<![CDATA[Pine Meadow Ranch Home Owners Association - Just Ask Mike]]>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:14:56 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Mustelidae aka weasels]]>Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:45:30 GMThttps://www.pinemeadowranch.org/just-ask-mike/mustelidae-aka-weaselsQ:  Did someone say we have mink up here? I saw something shockingly new this morning.

​Mike: Can’t say what you saw, but I can chime in on possibilities? Utah has many different members in the Weasel (mustelidae) family and they can very in size from the Badger and Wolverine, down to the Ermine. The most common weasel/mink looking critters in Tollgate are Ermines (aka Stoats), and the very similar looking Long Tail Weasel. We do have Minks, they are a bit bigger and their belly (ventral surface) is a more solid dark color instead of a contrasting white or yellowish like the Ermines and Weasels have. Larger than a mink would be a Fisher (uncommon), which has been spotted in the Uintas and Summit County. The closest sightings of Otter that I am aware of is the Provo River. I personally have seen a Wolverine up here (18-20 years ago) and I’ve heard from others that believe they have seen one as well. That’s all I’ve got!
]]><![CDATA[Western Chorus Frog]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2020 02:36:48 GMThttps://www.pinemeadowranch.org/just-ask-mike/western-chorus-frog
This little frog's song is truly one of my favorite nature sounds up here. The common name for this amphbian is the Western Chorus Frog and they are the ones responsible for the (at times) almost deafening frog calls this time of year! Western Chorus frogs can be very prolific in Utah...... breeding 3x each year (Spring, Summer and Fall). They can live for five years and will hibernate up here near their water source. How cool is that to think about these guys surviving underneath all that snow we have during the winter! They are able to survive under all of our snow due to their ability to stop their bodily fluids from freezing.
]]><![CDATA[Burying Beetle!]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2020 02:22:12 GMThttps://www.pinemeadowranch.org/just-ask-mike/what-is
These Beetles are one of the few in the insect world that both the Male and the Female help raise their young. Not only are they good parents, they are vital to the world’s ecosystems due to their feeding habits. These beetles primarily feed on carrion (dead animals) and help return their nutrients back into the ecosystems.
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