The Other Side....

"The journey was the Corps at its best. The journey was America at its best."
In my opinion I think that this quote means that now we have made it, now we America have done it. From just having the east of American territory was a great accomplishment, but to have America itself is a whole different world. To have the privilege to get to cross America in discovery for the the first time is a dream come true, and i think i can speak for every person who was on the corp of discovery. It took many obstacles, many troubles but as I stepped on the sand of the Pacific Ocean, all i could feel is the salty tears slowly running down my cheek. As i cried in happiness, or as we all did, and like i said early i knew now we have done it, or now we America have done it for through the journeys across America we have made peace with more than a dozen Indians and will for the next generations to come.
Your Friend,
Michael Reyes.

P.S. For my weekly labors, discoveries...for all my endeavors have brought to this journey, i believe i should be paid the grade of an A-.

Swift Fox

Location: July 6, 1805, Louisiana purchase is where i spotted this dog like animal! For this description of the animal it took me hours because of how swift it was, so whenever i got close to it, it would just run away. In my opinion i think that this animal is one of my favorite so far! I hope you enjoy the description. 
Description: The swift fox is the smallest wild dog in North America! Fur is light gray with orange-tan coloring on the sides and legs. Throat, chest, underside and inside of ears creamy white, tail is bushy with black tip, which is very cool. Male slightly larger than female, but not by much. Height: 12 in (30 cm); length: 32 in (80 cm). Weight: 4.4-6.6 lb (2-3 kg).
Habitat: Primarily in shortgrass prairies are one of its habitats that i know of.

Cutthroat Trout

Location: June 13, 1805, is when we found this cutthroat trout in the Louisiana Purchase area, it is a very cool fish that is delicious to eat! Now i took the description when it was on the boat after we caught it so it should be a pretty good description!;-)
Description: Back dark olive; sides variable: silvery, olive, reddish to yellow-orange; belly lighter; dark spots on back, sides, and on median fins. Mouth extends beyond eye; bright red to red-orange slash mark on each side of throat, particularly visible in breeding males, which adds so much to the beauty of the trout! Length: to 30 in (76 cm). Weight: to 41 lbs (18.6 kg). Now the length and weight of the fish i am just getting the facts off the trout we caught, so it made not be exact for all because the length and weight probably varies.
Habitat: lakes; coastal, inland, and alpine streams.

Brewer's Blackbird

 

 Location: June 25, 1805, in the Louisiana Purchase is where we found this night bird, (weird i no) the reason i call it this is because of its dark features that stand out so much, or in my opinion. The description was a little hard for me to get on this bird because when we spotted it, it was pretty dark making it hard to see the bird!

 Description: Robin-size bird. Male is solid black with purplish blue iridescent head and yellow eyes that are very beautiful.  Interestingly the female is gray with dark eyes. I took an estimate on the length: 8-10 in (20-25 cm).

 Sounds: The night bird seems to have several different kind of noises that i've noticed which are gurgles, squawks, and whistles.

 Unique Fact: A very social species, it mixes not only with its own kind but also with other species such as the red-winged blackbird and the brown-headed cowbird.

Nothern Bobcat

Location: April 7, 1805. A bobcat was part of the Fort Mandan shipment to Washington, D.C. Now at first the bobcat that i had spotted looked very friendly, so i thought because it was very friendly i can get very close to the bobcat and take better notes. So stupidly of me i got very close and before i know it the thing attacked me! But i did end up to getting some notes, so here they are.
Description: It is tawny (grayer in winter), with indistinct dark spotting. Short, stubby tail. Ears slightly tufted. Male larger than female. Length: 2.3–4.1 ft (0.7–1.2 m); tail: 4–7 in (10–17 cm). Weight: 14–29 lb (6.4–13 kg).
Habitat: Again on the habitat for each animal im just guessing on upon the area where i find it and others, so i may not be entirely right everyone! Primarily scrubby country or broken forests—hardwood, coniferous, or mixed; also swamps, farmland, and rocky or brushy arid lands.
Interesting Note: Found only in North America, where it is the most common wildcat, Now it is funny how the bobcat got its name, because while we spotted this animal right away clark came up with it and he says its because its stubby, or "bobbed," tail.

North American Porcupine

Location: We found this creature on may 3, 1805, near the mouth of the Porcupine River, Montana.
Discription: Large, chunky body, with short legs. Long guard hairs on front half of body; black or brown in the East, yellowish in the West. Quills on rump and tail. Length: 26–37 in (65–93 cm); tail: 5.9–11.8 in (14.8–30 cm). Weight: 7.8–40 lb (3.5–18 kg).
Habitat: Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests; also, in West, dry, scrubby areas with scattered trees.
Interesting Note: Now i took a pretty big estimate on this but im pretty sure its right, the common porcupine has about 30,000 quills on its body, which it uses to defend itself against more agile predators.

Montana Great Horned Owl

Location: We found this Great Horned Owl on April 14, 1805, in Mountrail County, Louisiana Purchase. Now i have never seen such a unique bird in my life, so because i was so shock I jotted down every little aspect in noticed of the bird. Here it is! I hope you enjoy them.

Description: A large owl, varying in color from nearly white (in Arctic) to dark brown and gray. Mottled and streaked below, setting off the white throat; prominent, widely spaced ear tufts; yellow eyes. Length: 25 in (64 cm). Wingspan: 4.6 ft (1.4 m). Now while i was taking notes of the animal, out of know where it started making strange noises ive heard no animal do so far. I did also record the sound and here it is!
Sound: Series of low, sonorous, far-carrying hoots, hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo, hoo, with second and third notes shorter than the others.
Again I'm not sure of where this birds habitat is but i am guessing it is in forests, open country, swamps,

Grizzly Bear

Location: April 29, 1805, is when we killed the first grizzly just below Big Muddy Creek (Martha's River of Lewis and Clark)! By the time i got to the bear it was already dead because Clark had killed it, but i did get a pretty description while it was dead.
Description: Brown, of various shades from tan to dark brown, often with white-tipped hairs, giving grizzled appearance. Claws of front feet can reach nearly 4 in (10 cm) long. Height: about 4.3 ft (130 cm); length: 5.9–7 ft (180–213 cm); tail: 3 in (7.6 cm). Weight: in contiguous U.S. usually 300–700 lb (135–317 kg).
Now im not very sure about what its habitat is but, it seems like its in open areas in mountains, riversides and streamsides.