MAMMALS in and around Lake Garfield

PYGMY SHREW Sorex minutus)

Here in New England we are often lucky enough to see a shrew. They are small, they look like mice at first glance, and they mainly go about at night. This time of year that is likely to be under the snow but still we can see their tunnels, sometimes so close to the surface that there is some cave-in along the pathway. Other times they may scamper about on top of the snow.

MUSKRAT Ondatra zibethicus

The muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. It has important effects on the ecology of wetlands, and is a resource of food and fur for humans.

STRIPED SKUNK Mephitis mephitis

The striped skunk is an omnivore and feeds on a variety of animals and plants. It preys upon small rodents and insects that humans consider pests. The striped skunk is prey to few animals because of the powerful odor that they can spray if threatened or cornered. Birds of prey, such as the great horned owl, are major predators of the skunk because they do not have a sense of smell. Bobcats and coyote will occasionally prey upon the skunk.

BOBCAT Lynx rufus

The bobcat is a North American cat that appeared during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago. Containing 2 recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to central Mexico, including most of the contiguous United States. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the bobcat resembles the other species of the midsized genus Lynx. It is smaller on average than the Canada lynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or "bobbed") tail, from which it derives its name.

FLYING SQUIRREL Glaucomys volans

One of our wild neighbors is the Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans. That first word means silver, and the little squirrel is silvery on top and creamy white below. “Volans” means flying, and these nocturnal squirrels do soar through the air. They do not fly, in the way the birds, butterflies, and bats do. Like the “daring young man on the flying trapeze,” they glide.

WHITE TAILED DEER Odocoileus virginianus

The graceful white-tailed deer is the most abundant of Massachusetts' large game animals. They belong to to an order of ungulate (hoofed) mammals called the Artiodactyla (even-toed), which also includes the pigs, cows, antelopes, sheep, goats, camels and hippos. And they are members of the family Cervidae, which also contains the moose and caribou.

BLACK BEAR Ursus americanus

The only bear species that makes its home in Massachusetts is the black bear. It is the largest meat-eating mammal in New England, occasionally reaching weights of 500 pounds. They also eat berries, nuts, flowers, fruits, and succulent grasses (including corn) as well as garbage.

Black bears hibernate in the winter, but have the ability to wake up should danger strike. When necessary, black bears can run 32 miles an hour and climb trees nearly as fast as a squirrel. They are great swimmers and love to play in water during the warm weather. In the wild they can live to be about 25 years old.

DEER MOUSE Peromyscus maniculatus

…Deer mice, the prettiest things you can imagine. Maybe they get their name from their warm tan uppers and pure white belly, like our white-tailed deer. Some call them “white-footed mice,” and some say the term “deer mouse” is a general name for several species of the genus Peromyscus.

DEER MOUSE OR WHITE FOOTED MOUSE Peromyscus eucopus

There is another small wild critter crossing paths with me in the fall, as it has done for many a decade, like fifty years. This is the deer mouse or white-footed mouse. The prettiest little furry housemate: quiet, sparkly-eyed, with a white belly, whiskers, a long sensitive nose, and small white feet. These feet carry it into the house, the cupboards, the kitchen drawers. They sometimes leave footprints, but mainly what the deer mouse leaves is tidy small scatological calling cards…

VIRGINIA POSSUM Didelphis virginiana

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is more closely related to kangaroos than to any other mammal in North America. It’s our only member of the ancient group of animals called the marsupials, or animals with pouches.

Opossum is the official name. However, both opossum and “possum” were written down by early colonists as approximate translations of the Virginia Algonquian word “apousoum,” which meant “white animal.”

EASTERN CHIPMUNK Tamias striatus

Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia.

The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), common to the deciduous forests of eastern North America, is the largest. Weighing 70–142 grams (2.5–5 ounces), it has a body 14–19 cm (5.5–7.5 inches) long and a shorter tail (8–11 cm [3.1–4.3 inches]). The fur is reddish brown and is broken by five dark brown stripes running lengthwise down the body. These alternate with two gray-brown stripes and two whitish stripes.

HAIRY-TAILED MOLE Parascalops breweri

A Hairy-tailed Mole has dark grey fur with lighter underparts, a pointed nose and a short, hairy tail. Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. It has 44 teeth. Its eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not external. Its feet and snout are pinkish, but become white in older animals. Several adaptations to living primarily underground can be seen in the hairy-tailed mole. Its pelage is very dense and silky, and its feet are broad, flat, and heavy. Moles rely very little on their eyesight and have very small optic nerves. To accommodate its lack of vision, the hairy-tailed mole has sensitive whiskers and hairs on the tip of its nose and feet to feel its surroundings. — Wikipedia

“Moles have blossomed up for me this year and the more you pay attention and think about a mole, the more you get a chance to handle a mole and notice the places a mole has been…”

AMERICAN RED SQUIRREL Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

The American red squirrel is amongst the smaller of the tree squirrels. Its fur color can be very different, depending on the season and where it lives. Brownish or reddish are the usual colors of the upper parts. In summer, it has a black stripe along its side, which separates the dark upper fur from the creamy or white fur. The squirrel's tail is often edged with white and is not as thick as in other tree squirrels in North America. Its large black eyes are encircled by white bands. This squirrel's compact, muscled body, strong claws, and strong back legs make it good at climbing and running through trees.

COYOTE Canis latrans

The neighborhood coyote visiting our backyards, or seen running along country roads in the headlights of our cars, has evolved through cross-breeding to be nearly as large as a German shepherd. It has become so much bigger than the small twenty-five-pound western canine I saw as a Walt Disney cartoon character!…

NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER Lutra canadensis

North American River Otters are the charismatic clowns and the largest members of the weasel family, well-known for their playful antics and excellent swimming abilities. They can be found across the continental U.S., near streams, rivers, lakes, and swamps.

GREY SQUIRREL Sciurus carolinensis

Grey Squirrels are diurnal, only active during the day, and particularly in the 6 to 9 a.m. slot and then again 3 to 6 p.m. They are holed up for the night, safe from the nocturnal predators, but by day they are prey to foxes, bobcats, house cats, dogs, pine martens, fishers, hawks, and snakes.

RED FOX Vulpes vulpes

The red fox is the most widespread carnivore species in the world ranging across the entire Northern Hemisphere. They measure about 35–40 inches from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Adults typically weigh 7–15 pounds, but may appear heavier. They are recognized by their reddish coat and black “leg-stockings.”