Snapping Turtle

A common snapping turtle

    When we think of turtles in West Tennessee, we typically think of small box turtles, so when we found this turtle in our backyard, we were impressed by its size and ferocity.

     This is a common snapping turtle. They live as far north as Canada and as far south as Ecuador. It is commonly confused with the alligator snapping turtle that also lives in West Tennessee. The easiest way to distinguish between them is their shells. Alligator snappers have a much rougher, almost spiky, shell.
     The common snapper can grow up to 19 inches long (not including tail.) Our turtle was 18 inches head to shell with a tail approximately 4 inches long. Snapping turtles are omnivorous. They eat water plants, especially algae, and small aquatic animals such as frogs small fish and even young water birds.
     The common snapper cannot put its head in its shell, so they can be very aggressive when disturbed. Their strong jaws from which they get their name are their primary defense. They also also have sharp claws.

Notice the long tail.

Great Horned Owl

A Great Horned Owl

    The great horned owl is one of many owls in West Tennessee. It is found in most parts of America, living in the forests of the eastern United States and in canyons in the west. They will live in almost any habitat, from the country to a suburb, where the owl in the pictures was found. Great horned owls make the famous "whoo-hoo" call. The average great horned owl is about two feet tall with a wing span of nearly twice that: 44 inches long! Female owls weigh around 61 ounces, while males only weigh about 46 ounces. These owls do not usually build their own nests. Instead, they use old nests made from other animals.

    Great horned owls are easy to identify. They have rusty-brown, black, and white feathers and large yellow eyes. They are distinguishable from other owls by the large tufts of feathers that look like horns, hence their name.

    Owls are not picky eaters. They are carnivorous and most enjoy small mammals. They eat rabbits, worms, fish, snakes, birds including other owls, and even skunks.

    Special thanks to our cousin Rachel for sending us this picture of an owl that actually came up to her house.

                                                             Enjoy,

                                                              C&T

Cardinals

A male cardinal

     The cardinal is a native bird in West Tennessee. The cardinal lives as far north as Ontario, Canada and as far south as Belize. Males can easily be identified by their bright red feathers. However, the female cardinal has light brown feathers. 

A female cardinal

    Cardinals may have multiple laying periods, or broods. Some cardinals have four broods during their mating season from April to August. Cardinals lay their eggs in small nests usually found in a tangle of vines or other shrubbery. The female lays three to four white eggs with brown speckles. After twelve days, the eggs hatch. Both the male and the female feed the babies for a few days. Then the male feeds the babies while the female builds a new nest for the next brood. After ten days, the babies leave the nest, but the male continues to feed the babies for ten more days.

    Cardinals have various chirpy "songs." People used to trap cardinals and keep them as song birds, but they are now protected by law.
    Cardinals are not picky eaters. They will eat most any seed, but they most enjoy sunflower seeds. They will also eat a few fruits, such as apple and raisins. If you want to attract cardinals, put a feeder about four feet above the ground and fill it with wild bird seed.
  Fun Fact: The cardinal is the most popular state bird with seven states claiming it: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia

Female (left) and male (right) cardinals

 Enjoy!

C&T

Spring Is Coming Soon...

With spring on the way, we will post some articles about spring animals. Check back soon!

                                             -C&T

Deer

A mother deer and two fawns. 

    The only deer in West Tennessee are the white-tailed  deer. Also called Virginia deer, they travel in small

herds and are not usually seen by themselves. Although they have no permanent home, they have a home range, an large area that a deer roams looking for food. Deer rarely leave their home range. They can find plenty of food and a mate within this area.

    A deer may give birth to one or two deer at a time. When giving birth, a female will find a hidden spot and stay there until the fawns are old enough to follow the group. They can stay hidden for up to five weeks. A newborn deer, or fawn, weighs less than a human baby (3.5 to 6 lbs)!

    Deer are herbivores, eating grasses and flowers in the spring. If food is extremely scarce, deer may even eat bark from the trees. Deer are faster than most predators but try to avoid running from predators. Instead they stick their tail up, showing the white tail of their name. They remain still until the predator passes.

    Fun Fact: White-tailed deer do not usually live to be over 10 years old, but one deer named Elizabeth lived to be 24 years and 7 months old. To read more follow this link and click "World's oldest whitetail deer dies"
http://www.deer-digest.com/html/mar02.html#2

 Thnaks for visiting and come back y'all, ya hear?

C&T

Slug

A slug on a cat food dish.

    Slugs are very closely related to snails. Slugs vary in size from less than an inch to almost 7 inches long. Terrestrial slugs, like the one above, are found in damp dirt, but this one ventured onto our porch. Some slugs will hibernate in cracks in wood or stone. Slugs are hermaphrodites, which means they are able to mate with themselves. Slugs usually lay large egg clusters with hundreds of eggs. Some slugs are carnivores, and some slugs are herbivores, but the one in the pictures ventured onto our porch and ate some cat food. Slugs have a radula, a small tissue with small teeth that helps break food into smaller pieces.

Chimney Swift

A chimney swift in a spare room

    Chimney swifts, or chimney sweeps, are small birds that usually live in chimneys, hence the name. However, they may live in small rooms such as the one above. They build small nests made of sticks and saliva, which is used as cement.

Chimney swift nests.

    Sometimes, the babies don't want to leave the nest, so the mother will tear the nest down. Even so, the babies will hang on the wall for a few days before finally leaving. Barn swallows go back to the place the place they were born every year. J&J Auto, which is where the pictures were taken, has barn swallows that come back every year. In some parts of Asia, people actually eat swallow nests.
    Swallows eat insects which they catch in the air. They make a loud "chirping" sound.
                                                                   Enjoy,
                                                                    C&T

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Praying Mantises

As you can see, praying mantises have somewhat triangular faces.
This mantis was found in a tall patch of grass in our flowerbed.

    The praying mantis is one of the many mantid species.They were not native here, but ships brought them to New York in 1899. They eventually migrated to the eastern United States. A full grown mantid is usually 3 to 5 five inches long, with females typically being larger. Camouflage is their main defense. They range from light brown to green, so they blend in well and are hard to see. Their prey cannot see them easily. When praying mantises hunt for food, they often sit patiently with their hands together like they are praying, hence the name. They wait for prey to come by, then they jump faster than the eye can see and seize it with the spines on their front legs. sometimes. Female mantises lay their eggs in large groups, usually in the winter. You can find them on trees or shrubs after the leaves have fallen off. The eggs are light brown and striped.

A green praying mantis
This one was found on the side of our house.

Enjoy,

C&T

Armadillos

ARMADILLO

A nine-banded armadillo

 

Armadillos are fairly common in West Tennessee. They are seen most often on the side of  the road after a visit with a car. We are lucky enough to have an armadillo in our back field. We decided to name it Alvin. The armadillo`s diet includes earthworms, snails, and spiders. They have sharp claws used for digging, and a long tongue for eating insects. Armadillos have very small teeth in the front of their mouth, so they cannot bite you. Even so, do not get close to one, for they can carry leprosy. The armadillo`s shell is made up of many small plates of bony armor fitted together. This is their best protection. If an armadillo is scared and far away from its burrow, it will try to dig another burrow to get away from danger. The nine-banded armadillo can be 2 feet long and weigh up to 15 pounds. The nine-banded armadillo is only armadillo in the United States. When the nine-banded armadillo gives birth, it usually has four babies, either all boys or all girls.

An armadillo digging

                                                                 

                                                                          Enjoy!

                                                                         -T&C

West Tennesse Animals

WEST TENNESSEE ANIMALS



An armadillo in back field.



    We decided to start a blog on native animals in West Tennessee. We will put pictures and animal information on each topic. We will post frequently, so check back often. We take the pictures ourselves in our neighborhood. Enjoy!

                                                                      Thanks,
                                                                        T&C