The Animals of Autumn

Happy Saturday, Missians!

It's our last post of September;  and our first full, appreciation of autumn post.  In this post we'll be discussing the "Animals of Autumn".  What exactly do animals do with the start of autumn?  Do they behave differently?  Are you more likely to see certain animals?  Let's find out in today's blog post.

Today's post is courtesy of Navigator Credit Union and The Humane Society:

http://navigatorcu.org/what-do-animals-do-in-the-fall/ 

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/watching_wildlife_fall.html

What Do Animals Do in Fall?

As the weather gets cooler, animals who live outside must prepare for winter. Here are a few ways animals get ready:

Migrate. Some animals, such as birds and butterflies, fly to a warmer place in the winter to live and find food. This is called migration.

Grow a warmer coat. Animals such as rabbits grow thicker fur in the winter to keep warm. Even indoor animals may grow more fur. Does your dog or cat get fluffier in the winter?

Gather extra food. Squirrels, mice and beavers stock up on food during the fall. They collect food such as nuts and leaves to store and eat later.

Find shelter. Animals that stay in cold places may live inside trees, under rocks or underground during the winter. Animals such as squirrels stay close together in a group to be warm in their home.

Hibernate. Do you like to stay in bed when it’s cold? So do some animals! They fall into a special deep sleep called hibernation during the winter. Their body temperature drops and they snooze for months to save their energy. Bears, skunks and chipmunks hibernate.

Watching Wildlife in Fall:

Mammals

It's all about food and shelter for your furrier neighbors.

Chipmunks gather food in their expandable cheeks and make countless trips stocking special chambers in their burrows for the upcoming winter—which they’ll spend alternately sleeping and eating, only venturing out on warm, sunny days.

Squirrels establish winter nests and gather thousands of acorns. White oak acorns quickly germinate if buried, so squirrels either eat them as they go or remove the germ/embryo from the acorn before burying it. Red oak acorns, which won’t germinate until spring, are just buried.

Woodchucks either seek or dig a special winter burrow in or near woods, which are somewhat warmer than open fields. Adults hunker down in their leaf- and pine needle-lined sleeping chambers in late September or early October, while the young continue to fatten up for another few weeks.

Beavers inspect their dams and repair any damages and reinforce their lodges. They must cut, haul, and “plant” tree branches on the muddy pond floor to be sure of fresh food when the pond freezes over.

How to help wildlife in fall

Give Wildlife a Brake! Animals are extra busy in fall, so watch for them on roads.

Build a brush pile to provide safe cover and leave some fallen leaves in the corners and edges of your yard for overwintering insects.

Plant native evergreen trees to provide cover, shelter, and food for birds.

Add roosting boxes or line nestboxes with pine needles to provide roosting places.

Provide a birdbath and birdfeeders and keep them clean and filled.

Ask building managers to turn off lights in tall buildings during peak migration—lights can disorient birds migrating at night, and can result in deadly collisions.

Read about how to create a humane backyard at The Humane Society link above.

Alrighty guys, that's it for your September posts! Join me back here on Monday for all your pet and animal holidays coming up in the month of October; and don't forget October Pet Spooktacular episodes begin officially, next Saturday, October 6th!  More details Monday...

Until then, 

Have an awesome Caturday!

This is your host J,

signing off...