Nocturnal Mammals- mammals that are more active at night
Long-tailed Shrew - Sorex dispar
Identify Me
Slender body, long snout, small eyes, and a thick tail
Body length: 2.75 inches
Tail length: 2.2 to 2.5 inches
Dark gray with paler underparts
Find Me
Cool, moist, rocky forests; high elevations
I Like to Eat
Small invertebrates, including centipedes, beetles, spiders and crickets
Biologist's Note
Long-tailed shrews have relatively narrow skulls and incisors that stick out, adaptations designed to help remove invertebrates from rocky crevices.
Cool Fact
Their long tails likely help them balance as they travel along rocks.
Raccoon - Procyon lotor
Identify Me
Grayish fur with some red or black tints
Long, black and yellowish-white ringed tail
Black "mask" over its eyes
Black feet with five toes on each paw
Grow to about 28 inches and weigh up to 35 pounds
Find Me
Found in all stretches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Along edges of streams, rivers, swamps, and marshes
Common in developed areas: cities and suburbs
Mostly nocturnal
I Like to Eat
Feeds on nearly everything available: fruits, nuts, corn, fish, frogs, insects, bird eggs, Rodents and dead animals
Cool Facts
The word “raccoon” comes from the Algonquian word arakun, which means “he scratches with his hands.”
Raccoons are great swimmers, but they do not swim farther than they need to to find food because their fur is not waterproof.
Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes
Identify Me
Rusty reddish back
White underbody, chin, and throat
Long, bushy tail with a white tip
Pointed ears
About 3 1/2 feet long
Find Me
Forests, meadows, and fields
I Like to Eat
Mice, squirrels, birds, insects, acorns, and dead animals
Biologist's Note
The fox's hunting habits rely on its sensitivity to low-frequency sounds, which permits it to hear noises made by smaller mammals underground.
Cool Fact
Red foxes only use dens when they have babies. Normally, they rest in openings in the grass or brush.
Striped Skunk - Mephitis mephitis
Identify Me
Black with white stripe from snout to tail
Length: between 18 and 32 inches
Weight: up to 8 pounds; sze of a house cat
They have webbed toes and claws to help them dig
Find Me
Forests,grasslands, meadows, and suburban areas
I Like to Eat
Insects, small amimals, fish, eggs, fruits, nuts, and seeds
Biologist's Note
While they don’t hibernate, skunks that live in cold areas become much less active and live off of their fat stores. Skunks can lose up to 50 percent of their body weight during the winter months.
Cool Fact
The skunk’s scientific name, Mephitis mephitis, comes from the Latin word for bad odor.
Water Mammals- mammals that mainly or completely live in the water
Florida Manatee - Trichechus manatus latirostris
Identify Me
Rusty reddish back
White underbody, chin, and throat
Long, bushy tail with a white tip
Pointed ears
About 3 1/2 feet long
Find Me
Found in warm, shallow waters; creeks, bays, rivers, and canals
I Like to Eat
Bay grasses
Biologist's Note
Like all other mammals, manatees breathe air from the atmosphere. They can stay underwater for about 15 minutes when they are resting, but when they are active they must resurface for air every 3 to 4 minutes.
Cool Fact
If you ever see a manatee in the Chesapeake Bay, contact the National Aquarium’s Stranded Animal Hotline to report your sighting. The aquarium monitors manatees in the Bay to help keep them safe.
River Otter - Lontra canadensis
Identify Me
Long, streamlined body
Dense, brown fur
Its throat and belly are golden or silvery brown
Wide, rounded head with small ears
Long, white whiskers
Length: 26 to 40 inches
Weight: Up to 18 pounds
Find Me
Shores of the Chesapeake Bay and in its lakes, streams, rivers, and marshes
I Like to Eat
Mostly fish, but also frogs, crabs, crayfish, and small mammals
Biologist's Note
Otters are remarkable and graceful swimmers that can remain submerged for several minutes, dive to 55 feet and swim up to a quarter-mile underwater.
Cool Fact
Playful and energetic, river otters often create “rolling spots” where they roll and tumble with each other. They will also slide into the water on paths of snow, dirt or ice.
Rodents- mammals that have a pair of continuous growing teeth in the upper and lower jaws
Beaver - Castor canadensis
Identify Me
Thick, glossy brown fur
Large, scaly, paddle-like tail
Webbed feet and large, chestnut brown teeth
Rounded head and small ears
Length: 25 to 30 inches
Weight: 30 to 60 pounds
Find Me
Forested wetlands and tree-lined streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes
I Like to Eat
Mostly tree bark and leaves; also bay grasses and roots of aquatic plants
Biologist's Note
Their webbed feet and rudder-like tail allow beavers to swim about six miles per hour. Their large tails make a loud sound when a beaver dives underwater.
Cool Fact
To protect their lodges, beavers build dams across streams to flood the area and create deep, quiet ponds. These ponds allow beavers to safely transport food and logs through the water. Ponds formed by beaver dams are important habitat for fish and waterfowl.
Common Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus
Identify Me
Dense brown fur with reddish-brown or black top hairs
Long black tail
Length: up to 25 inches
Find Me
Freshwater and saltwater marshes, swamps, and along the shores of ponds, lakes and streams
I Like to Eat
Sedges, cattails, small fish, crayfish, and frogs
Biologist's Note
The muskrat population remains stable despite hunting, disease, and predation. Muskrats reproduce quickly, which helps maintain their numbers.
Cool Fact
Ondatra is the Iroquois name for the common muskrat, and zibethicus means "musky-odored" in Latin, referring to the scent emitted by breeding males.
Delmarva Fox Squirrel - Sciurus niger cinereus
Identify Me
Light, steel-grey coat
Silver tail with black edging
Creamy to white underside, ears, and muzzle
Length up to 30 inches
Find Me
Mature hardwood forest stands along streams and bays, and in small woodlots next to agricultural fields
I Like to Eat
Acrons, nuts, and seeds frin oaks, maples, hickories, beeches, and pine trees
Biologist's Note
The Delmarva fox squirrel was listed as an endangered species in 1967
Cool Fact
The Dalmarva fox squirrel can weigh twice as much and grow twice as long as the common grey squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis
Identify Me
Grayish body with some black, white, or brown fur
Whitish belly
Bushy tails that vary in color from pale gray to brownish
Length: up to 20 inches
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Find Me
Mixed hardwood forests; parks, yards, and other wooded areas; towns and suburbs
I Like to Eat
Nuts and acorns; seeds, fruits, bulbs, and flowers, but also frogs, insects, bird eggs, and farm crops
Biologist's Note
Mating occurs twice per year, in December to February and again in May to June.
Cool Fact
The gray squirrel’s bushy tail has a number of uses, including balance, warmth and protection from the weather, and communicating with other squirrels.
