mammals Flashcards
Can weigh up to 600 pounds, has a flat back, small head, rounded ears,
non-retractable claws, is sometimes considered a nuisance because they sometimes damage
cornfields, honeybee hives, and berry farms, are easily attracted to garbage, bird feeders, and coolers,
should not be fed by humans, send cubs up trees for safety, do not truly hibernate but enter a shallow
torpor of sleep
American Black Bear
have a long sleek body, short stubby legs, long neck, small ears and eyes, slightly
webbed feet, and a long thick tail; fur is black to brown, soft, thick, and covered with a oily guard hairs
that make it waterproof; they can eat fish up to 12 inches long and kill coastal birds like seagulls and
cormorants by drowning them; slightly webbed feet and streamlined bodies are powerful in the water,
and they can swim for up to three hours without stopping; they hunt on land and can climb trees.
American Mink
bushy tail, large, triangular ears, narrow muzzle, black nose, and yellow eyes;
expanded their range after the near extermination of wolves and cougars by European settlers;
carnivorous but will eat berries, grass, and food crops; are canines; howl at night;
travel in packs; eat small domesticated dogs and calves.
Coyote
is a large tree squirrel, has gray and black fur on its back and orange-colored
fur on its belly; tail color is cinnamon mixed with black; cause damage to property and crops, are
pests, are solitary, sleep 15 hours a day, so not hibernate, live in trees
Eastern Fox Squirrel
black with two thick white stripes running down the back
and tail with a thin white stripe from snout to forehead; have a bushy black tail, small triangular heads,
short ears, and black eyes; secretes a foul odor as a defense mechanism; is nocturnal, is affected by
rabies and vehicle collisions; benefit humans by eating insects
Striped Skunk
short legs with webbed feet, a long narrow body, and a long, muscular tail; are
semi-aquatic; live in dens along lakes and rivers; are playful social animals, can stay underwater forup
to 8 minutes, can run 18 miles per hour, are excellent swimmers, were trapped for fur in the 18 th and
19 th centuries
River Otter
reddish-brown on the upper body with white on the underparts and tail;
have distinctive, large eyes and a round, fluffy tail; small and need a habitat with ground cover and
grass for nesting; love to live in suburban yards, practice flush and freeze defense mechanisms; run in
zig zag patterns up to 15 miles per hour
Eastern cottontail
larger-sized flying mammal with around a 12-inch wingspan, has brown fur with
black ears, wings, and feet; has hairless wings; live in caves; nocturnal; eat cucumber beetles (helping
farmers get rid of pests)
Big Brown Bat
long bodies, small heads, short legs, and long whiskers; live in burrows
in woodlands; have a high metabolism and must eat 40% of body weight a day; are solitary but
aggressively defend their territory; die young
Long Tailed Weasels
black feet, a fluffy white-tipped tail, and large, pointy, black-tipped ears, are
smart, cunning, excellent hunters and foragers, leap high in air and pounce on prey pinning it to the
ground; larger than grey foxes and smaller than coyotes ; babies are called kits; are carnivores
Red Fox
black with a white stripe and white spots; have a distinctive
triangular white spot on the head between their eyes; small, skinny omnivores with a stinky odor for a
defense mechanism
Eastern Spotted Skunk
reddish-brown underbelly and tail, is short and stout, is noble,
charming, cunning, lives in woodlands and thickets and swamps; eats rabbits, mice, voles, rabbits,
chipmunks, squirrels, fruits, insects, birds and eggs, carrion, corn, amphibians and reptiles
Gray Fox
facial ruffs, ear tuffs, white spots, short tails, are solitary, are elusive,
are shy, are skilled hunters, can run up to 30 miles per hour, can leap high in the air to capture low-
flying birds, can stalk prey and pounce on them, are threatened by habitat fragmentation and
rodenticides, only sleep about 2-3 hours at a time.
Bobcat
reddish-brown on the back and white on the undersides, with two white
stripes on each side and one black stripe down the middle of the back; have pouched cheeks for
carrying food, prominent eyes, and rounded ears; get name form “chip chip” sound they make; are
omnivores; are diurnal, live in dens; are excellent tree climbers and swimmers; create burrows with
connecting tunnels
Eastern Chipmunk
characterized by the back, sides, legs and tail are covered in a boneu,
armor-like plates which are connected by flexible skin; have tough skin and coarse hair on their belly;
burrow for protection; destroy yards and are hit by vehicles on the road
9 banded armadillo
