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European Hornets are a widespread insect species in North America but aren’t noticed that much in New Hampshire(They live in New Hampshire). These insects have lived in the US since the 1800s, but these days, they are widespread across the country. These hornets are found in basements, trees, and other rural areas as opposed to cities(European Hornets). The offspring live in nests where their adults defend them from mammals and it’s also where offspring are born and die(European Hornets). Queens are the ones who give birth to baby hornets. They hatch and mate with male hornets(European Hornets). They let other hornets in other colonies die but hope emerges. In Spring, a new colony of European Hornets is born(European Hornets). European Hornets eat other insects and mammals and are large insects. In the end, European Hornets are a species that she be more regarded throughout New Hampshire as they are an interesting species.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=European-Hornet

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The red-tailed hawk is the most common hawk seen by humans in New Hampshire. They hunt little field mice, rabbits, and moles.  They are usually seen on top of big trees, telephone poles, or flying above open fields looking down at their prey. The red-tailed hawk has a loud screechy scream that echoes through the sky. The average red-tailed hawk weighs around 3 lbs. They sometimes hunt in pairs on both sides of a tree to catch a squirrel. The oldest red-tailed hawk lived to be 30 years and 8 months old. Red-tailed hawks usually stay in trees and lay eggs in trees in their nests.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/overview

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If you are swimming in a New Hampshire ocean there's a chance you could spot a Great White in the water with you. Its massive frame and distinctive fin will make you swim the other way, and scare you out of the water.

These beasts aren’t in the water to hurt you, rather it’s just their home that you are occupying with alongside the creatures. Most of the time when there are shark sightings it can be directly correlated to the fact that seals are nearby. The shark’s hunts can take place closer than you’d expect, Great Whites hunt seals in both deep and shallow water “Shark Safety” Luckily these sharks aren’t difficult to spot, they have a distinctive upward and pointed fin that sticks out of the water. This along with their gray body and lighter underbelly, Allow spotting the beast to be quite easy. Overall these sharks use their hunting advantages such as their slits of gills on both sides to catch their prey and feed themselves. “Shark Safety” Nevertheless, these animals aren’t looking to hunt humans, we are just in their spaces and sometimes close encounters occur.

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If you have ever seen a chipmunk you will notice its cute, fuzzy, little body with black stripes down its back, flat tail, and puffy cheeks. It may be making a quiet but loud clicking call that will make you want to sit and watch it all day. Chipmunks are found in gardens and yards. In the area you see the chipmunk there will be a burrow nearby which is made up of complex tunnels that they use to store food and live in.  Chipmunks will eat many things including eggs of birds found in nests, insects, seeds, and plants.

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You may have never seen a red fox in your New Hampshire yard due to their cautious nature, but they are more common than you may think. Red foxes are known for their rusty reddish coats, with their white chins, undersides, and throats. They typically weigh between eight and fifteen pounds. About three-hundred and ten red foxes have been caught by trappers each year, for the past ten years (Bagley). During the winter red foxes grow a longer coat to stay warm and then shed their coat as spring begins. Even when red foxes are full, they don’t stop hunting, and they store their extra food in burrow leaves, snow, and soft dirt (Bagley).

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Skunks are one of the most common animals in New Hampshire. But do you ever realize how you don’t see them in the winter? That’s because they hibernate. This means they go into a state of metabolic depression with a lot of inactivity. They can also enter a state of torpor, which is when the skunk's heartbeat, body temperature and brain all slowdown. A skunk’s diet consists of plants, mice and eggs because they are omnivorous. Skunks also live in burrows or under peoples porches at home. This makes for a good shelter. The females group together and live together in dens while the males go find food

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Although bobcats are rarely seen in NH, they still find a way to live their lives hunting in the shadows.

Adult bobcats remain in solitary except during mating periods which typically happen Feb-March. Male bobcats in NH are on average 27 lbs whereas females are 17 lbs on average. Over the previous 20yrs, bobcat numbers have increased greatly in NH. Bobcats usually live 2-5 yrs in the wild, but can live 32 yrs old in captivity. The bobcat is yellowish-brown or reddish-brown and turns grayer in the winter. They get their names for its bobbed tail.

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If you ever hear a massive, snarling animal rummaging through your trash in the middle of the night, it must be a black bear. Black bears are very common in Northern America and Canada, including New Hampshire. Black bears are huge animals, with females weighing up to 150 pounds and males weighing up to 250 pounds. Their diet consists of fruits, nuts, plants, small insects, bees, livestock, and sometimes garbage. Black bears hibernate throughout the winter. While hibernating, they drop their heart rate to about 40-50% of what it initially was. Through this process, they lose about a fourth of their body weight (Black Bears). Black bears are very antisocial, often avoiding areas that humans are around and mostly coming out at night.

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This bird, known to many people, is one of the more unique, pretty, and loud birds in New Hampshire. The Blue Jay is found in all of NH. Its pretty colors make it so fun to watch. Its connection with its family and friends shows its loyalty and commitment. It snacks on nuts, seeds, grains, and some insects. They build their nests in thick, bushy outer branches of trees. They lay two to seven eggs at a time. If you see one, be sure to admire it.

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Purple Finch

Don’t be fooled by its name, the Purple Finch is one of the most recognizable birds yet it is not exactly purple. Usually found in the Northeast, the Purple Finch has created its home in the trees and open woods of New Hampshire. Its fascinating color enables this species to stand out from the rest of the bird population. A pink and redhead with a mix of brown on its belly. Feeding on mainly seeds in the winter and insects such as caterpillars and beetles in the summer. Unlike most animals stereotype, the female is in charge of building the nest. They collect twigs, weeds, strips of bark, and animal hair to create the perfect nest. You might catch these birds in action during the summer months, while in the fall and spring the flocks migrate further south.

“Purple Finch” Audubon Field 02/24/2022

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/purple-finch

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If you ever visit New Hampshire, you might be surprised by the coyotes yipping howls in the distance, or encountering one and seeing their significant size.  Eastern Coyotes are normally 30-50 pounds (Eastern Coyotes).  They are almost twice the size of the Western Coyote.  You will also hear them yipping in the distance.  If you hear this, they could be getting threatened, they are bringing their pack together or their pack is reuniting (Eastern Coyotes).  Coyotes do this their whole life, which lasts around four years (Eastern Coyotes).

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Lock your doors and hide your pets, the Fisher rules New Hampshire! Weighing in at up to twelve pounds these vicious carnivores will eat just about anything that breathes.
The North American Fisher has a coat ranging from brown to black and they can weigh from 4-12 pounds. They are experts at traversing the forests of New Hampshire with long bushy tails for balance and long hooked claws they can climb crawl and scurry their way to food. These carnivores will eat everything: mammals, birds and even fish are not safe from their claws. They can live up to ten years in the wild roaming a territory ranging from 10-20 square miles(Fishers). They mate once every year in the months of march-april and can have up to six kits(Fishers).

Fisher Nh fish and wildlife

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The red squirrel is not afraid to eat your bird seeds in your bird feeder. The Red Squirrel can be found in many places like your backyard. The reddish-gray fur on top of the Red Squirrel helps it to stay warm. As well as the white or cream underside. You can find these Red Squirrels in forests or woods, eating insects, bark, mushrooms, etc… They also drink tree sap from the maple trees by biting into the tree and getting a good taste of sap in it. The Female Red squirrels mate during the later winter season and can have up to three to seven babies. They leave their mother though when they are around 18 weeks old to go live on their own. Lastly, you can definitely spot a Red Squirrel based on the growls and screeching sounds that they make.

Red Squirrel source- https://nhpbs.org/wild/redsquirrel.asp

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You might see a lot of cottontail rabbits in New Hampshire but it wasn't always like that. Cottontail Rabbits are an endangered species. New Hampshire has done a great job with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to help the rabbits (New England Cottontail). This involves making new habitats for the rabbits. New Hampshire also partners with Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island for captive breeding to help replenish the numbers of the New England cottontail population. (New England Cottontail). Now more than 1000 acres are dedicated to habitat for the rabbits and many more animals.

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White-Tailed Deer will stop you from driving as they cross the street at unexpected times with their long, tall, dark bodies catching your eye; often seen in grassy, garden areas. White-Tailed Deer are highly populated throughout New Hampshire. Their skin changes from red/brown like fall leaves in warmer climates to gray/brown similar color to koalas in winter months. White-Tailed Deer can be both males and females. The way to tell is male deer have antlers whereas females do not. These White-Tailed deer are heavy, ranging in size with a high of 310 and a minimum of 90 for younger, less developed deer. White-Tailed Deer live in grassy areas where the woods and long areas of land are visible. They are greens as well as acorns found in the cultivated land. The White-Tailed Deer have abnormally long legs which can result in their long leaping and fast running. They can run, walk, jump, and leap but never for long amounts of time.

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The raccoon is one of the most intelligent animals in New Hampshire yet eats trash.  The raccoon is almost as skilled as a monkey with its hands and thumbs, making it versatile (“Raccoon”).  Raccoons often clean their food in a stream or any other water source.   The raccoon is located almost everywhere in the U.S.  and southern Canada.  With the cold habitats, they need to survive winter, and their coats mixed with them being 1/3 body fat allows them to stay warm and not starve for weeks at a time (“Raccoon”).  One negative is that 50% of rabies cases are because of raccoons (“Raccoon”).

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If you hear a ghastly screech in the middle of the night your house may be haunted or there is a hungry barn owl(also known as a Tyto alba) nearby waiting to feast on its next prey. Let's hope it’s the owl.
But don't worry they're not going to eat you, their diet mostly consists of small mammals and a very small portion of birds, lizards, insects, rarely frogs, or even fish. At nighttime, they are ready to feast but at daytime, they are seen bobbing their heads up and down weaving back and forth. Unless you’re a farmer these types of owls are seen as good omens for preying on mice and rats. But whatever job you have whether it be a farmer or a manager at a McDonald's these creatures are still quite interesting to see, with a ghostly rounded face, almost like if Casper the friendly ghost wasn't so friendly, and a harrowing scream you simply can't miss. Luckily for you, there are some nearby as they are found around six continents and many islands.

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If you ever see large crowds of people off the side of a New Hampshire Road, around dusk, look for a big Moose! Moose are most likely to only be seen threw May to October. They are very big. They are 6 feet tall and can be up to 1,000 pounds. Moose are the largest known land animal in all of New Hampshire. For Moses to be able to get around and jump over fallen trees, slash, and the heavy forest, their front legs are longer than their back ones. Moose with antlers are called bulls. (Fish and Game.) The bull's antler progress starts from March and ends with big antlers in August.