mammals

THIEF IN THE NIGHT

We’re meeting one more local of Salamander Woods. Are you ready? This animal is coming over during our last big bonfire as he is nocturnal! Let’s all be on the lookout for a little racoon!

Raccoon Fun Facts:

• Raccoons live in North America. They are common.
• They grow up to 28″ long and can weigh up to 20lbs.
• Raccoon are omnivores. They will eat almost anything, from invertebrates to plants to small animals.
• Raccoons have 40 teeth!
• They live in all kind of habitats, from swamps to forests to cities.
• Raccoons are famous for their masked faces.
• Raccoons are nocturnal.

• They are known to wash their food off in creeks or streams.
• Raccoons do not hibernate, but they do store fat before the winter and lose up to 50% of their body weight.
• Raccoons have 5 digits on their front paws. These fingers act like human hands in a way.
• They are excellent climbers and swimmers!

Raccoons are intelligent critters! They get a bad rap, but they are amazing! And you know you can’t resist those cute little faces!

Oh Deer!

We’re back! Your camp directors took a few days off for a long weekend! We also wanted to let you know the schedule for the next month! We’re having one more week of camp next week, then we’ll be celebrating the Ellie and Edmond animal Olympics. Then we will be taking a little time off to get ready for a whole new school year at the university! Woohoo!

First up today though, we are going to meet a resident of Salamander Woods, one you may be very familiar with- the whitetail deer!

• They are found from Southern Canada to South America, in suburbs, woodlands and forests.
• They are herbivores. They eat grasses and other vegetation.
• They can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 300 lbs.
• They are listed as least concern by the IUCN.
• Whitetail deer are very recognized. They can often be seen near cities even.
• They get their name from the underside of their tail, which is white. They flick that tail up to warn other deer of danger.

• Whitetail deer are mostly nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk).
• Male whitetail deer have antlers. They shed those antlers every year in late fall.
• Whitetail deer are often shy.
• Female whitetail deer and their offspring (fawns) live in groups. Males are more solitary.
• They have a good eyesight and hearing. Their strongest sense is smell. They smell for predators and the scent markings of other deer.

It’s always fun to say hello to the deer when they come up to camp. They always nibble on the flowers- who can blame them Edmond & I think the flowers are tasty too!