Chapter 6

MEETING THE MAMMALS

Mammals are defined simply as warm-blooded animals that have hair and nourish their young on milk. They are considered the highest form of Earth life. They are common everywhere, but their secretive habits make observation difficult. You may consider yourself quite fortunate if you see even one or two of the mammals living on Castle Neck during a single visit here.

In this chapter lengths given are measurements from the nose to tip of the tail.

INSECT-EATING MAMMALS: SHREWS

Short-tailed Shrew (_Blarina brevicauda_)

Dark, slate-gray body Length 4″ or 5″ Tail about 1″

This little mammal is a creature of damp areas and is generally associated with damp forests. It makes burrows just under the surface of the ground. It is the _only_ poisonous mammal in the United States and uses its venom to stun and kill its prey. However, the only result of a nip on your finger will be considerable swelling. Because of its insect-eating habit the Shrew is a most beneficial animal.

Cinereus Shrew (_Sorex cinereus_)

Grayish-brown body Length 3″ to 4″ Tail more than 1″

This is the most common shrew on the Neck. It is found roving about the salt marshes in search of insects. It hunts during the day as well as at night, generally keeping concealed under a grassy cover.

WINGED MAMMALS: BATS

Everyone can identify Bats. Their fingers are extended and joined with a leathery membrane. Their ears are large to aid in catching the echo of their voice as it is reflected from obstacles. They are most frequently seen at twilight when they flitter over the dunes in quest of the many insects abounding there. Bats have tremendous value because they eat such insect pests as mosquitoes and flies.

We have five major kinds of Bats. They are not easily identified in flight.

Little Brown Bat (_Myotis_, several species)

Less than 4″ long Common

Big Brown Bat (_Eptesicus fuscus_)

More than 4″ long Reddish-brown fur Common

Pipistrelles (_Pipistrellus subflavus_)

The “Pigmy Bat,” under 3″ long Rare

Silver-haired Bat (_Lasionycteris noctivagans_)

About 3½″ long Gray or silvery hair on back Rare

Red Bat (_Lasiurus borealis_)

About 3½″ long Rusty-red fur with whitish tips

and

Hoary Bat (_L. cinereus_)

About 4½″ long Yellowish-brown fur tipped with white

LONG-EARED JUMPERS: RABBITS

New England Cottontail (_Sylvilagus transitionalis_)

Large hind jumping legs More than 1′ long

While the New England Cottontail is named for our area, it does extend its range southward to mid-Alabama. It may be separated from other species of Cottontails by a narrow black spot between the ears. It is very common on the Neck. These rabbits stay hidden most of the day, venturing forth at night or early in the morning. Because their diet is exclusively vegetable matter, we do not consider them beneficial.

BUCK-TOOTHED MAMMALS: RODENTS

Eastern Gray Squirrel (_Sciurus carolinensis_)

About 18″ long Bushy tail, less than half the total length Gray fur, white on underside

The Gray Squirrel easily adapts itself to any environment. The large treetop nests constructed of _leaves_ are made by this squirrel. A brood of two to six young is raised once or twice each spring.

Red Squirrel (_Tamiasciurus hudsonicus_)

About 14″ long Bushy tail, about half the total length Rusty-red fur, underside white

This little squirrel will often be heard before it is seen, scolding its terrestrial enemies with a loud clatter from a perch high in a protective tree. In late spring its yearly brood of four or five is raised in a nest of shredded bark built high in a tree.

Eastern Chipmunk (_Tamias striatus_)

8″ or 10″ long Reddish-brown fur with two white stripes on back White stripes on back are margined with black

The Chipmunk is a squirrel that keeps to the ground and seldom climbs trees except to collect nuts. It packs the nuts in two large cheek pouches, and when these are full they look like a very bad case of mumps. The Chipmunk’s nest is found underground.

Common Woodchuck (_Marmota monax_)

Large, fat animal over 2′ long Grayish- to reddish-brown fur Bushy tail, 5″ or 6″ long

The Woodchuck has many common names; “Chuck,” “Marmot,” or “Ground Hog” are the ones used in our area. “Chucks” live in deep burrows underground and there is always a great mound of earth in front of their opening. Frequently the “Chuck” is seen standing upright on its hind feet surveying its territory from the top of this mound. The same tunnel probably has several other more concealed openings which are used as escape hatches. The Woodchuck hibernates far below the ground during the winter months, and in the northern United States never comes out on February 2, “Ground Hog Day.”

Muskrat (_Ondatra zibethica_)

Resembles a large rat About 2′ long Tail ratlike, flattened from side to side

The Muskrat is an aquatic mammal and is always found in association with water. It is very common in the marshy areas of the beach and may frequently be seen swimming about in such spots. The Muskrat’s fur has become specialized for its aquatic existence and is water-proofed with a heavy layer of oil. Muskrats feed extensively on the marsh plants. In late fall they construct large dome-shaped homes that protrude above the water.

White-footed Mouse (_Peromyscus leucopus_)

Feet and legs are white Large eyes; prominent ears

These mice are common all over the Neck. They are nocturnal and may be discovered in the daytime hiding under boards that have washed onto the shore, or they may be found in the wooded areas behind the main beach. Their small nests are constructed out of fur and grass and are located in depressions in the ground, frequently under a board or log. When the original owners vacate these nests they are often taken over by Bumblebees, Centipedes, Earwigs, and other secretive creatures.

Eastern Meadow Mouse (_Microtus pennsylvanicus_)

Very small eyes Tail short, about one-third total length Brown fur, gray on underside

The Meadow Mouse is by far the most common mammal of Castle Neck. Its burrows may be seen just under the grass in all areas having ground cover. It feeds on many of the trees in the area, chewing the bark around the base. This girdling will eventually kill the tree. While this habit makes Meadow Mice undesirable, they fortunately prefer the smaller herbaceous plants when they are available. Although common, Meadow Mice are seldom seen because their days are spent running through their burrows. These may extend over an area of many square yards.

Meadow Jumping Mouse (_Zapus hudsonius_)

Tail longer than body, sparsely haired White underside, olive-yellow back

Occasionally when one is walking in the grassy fields, a Jumping Mouse will suddenly bound away in leaps averaging three or four feet. If it is really frightened, these leaps may carry the mouse as far as ten feet. In the United States the Jumping Mouse is much more closely related to the Porcupine than to true mice. Un-mouse-like, it hibernates in an underground nest during the winter months. Jumping Mice eat both insects and plants.

DOGLIKE MAMMALS: FOXES

Red Fox (_Vulpes fulva_)

Looks like a long-legged dog Reddish fur; feet and ears black Large bushy tail, white on tip

Only the most fortunate observer will see a Fox, which is most secretive and truly sly in its habits. It digs burrows and produces four to nine young during April. The Fox has been known to adapt its habits to changes humans have made in its environment, and it is most beneficial because it eats thousands of mice annually.

RING-TAILED MAMMAL: RACCOON

Raccoon (_Procyon lotor_)

Dense gray fur Tail ringed with bands of black and white Black “mask” over eyes

Raccoons are creatures of the night and seldom venture forth in the daylight. They are expert climbers, spending many hours high in a lofty perch, and if pursued they usually seek refuge in a tree or swamp. They feed on frogs, fish, eggs, insects, nuts, corn, and shellfish, which they rinse carefully. The shellfish they skillfully remove from their shells, and often small piles of shells are the only clue to a Raccoon’s presence.

SCENT-PRODUCING MAMMALS: SKUNKS, MINK, WEASELS

Striped Skunk (_Mephitis mephitis_)

Black fur with two white stripes on back Large bushy tail, white at tip

The Skunk is an inoffensive creature that tries hard to avoid people. Even when confronted, it is generally good-natured, relying on its presence to discourage investigation and employing its powerful scent only if pressed. Skunks usually live in holes not far from water. These holes have generally been taken over from another mammal by “squatter’s rights.” From four to seven youngsters are born in late April and they follow their mother about faithfully wherever she goes.

Mink (_Mustela vison_)

Elongated brown animal Bushy tail, about 8″ long Toes are webbed

The Mink is extremely rare on the Neck and a careful and thorough search is required to locate one. They are associated with water and feed on shellfish and other aquatic creatures. They are best known for their fur, a favorite for coats. Fortunately, Mink are not common enough on the Neck to warrant commercial trapping.

Long-tailed Weasel (_Mustela frenata_)

Long thin body; yellowish beneath, brown above Tail long, about half the total length

The Weasel is a vicious, bloodthirsty animal that often kills just for the sport of it. Most of its victims are mice and insects, so its murderous instincts really benefit us. Weasels hunt at all hours of the day or night and all year round. Specimens in our area will occasionally turn pure white in winter and become an “Ermine.”

HOOF-FOOTED MAMMALS: DEER

White-tailed Deer (_Odocoileus virginianus_)

Tail held upright when alarmed White patch on throat under chin Ear lined with white

The White-tailed Deer is certainly the most obvious mammal on the Neck and is readily seen if one will take a short stroll in the wooded area behind the main beach or farther out on the Neck. There are probably close to one hundred deer here, a number approaching overpopulation. They feed mostly on grasses and the more succulent plants. Usually deer produce twins in early summer (June). The fawns are light tan and spotted with white. Deer may be seen readily in early evening when they come into the open fields to browse. They seem to have become quite accustomed to human observers and will frequently be as interested in you as you are in them.

MAMMAL STUDY—A LIFETIME PROJECT

Occasionally Whales, Seals, and Porpoises are sighted off the beach. These are true aquatic mammals. We have only listed the mammals regularly found living on the Neck. To see all of them is a summer’s project, and to study their life histories is equally exciting and challenging.

A few books to help you are:

William H. Burt and Richard P. Grossenheider, _A Field Guide to the Mammals_. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1952. $3.95 Victor H. Cahalane, _Mammals of North America_. New York: Macmillan, 1947. $7.95 William J. Hamilton, Jr., _The Mammals of Eastern United States_. Ithaca, N. Y.: Comstock, 1943. Out of print. Available in Museum of Science Library. Ralph S. Palmer, _The Mammal Guide: Mammals of North America North of Mexico_. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1954. $4.95 Herbert S. Zim and D. F. Hoffmeister, _Mammals: A Guide to Familiar American Species_. New York: Golden Press, 1955. Cloth $2.50, paper $1.00