NH Wildlife by Cathleen Stuart

Black Bears in New Hampshire by Kyle Bailey

2024-03-19 17:57:24 UTC

Black bears are unique creatures, with their communication, diet, and lifestyle. First of all, black bears need to be able to communicate with each other and with other animals. Bears' communication includes an array of body language and facial expressions (Black Bears in New Hampshire). The diet of a black bear changes throughout the year, with each season providing new types of food for the bears. Lastly, bears have to fend off potential threats. They use a false-charging technique to intimidate their opponents (Black Bears in New Hampshire). Black bears are some of the most amazing creatures roaming around the woods of New Hampshire.

Source: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/black-bears-new-hampshire

Sam Bennett; Coyotes

2024-03-19 17:58:11 UTC

Coyotes might seem like extremely dangerous and ferocious creatures, but they're more akin to a racoon. Coyotes aren't very large animals, there are plenty of dog types that are larger than them. Despite the fact smaller house-animals normally live longer than their larger counterpart, wild coyotes only live for about four years ("Eastern Coyote"). To make up for the shorter lifespan, coyotes have litters that can range anywhere between four and eight pups ("Eastern Coyote"). Perhaps a reason for a coyote's short lifespan is the food they eat. Coyotes are willing to eat anything as long as theres a lot of it, such as a pet cat, fruit, or even garbage ("Eastern Coyote"). It's also a good thing that there is no hunting season for coyotes, considering the fact they already don't live very long lives. Instead of a hunting season, theres a five month trapping season for coyotes ("Eastern Coyote"). When a trapper is chasing a coyote, they might even notice that they run with their tails down, which is quite different from other animals ("Eastern Coyote").

Source: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/species-occurring-nh/eastern-coyote

River Otters By: Rebecca Buxton

2024-03-19 17:59:37 UTC

If you have ever been in a lake in NH and a small, slippery animal slips by you, no need to fret its just a River Otter! River Otters are slipper, furcotated mammals that find home in bodies of water. River Otters like to inhabit ponds, marshes, rivers, lakes, an saltwater areas ("River Otter"). In these waters, River Otters dive down to a maximum of 60ft to find aquatic food; They then come up to the surface for the occasional blueberries ("River Otter"). When Otters wants to swim around they can go up to 6-7mph, just like a mini water cannon ("River Otter"). Just like humans go to water parks for fun Otters do to! These animals construct mud slides about 25ft long to play in on the daily ("River Otter"). River Otters are like mini humans just living in their muddy, water filled life.

Source: https://www.nhnature.org/visit/animal_info_sheets/river_otter.php

Multicolored Asian Ladybug By: Grace Soucy

2024-03-19 17:59:56 UTC

If you have been seeing a lot of Ladybugs in your New Hampshire home, you may be witnessing the Multicolored Asian Ladybug. This type of Ladybug was found in New Orleans in 1988. (Multicolored Asian Ladybug [fact sheet]"). As the years progressed, they kept spreading faster and didn't have any place left to go. This is when in 1993, New Hampshire got to deal with all of them. During this time all of the Asian Ladybugs had spread rapidly throughout New Hampshire, where they would be staying for the rest of their time. There are many people that don't know the difference between a Ladybug and an Asian ladybug. But the difference is easy. While normal Ladybugs have black dots spread out on their wings. Asian Ladybugs have spots that form a capital M on their back. (Multicolored Asian Ladybug [fact sheet]"). So when you're around your house and you notice a Ladybug, it could be possible that it is actually a Multicolored Asian Ladybug.

Source: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/multicolored-asian-ladybug-fact-sheet

Layla Conway- Vulture

2024-03-19 18:00:11 UTC

Turkey vultures are a common sight in the state of New Hampshire. Turkey cultures are a type of bird that live around farmland that borders a forest. They tend to live in these areas due to the abundance of already animals that can often be found here. (Squam Lakes Science Center). Turkey vultures typically eat animals such as roadkill that have already been killed, unlike other birds in the area. Turkey vultures are more closely related to storks than to raptors such as hawks or eagles. Turkey vultures raise their young for 70-80 days until they can fly. Once grown, turkey vultures can fly 4,000- 5,000 feet when migrating (Squam Lakes Science Center).

Source: Squam Lakes Science Center

Wood Duck Paragraph: Ava Runde

2024-03-19 18:00:25 UTC

If you have ever been hiking, or even just taking a stroll in the neighborhood, you may have come across a creature called the Wood Duck. Wood Ducks have a black body with a white crest around their eye; the crest is its signature feature, ("A Duck of the Woods"). The Wood Duck is one of the most common duck breeds. You can find them in rivers, beaver ponds, and trees, (" A Duck of the Woods"). All Wood Ducks are also male. These creatures are extremely beautiful, with many unique traits and qualities.

Bald Eagle By Chris Guarnaccia

2024-03-19 18:00:31 UTC

Dominance; whether it's the Bald Eagle’s size or distinct colors, you’ll always know when one is present. The Bald Eagle has been the National Bird of the United States of America for hundreds of years and has become a symbol of freedom. Bald Eagles began nesting in New Hampshire in 1989, after a 40-year break (“Bald Eagle Monitoring and Management”). The Bald Eagle Population has skyrocketed in the past decades with 100 territorial pairs and being taken off the endangered species list in 2017. These magnificent birds are present year-round and often lay their eggs from February through August (“Bald Eagle Monitoring and Management”). With their distinct coloring and shape, Bald Eagles can be seen anywhere, throughout the country, especially in New Hampshire.

Maura Lamb

2024-03-19 18:01:34 UTC

White-tailed deer are very common in southern New Hampshire. Deer are a very common species throughout the world; mainly the Americas, especially the US and Canada. In New Hampshire alone there are about 100,000 white-tailed deer("white-tailed deer"). White-tailed deer can be found in a wide range of habitats, and are good at adjusting to their environment. Although deers are land animals they have proven to be great swimmers ("white-tailed deer"). Deer's fur acts as a life vest, that keeps them from drowning while swimming. Much like humans, white-tailed deer fur changes color depending on the season. In the summer white-tailed deers have a reddish tone, while in the winter they have more grey tones.

Evalee Sousa

2024-03-19 18:04:12 UTC

New Hampshire's Cardinals were not always common, but then, all of a sudden populations began to increase. Back in the 1900s, cardinals used to be very unknown (Bird of the Month: Northern Cardinal). You would not think cardinals were very uncommon because they are seen all the time now in New Hampshire. Cardinals started to show up in the 1930s and 1940s(Bird of the Month: Northern Cardinal). After these cardinals started to show up, people wanted to keep track of their populations. They did this by taking surveys (Bird of the Month: Northern Cardinal).

Red Squirrel (Adela Grzyb)

2024-03-19 18:04:15 UTC

Red squirrels are a popular squirrel, most popular in North, East United States and most of Canada ("Red Squirrel- Tamiasciurus hudsonicus") It is a small creature with red fur and white fur around ts eyes and underside. These squirrels may be small, but they are definitely not quiet. As you are walking outside, when near these squirrels, you will hear noises like chatters, or screeches. ("Red Squirrel-Tamiasciurus hudsonicus") These squirrels are up early in the morning. This time is when they are most awake, so make sure you sleep with your windows closed, or else you'll be waking up with them.

Source: https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/redsquirrel.htm

Laikyn Reeners-Woodchuck

2024-03-19 18:05:01 UTC

Woodchucks are more interesting than you may think. Woodchucks fend for themselves when it comes to food. Woodchucks consume plants, bark, bird eggs, and insects. An average woodchuck lives for 4-6 years but sometimes they live for 10 years ("Woodchuck - Marmota monax"). During the warmer months woodchucks tend to spend most of their time outside but in the winter they will mostly live in their burrows to hibernate. Woodchucks tend to get frightened easily. When they come across a predator they will bark and yip to try and threaten them but most of the time they will feel threatened causing them to run to their burrows. Lastly, a woodchuck tends to be similar size to a smaller dog. They are around 16-27 inches long ("Woodchuck - Marmota monax"). Overall, woodchucks are interesting to hear about but a pain when it comes to gardening.

Makayla Greenlee ; Mooses

2024-03-19 18:05:25 UTC

Mooses are surprisingly large animals. They can grow to be up to 7 feet tall and are usually about 1800 pounds ("Moose"). Mooses have a lifespan of 15-20 years ("Moose"). These mammals can run up to 35 mph so don't expect to outrun one ("Moose"). Their mating season falls in September and October in which males call out for females with their mating call ("Moose"). If you are ever looking for a moose you will most likely find one in wetlands near rivers and lakes ("Moose").

New England Cottontails - Madison Hoye

2024-03-19 18:07:22 UTC

If you have seen a New England Cottontail, then you should know they are at risk of extinction. New England Cottontails are the only native rabbit in New England, and there are less than 100 cottontails left (New England Cottontail). The New England Cottontails have lived in Southern and Central New Hampshire since 1960 (New England Cottontail). New England Cottontails rely on dense thickets to survive. These thickets help them blend in and hide from their predators. The New England Cottontails don't go farther than 16 feet away from their thicket because they are scared they will see a predator (New England Cottontails). The thicket populations is declining because the human population in New Hampshire is increasing. The population of the New England Cottontails' predators, foxes and coyotes, are increasing since the thickets are decreasing. The New England Cottontails population is also decreasing because they don't have a lot of thickets to rely on. The New England Cottontails are at risk of extinction if nothing is improved.

Chipmunks in NH -Jillian Mello

2024-03-19 18:07:28 UTC

If you see deep holes in a certain area, acorns suddenly going away in your yard, and creatures that have many stripes running around, than you have Chipmunks that have found their home in your yard. Chipmunks are commonly seen in many neighborhoods. Chipmunks make their homes on their own, and they can usually be spotted pretty easily. Their homes are make big holes with many different pathways that cross in and out of these holes to allow them to move in and out. Normally, the areas with more acorns tend to have a very populated area of Chipmunks. These creatures look for areas with many acorns, so that they can store them for the winter and eat them for food (Chipmunk Control). Chipmunks get mistaken as mice for their small size. However when looking closely, the difference can be made by the colors of the Chipmunk, and what marks they have on them. Their fur consists of many stripes and multiple colors all around the body (Chipmunk Control). Chipmunks do whatever they can to survive. During the year, they spend all of their time collecting and feeding on acorns before they go to hibernate in the winter. Finally, Chipmunks are commonly seen by many neighborhoods and people in their backyards all around the world.

Porcupine In Southern New Hampshire by Noah Bustamante

2024-03-19 18:07:46 UTC

To have a porcupine in your lawn is quite the treasure, its a very mellow creature that can be startling to the eye; with its huge quills (up to 30,000) and its sharp, claws thats are used for a vegetarian diet. The porcupine is quite a remarkable creature, or rodent in this case. It can live up too 25 years, out living all of its rodent companions. The porcupine uses his sharp claws to climb trees and have bark, buds and foliage. They must have a strong back to hold up 30,000 quills while climbing up trees. The porcupine is a great creature in NH that is always nice to say hello too.

Beaver- Kate Ballard

2024-03-19 18:08:15 UTC

If you have ever seen a beaver in NH, you may have noticed their webbed feet and long tails. Beavers are the largest rodent in North America. (“Beaver- Castor canadensis”) A beaver's vegetarian diet is mostly made of bark from willow, birch, and maple trees. When they are fully grown, beavers can weigh up to 60 pounds and are 4 feet long. They also use their long legs and webbed feet to swim through the water at fast speeds. When beavers build dams, they can create new wetland environments that prevent erosion and help purify the water. But, the dams can also cause streams to slow and the build-up of silt. (“Beaver- Castor canadensis”) These assets can cause humans in NH to not get along with them.

Chloe Mele, Weasel

2024-03-19 18:08:45 UTC

Although weasels may seem like a boring animal, they truly are unique and have some great traits. For starters, they have long bodies, similar to a tube shape and are covered in short fur. Their necks are long and flexible unlike their short stubby legs. Weasels are known for their fast metabolism. It allows them to eat as much as they want whenever they want. (Looking for weasels)

That's why If you own chickens you might want to be careful, weasels are able to take out a whole coop in just a single night. Wherever the majority of their prey is, that is where the den will be. One of the most unique features a weasel has is its black tip on its tail. It comes in handy when trying to escape predators because it tricks them and allows the weasel to escape. (Looking for weasels) Humans and weasels can easily co-exist with each other, that is why they are such an interesting animal.

Chase Cannon White Tailed Deer In Souther New Hampshire

2024-03-19 18:09:52 UTC

White tailed deer are a common site in Souther New Hampshire, as they are often seen engaging in nature, and learning skills to use them towards their advantage . White tailed deers can be identified by their broad, sturdy antlers, which the deers or dependent upon to gain an advantage over other deer. The challenging between two deers often results in the clashing or merging of antlers between deer. Additionally they have ordinary skills of adaption. These skills consist of swimming, running and jumping to an impressive level. Which it is evident that deers use these skills every day in their natural habitat.

Tufted Titmouse by Dan Hawe (Ha)

2024-03-19 18:10:33 UTC

Despite owning the greatest name in aviation history, the Tufted Titmouse is a rather modest bird found in almost any backyard. Titmice dominate the Southeastern United States, but have steadily expanded their territory to include lands West of the Mississippi and territories as far North as New Hampshire ("Tufted Titmouse"). Tufted Titmouse belong to both the Tit and Chickadee families of birds, characterized by their petite stature. Tufted Titmice have a cream-white underbelly with fiery orange highlights and a stark grey back complete with a mangled tuft of fluff atop its head (hence the name). Additionally, these garden hoppers are often recognized by their signature 'Peter-peter' whistle and jet-black nose that appears rusty at the edges ("Tufted Titmouse").

In contrast, Titmice are ferocious caretakers with parent Titmice working in tandem to take care of their offspring. Males work tirelessly to carry grub to their families nestled nearly 35 feet high in a woodpecker hole. The Tufted Titmouse is a garden marvel heard around the U.S.