Ep. 211 : Fisher Researcher Dr. Scott LaPoint

<p>Recently while tracking a Fisher (<em>Pekania pennanti</em>) in Algonquin Park we encountered a large galloping trail that had a long stride length of 106 cm (41¾ in). This was about 28 cm (10 in) longer than what is recorded in Mark Elbroch's “Mammal Tracks and Sign” (Stackpole, 2019). When I finished measuring, I was discussing this extraordinarily long stride with some colleagues. They told me about a National Geographic article, based on a paper about increasing body sizes and range expansion of Fishers in the Northeast. I was immediately interested. When I got home from Algonquin, I looked the paper up. I read the abstract but I had to find out more so I wrote to the author, <a href="https://scottlapoint.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Scott LaPoint</a>, to see if he could help answer my questions and be game for an interview. He was in.</p> <p>And what a wealth of knowledge! Scott LaPoint was very open to share his research findings on Fishers, on <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.160947" target="_blank">seasonal size changes in the skulls of some small Weasel species</a> (elaborating on <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(21)00519-4.pdf" target="_blank">Dehnel’s phenomena</a>), as well as the need for wildlife connectivity corridors and Dr. LaPoint’s research throught <a href="https://scottlapoint.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/5/0/25508957/hhwcp_website_content_lapoint_for_pdf.pdf" target="_blank">The Hudson Highlands Wildlife Connectivity Project</a> with Bobcats (<em>Lynx rufus</em>) and Fishers studying how they move throughout the landscape. There was even mention of the <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/on-a-bronx-street-a-long-absent-weasel-returns-to-the-city/" target="_blank">New York Times article</a> about a Fisher seen prowling around the Bronx a few years ago.</p> <p>I am always so grateful to get to talk with the researchers who are doing the work in the field which enables us to learn more about the spec