below: The bull moose on the left and mom and baby on right. They are hard to see in the photos because they are far away and the photo was taken from the moving bus.


Below: A Red Squirrel in a tree top

Below: Arctic Ground Squirrels
Arctic Ground Squirrels hide from predators in holes.

Below: The (hard to see) black speck by the squirrel is a bug flying



BIRDS
Alaska's state bird - Willow Ptarmigan - it turns white in the winter to hide from predators. The town of Chicken, Alaska wanted to name their town Ptarmigan but could not spell it, so it named the town Chicken instead. The two RV Gypsies visited Chicken upon first entering Alaska. It was a very small town.


There were bald eagles in Denali, but Karen Duquette did not photograph any. For lots of photos of bald eagles, golden eagles and more, visit the pages on Homer and Anchor Point, Alaska on this website by using the Alaska button above.

Snowshoe Hares
The two RV Gypsies saw lots of snowshoe hares in Denali National Park, and on other tours, but were unable to capture a single photograph of the snowshoe hare. They are brown in summer and turn white in the winter and stand very still because they are the bottom of the food chain. Yet they did not stand still for a photo. Snowshoe hares are bigger than cottontails. They have big, furry paws.