Ranger Notes
Salalis
Ranger Field Notes: There are many stories that are part of the mythology of the Golden Isles. One concerns the live oaks and the squirrels—also called salalis after their Cherokee name. The story goes that the live oaks were dying because the climate was changing. The live oaks asked the salalis to save them by taking their acorns to other islands. The salalis complied, building small canoes to transport the acorns. The live oaks spread from planted acorns from the north to the south. For this, the salalis were given the gift of living in trees.
Armadillo Attack
Ranger Field Notes: When I first heard this story, I could not believe it. But I have now seen many things I wouldn’t have believed before. Ember, the armadillo that lives in the raccoon clan is teaching other armadillos to fight. She was attacked by a boar and rescued by the raccoon named Indigo. She and Indigo devised a unique method to attack the boar. The armadillos run at their target, launch into the air, curl into a ball and knock their target off balance. Even more effective is uncurling before the moment of impact to rake their claws across the snout or back of their target.
Swamp Spirits
Ranger Field Notes: Pregnant raccoons have been observed leaving berry offerings at fresh water springs that bubble near the edge of the marsh. The raccoons believe that when glowing balls of swamp gas are touched by moonbeams, they break open and release spirits that bless those that leave them gifts of berries. As the sun rises, the spirits retreat to the shaded safety of the marsh edge, and disguise themselves as cypress knees.
Stealth Possums
Ranger Field Notes: I occasionally find myself questioning the wisdom of employing opossum as spies, but I cannot argue with their effectiveness. Given to stealth, endowed with a muscular tail and equipped with a marsupial pouch, they can position themselves in difficult-to-access positions, to aid in their intelligence gathering. Sheer litter size further contributes to their success. Accustomed to riding in pouches, or on the backs of their parents, up to seven opossum can be transported to a location. Once they have reached their post, they can make observations in as many directions as there are opossum.
Horseshoe Crab
Ranger Field Notes: Another myth among the inhabitants of the Golden Isles concerns how horseshoe crabs came to be. The story is that a foal was separated from his herd by a panther and chased into the marsh. The foal was caught in the mudflats and struggling to free itself. Small crabs rescued the foal and this frightened away the panther. Gaia saw this and made crabs that looked like horse feet to rescue the horses from the mudflats.
Raccoon Warriors
Ranger Field Notes: The early battles between the raccoons and wild pigs did not go well. The size and vicious behavior of the boars produced serious injuries among the raccoons. That all changed, however, once the raccoons began to use a kind of armor. The island has discarded horseshoe crab shells on all its beaches. The raccoons gather and use all parts of these shells to make their armor. They show surprising creativity, and will incorporate almost anything that washes on shore into defensive materials like armor. Since they have begun to do this, injuries have markedly declined.
Ranger Field Notes: There are many stories that are part of the mythology of the Golden Isles. One concerns the live oaks and the squirrels—also called salalis after their Cherokee name. The story goes that the live oaks were dying because the climate was changing. The live oaks asked the salalis to save them by taking their acorns to other islands. The salalis complied, building small canoes to transport the acorns. The live oaks spread from planted acorns from the north to the south. For this, the salalis were given the gift of living in trees.
Armadillo Attack
Ranger Field Notes: When I first heard this story, I could not believe it. But I have now seen many things I wouldn’t have believed before. Ember, the armadillo that lives in the raccoon clan is teaching other armadillos to fight. She was attacked by a boar and rescued by the raccoon named Indigo. She and Indigo devised a unique method to attack the boar. The armadillos run at their target, launch into the air, curl into a ball and knock their target off balance. Even more effective is uncurling before the moment of impact to rake their claws across the snout or back of their target.
Swamp Spirits
Ranger Field Notes: Pregnant raccoons have been observed leaving berry offerings at fresh water springs that bubble near the edge of the marsh. The raccoons believe that when glowing balls of swamp gas are touched by moonbeams, they break open and release spirits that bless those that leave them gifts of berries. As the sun rises, the spirits retreat to the shaded safety of the marsh edge, and disguise themselves as cypress knees.
Stealth Possums
Ranger Field Notes: I occasionally find myself questioning the wisdom of employing opossum as spies, but I cannot argue with their effectiveness. Given to stealth, endowed with a muscular tail and equipped with a marsupial pouch, they can position themselves in difficult-to-access positions, to aid in their intelligence gathering. Sheer litter size further contributes to their success. Accustomed to riding in pouches, or on the backs of their parents, up to seven opossum can be transported to a location. Once they have reached their post, they can make observations in as many directions as there are opossum.
Horseshoe Crab
Ranger Field Notes: Another myth among the inhabitants of the Golden Isles concerns how horseshoe crabs came to be. The story is that a foal was separated from his herd by a panther and chased into the marsh. The foal was caught in the mudflats and struggling to free itself. Small crabs rescued the foal and this frightened away the panther. Gaia saw this and made crabs that looked like horse feet to rescue the horses from the mudflats.
Raccoon Warriors
Ranger Field Notes: The early battles between the raccoons and wild pigs did not go well. The size and vicious behavior of the boars produced serious injuries among the raccoons. That all changed, however, once the raccoons began to use a kind of armor. The island has discarded horseshoe crab shells on all its beaches. The raccoons gather and use all parts of these shells to make their armor. They show surprising creativity, and will incorporate almost anything that washes on shore into defensive materials like armor. Since they have begun to do this, injuries have markedly declined.