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Mammals
The most common mammals in the Metro Parks:
1. White-tailed deer
2. Raccoon
3. Opossum
4. Skunk
5. Short-tailed shrew
6. Little brown bat
White-tailed deer
One of our largest mammals, the white-tailed deer is an herbivore, meaning it doesn't eat meat. Females are called does, and males are called bucks. Born in spring, fawns have tan coats with white spots and do not carry any scent. Does will only visit their fawns to nurse, giving a young deer its best chance at survival during this vulnerable time.
Deer are most often found in woodlands, but will feed in open areas. They can be active around the clock, but less so during daylight hours. They are a native, year-round resident of Ohio and can be found in all of our parks.
Raccoon
These familiar mammals are characterized by gray coats, ringed tails and black masks. Although they prefer woodland areas with hollow trees and nearby water, they are adaptable creatures that can live almost anywhere, probably because they are willing to eat anything that remotely resembles food. However, fish, frogs, acorns and berries are their preferred fare.
While they don't truly hibernate, they can sleep for days or weeks at a time during winter months. They are nocturnal creatures, meaning they are active during nighttime hours. They breed in February or March and the young are born in early spring. Young raccoons will stay with their mother until fall.
Opossum
The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial in the United States. It gives birth to as many as 13 small, helpless young that crawl into a pouch in the mother's abdomen and continue development.
The opossum has grayish hair, a white face and is about the size of a domestic cat. It has a prehensile tail that it uses to grasp branches and other small objects. Its nocturnal behavior allows it to go mostly unnoticed to many park visitors. However, its opposable thumb creates a distinctive track that can be seen in mud or snow. This mammal is noted for its reaction to threats, which is to feign death – hence the expression "playing possum."
Skunk
Although most skunks are black and white, they can also be gray or even cream colored. The reasonably long-bodied animal has short, muscular legs and long front claws for easy digging. The most notorious characteristic of the skunk is its anal scent glands, which it uses to defend itself from predators as large as bears and coyotes. A skunk can accurately spray its scent from seven to 15 feet away, but only does so when absolutely necessary. Their worst enemies are great horned owls, who have little or no sense of smell and prey on skunks regularly.
Skunks are crepuscular animals, meaning they are active during twilight hours. They have excellent senses of smell and hearing, but poor vision, making them very susceptible to road traffic. Skunks are short-lived animals; fewer than 10% survive more than three years. The species does not hibernate during winter, but becomes inactive during long periods, sleeping in communal dens.
Short-tailed shrew
This shrew is slate gray with light gray underparts. It weighs about 20 grams, similarly sized to the house mouse. It prefers woodland areas or wet meadows. These mammals eat insects, earthworms, snails, small rodents and plant material. They have a neurotoxin in their saliva that immobilizes their prey, and they can prey on snakes or small birds.
Short-tailed shrews can tunnel in dense leaf litter or moist soil. Females give birth to between five to seven young – as many as three times per year – in a nest built in such a tunnel, often under a fallen log.
Little brown bat
As its name describes, the little brown bat is a small bat with longish chocolate fur and brown wings. They are nocturnal, and they feed and drink while on the wing (i.e., in flight). The little brown bat is similar to other bats that inhabit Ohio in that they eat strictly insects, including mosquitoes and moths. Little browns prefer woodland areas, roost in trees with exfoliating bark and rear young in family groups called colonies. However, this species has adapted to using artificial structures and is known to roost in barns, attics and man-made bat houses.
Bats hibernate during winter, sleeping as many as six months out of every calendar year. This fact, coupled with its ability to regulate its metabolism, allows the little brown to be a relatively long-lived creature for its size. Records of little brown bats living more than 30 years are not uncommon.
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