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