Here are some facts about our little furry friends that you may not know.

Coyotes may range as much as 25 miles. This means if you see him today, you may not see him again for three or four days. They have been known to travel great distances, hundreds of miles, when looking new territory.

The beaver is the only North American animal who will change his environment to suit his own needs. He also carries the distinction of being the largest rodent in North America.

The opossum is not a rodent. He is a marsupial. The female carries her young in a pouch just like a kangaroo. Because they are marsupials they are less likely to contract rabies as are other mammals. They also have opposing thumbs on their hind feet just as humans do on their hands.

There are 37 different species of snakes in North Carolina. Of that 37, only 6 are venomous. That would be the Copperhead, the Cottonmouth Water Moccasin, the Coral snake, the Pigmy rattlesnake, the Canebrake or Timber rattlesnake and the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake. Of those 6 only three reside in Wayne County. The Canebrake, the Copperhead and the Cottonmouth.

Of all the bats in the entire world, there are only 3 species that drink blood and all of those are in South America. The only bats we have in North Carolina are bug eaters. They will not chase you down and absolutely do not want to get tangled in your hair. The bats we have in Wayne County will eat half their own body weight in bugs every night.

Most mammals are territorial and will try to return home when moved away.  Even the little gray squirrel will travel as much as 5 miles or more to come back home. Raccoons can find their way home from even farther than that. Please don’t think that you are doing animals any favors by releasing them in another area. Many times they will be killed or driven off by the same species that already occupy that area.

Nutria are native to South America and were first brought to the US in the 1700’s by Louisiana fur traders to be raised for their fur. Afterwards they either escaped or were released into the Southeastern swamps and have now made their way as far north as Maryland.

If you stop on the highway to help a turtle cross the road then may God bless you. BUT, be sure to release it on the side of the road where it was headed. If not, he will turn around and try to cross again.

Chimney Swifts are a good thing to have roosting in your chimney. They will keep your yard bug free while they are there, give you hours of entertainment watching them and be gone by the first cold breeze of winter. Their droppings and nest they leave behind will dissolve with the first fire you build in the fireplace leaving no trace of their visit.

A couple of ordinary Chicken or “Rat” snakes in your crawl space will keep your home mice free. They are not aggressive towards people and are completely harmless as long as they are not harassed.  And they will never leave you little presents in your sock drawer.

Moles are beneficial for your lawn. The tunneling they do helps to aerate the soil and they eat grubs that can be detrimental to flowering plants and grass.

The Gray Fox is the only mammal other than the cat with retractable claws. Subsequently, the Gray Fox can climb trees. It is not uncommon to find him resting on a branch as high as 10 feet off the ground.

The Raccoon has front paws with dexterous fingers that can grasp objects much like the human hand. They often like to wash their food before eating it.

Mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrel, nutria and beaver are all classified as rodents. Their front teeth never quit growing, therefore they must chew to keep them worn down to normal.

 A mother opossum carries her babies in a pouch on her belly, just like a kangaroo. The young stay there and feed on nipples inside the pouch, coming out only when they are fully developed and their eyes are open. Even after the young are much too large to fit back into mammas pouch, they will cling to her back and she will carry them until they are completely weaned and can forage on their own.

 Feral Pigeons were first introduced into North America in the 17^th century. Sometimes called “City Doves”, it is believed that they were first bred from Rock Doves for their meat in Ancient Egypt.  Because of their incredible homing ability, they have been used to deliver messages for the last 3000 years. Used in World War I and World War II to carry vital information from the troops on the front lines back to headquarters. They now inhabit every continent on Earth except for Antarctica.

I hope you have enjoyed these furry facts. I will try to add more in the days to come.