critter identification

Raccoon Skunk Squirrel Woodchuck Fox

RACCOONS: nocturnal in habit, the raccoon is a stocky mammal about 2 to 3 feet long, weighing 10 to 30 pounds. It is distinctively marked with a prominent black "mask" over its eyes and a heavily ringed tail. The animal is a grizzled salt and pepper gray and black above, although some individuals are strongly washed with yellow.

SKUNKS: nocturnal in habit, the striped skunk is characterized by prominent lateral white stripes that run down his back. Its fur is otherwise jet black. Striped skunks are the most abundant of the four species. The body of the striped skunk is about the size of an ordinary house cat (up to 29 inches long and weighing about 8 pounds). The spotted skunk is smaller (up to 21 inches long and weighing about 2.2 pounds) and more weasel like. It is readily distinguishable by white spots and short, broken white stripes in a dense jet black coat.

SQUIRRELS: The Eastern grey squirrel is variable in color, some have a distinctive reddish cast to their gray coat. It measures 16 to 20 inches long, weighing from 1 1/4 pound to 1 3/4 pound. The Southern flying squirrel is 8 to 10 inches long and may be various shades of gray or brown above and lighter below. Their most distinctive characteristic is the broad webs of skin connecting the fore and hind legs at the wrist, and the distinctly flattened tail.

WOODCHUCKS (aka groundhogs): It is usually grizzled brownish gray, but white and black individuals can occasionally be found. The woodchuck's compact, chunky body is supported by short legs. Its forefeet have long, curved claws that are well adapted for digging burrows. Its tail is short, well furred, and dark brown.

FOX: The red fox is dog like in appearance, with an elongated pointed muzzle and large pointed ears that are usually erect and forward. It has moderately long legs and long, thick, soft body fur with a heavily, furred, bushy tail. Typically, it is colored with a light orange-red coat, black legs, lighter colored underfur and a white tipped tail. It weighs about 7.7 to 15.4 pounds, with males an average of 2.2 pounds heavier than the females. Silver and cross fox are color phases of the red fox. The Gray fox is 32 to 45 inches from the nose to the tip of the tail, weighing 7 to 13 pounds. The color pattern is generally salt and pepper gray with buffy underfur. The sides of the neck, back of ears, legs, and feet are rusty yellow. The tail is long and bushy with a black tip.

    Beaver                   Snakes                            Muskrat                              Opossum                     Pigeons


BEAVER: The beaver is the largest North American rodent. Most adults weigh from 35 to 50 pounds. The underfur is dense and generally gray in color. The guard hair is long and course ranging in color from yellowish brown to black, with reddish brown the most common coloration. The prominent tail is flattened, scaled, and almost hairless. It is used as a prop while the beaver is sitting upright. The species may be locally abundant wherever aquatic habitats are found.

SNAKES: There are many types of snakes found in North Carolina, only the following are harmful: rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes. Snakes are specialized animals, having elongated bodies and no legs. Snakes should only be handled by a trained professional, being that some poisonous snakes look a lot like non-poisonous snakes.

MUSKRAT: The muskrat spends its life in aquatic habitats and is well adapted for swimming. Its laterally flattened tail is almost as long as its body. The muskrat has a stocky appearance, with small eyes and very short, rounded ears. The overall length of adult muskrats is usually from 18 to 24 inches. Large males, however, will sometimes be more than 30 inches. The average weight of adult muskrats is 1 1/2 pounds to over 4 pounds. The color of the belly fur is generally light gray to silver to tan, and the remaining fur varies from dark tan to reddish brown, dark brown, and black.

OPOSSUM: An opossum is a whitish or grayish mammal about the size of a house cat. Underfur is dense with sparse guard hairs. Its face is long and pointed, its ears rounded and hairless. Maximum length is 40 inches, the rat like tail is slightly less than half the total length. Opossums may weigh as much as 14 pounds, but most average between 4 to 6 pounds.

PIGEONS: Pigeons typically have a gray body with a whitish rump, two black bars on the secondary wing feathers, a broad black ban on the tail, and red feet. Body color can vary from gray to white, tan and black. The average weight is 13 ounces and the average length is 11 inches. When pigeons take off, their wing tips touch, making a characteristic clicking sound. When they glide, their wings are raised at an angle. The pigeon is the most common bird pest associated with people.