February 27, 2019 at 2:14 pm
By Wildlife Biologist Shevenell Webb
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A young tracker consults her notebook to confirm opossum tracks.[/caption]
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love is still in the air! The days are getting longer and small changes are occurring in our plant and animal communities as we transition into late winter/early spring.
Many of Maine’s mammals breed in February, including coyote, gray and red fox, bobcat, lynx, opossum, raccoon, beaver, mink, skunk, red and gray squirrel, and even the star-nosed mole. Each warm evening (i.e., above freezing), I think about the skunks, raccoons, and opossums roaming the night in search of a mate. I was driving home the other evening and saw an opossum running along a backroad in Readfield, moving as fast as his little legs would carry him. My kids had never seen a live possum’ and they squealed with delight over his unique appearance. We watched as this prehistoric marsupial disappeared over a snowbank and I am left in awe at how opossums have managed to survive and expand their distribution in Maine.
The following morning, I discovered alien-like tracks in my yard- the possum’ had visited in the night. I followed his trail meanderings until he headed off towards a neighbor’s property, perhaps in search of food, shelter, or a mate. Opossums have thrived in northern climates, in part, because they will eat just about anything they can find, including bugs, carrion, small mammals, eggs, frogs, berries, and garbage. I moved my trail camera in the woods, hoping to catch another glimpse of the elusive opossum and the other animals that are busy looking for love this time of year. It’s hard to believe it now, but in a few months, mud season will be here and many animals will be giving birth. As you get out this time of year, pay close attention to the tracks you see in the snow and follow them to unravel some of the wildlife mysteries left behind.
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From left to right: Bobcat (left) and fisher (right) tracks cross paths in the woods, a bobcat investigates a talus slope, Deer (left) and opossum (right) tracks converge. Note the opossum trail drags in the snow.[/caption]
Shevenell Webb is a wildlife biologist who specializes in the conservation and management of small to medium-sized mammals in Maine.
A young tracker consults her notebook to confirm opossum tracks.[/caption]
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love is still in the air! The days are getting longer and small changes are occurring in our plant and animal communities as we transition into late winter/early spring.
Many of Maine’s mammals breed in February, including coyote, gray and red fox, bobcat, lynx, opossum, raccoon, beaver, mink, skunk, red and gray squirrel, and even the star-nosed mole. Each warm evening (i.e., above freezing), I think about the skunks, raccoons, and opossums roaming the night in search of a mate. I was driving home the other evening and saw an opossum running along a backroad in Readfield, moving as fast as his little legs would carry him. My kids had never seen a live possum’ and they squealed with delight over his unique appearance. We watched as this prehistoric marsupial disappeared over a snowbank and I am left in awe at how opossums have managed to survive and expand their distribution in Maine.
The following morning, I discovered alien-like tracks in my yard- the possum’ had visited in the night. I followed his trail meanderings until he headed off towards a neighbor’s property, perhaps in search of food, shelter, or a mate. Opossums have thrived in northern climates, in part, because they will eat just about anything they can find, including bugs, carrion, small mammals, eggs, frogs, berries, and garbage. I moved my trail camera in the woods, hoping to catch another glimpse of the elusive opossum and the other animals that are busy looking for love this time of year. It’s hard to believe it now, but in a few months, mud season will be here and many animals will be giving birth. As you get out this time of year, pay close attention to the tracks you see in the snow and follow them to unravel some of the wildlife mysteries left behind.
[caption id="attachment_3391" align="aligncenter" width="500"] From left to right: Bobcat (left) and fisher (right) tracks cross paths in the woods, a bobcat investigates a talus slope, Deer (left) and opossum (right) tracks converge. Note the opossum trail drags in the snow.[/caption]
Shevenell Webb is a wildlife biologist who specializes in the conservation and management of small to medium-sized mammals in Maine.Categories