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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #1: Ardea herodias, Great Blue Heron

Figure 1. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Marshes & Shores from Canada to Central America

Diet: Carnivore – Fishes, Amphibians, Turtles, and Small Mammals

Behavior: Great Blue Herons nest in trees and shrubs – off of the ground and

away from predators. Males pick the nest location, and display building

materials such as twigs to attract females. Great Blue Herons mate with a

new partner every year, increasing the genetic diversity of the population. A

single clutch contains typically 3 to 5 pale blue eggs. Great Blue Herons breed

in large colonies, but forage alone, and defend a solitary territory outside of

nesting season.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #2: Ambystoma maculatum, Spotted Salamander

Figure 2. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Freshwater Forest Rivers & Wetlands in the Eastern US

and Canada

Diet: Carnivore – Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrates

Behavior: Spotted Salamanders spend most of their adult lives hidden in leaf

litter. When threatened, they release a sticky and milky toxic liquid from glands

in their backs and tails. Breeding season begins during the first rain after the

winter snow melts, when they migrate to breeding ponds. It can take females

up to 2 to 7 years to be able to reproduce.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #3: Chelydra serpentina, Common Snapping Turtle

Figure 3. Courtesy of Elena Kraus

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Freshwater Lakes & Ponds in the Eastern US and Canada

Diet: Omnivore -- Fish, Small Mammals, Amphibians, Eggs, and Aquatic

Vegetation

Behavior: Common Snapping Turtles can live up to 30 years in the wild. They

bury themselves in the bottom of murky waters in order to ambush aquatic

prey. Snapping turtles communicate to mates with leg movements while the

turtles face each other. Social interaction is limited to breeding, despite that

many individuals may share a territory.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #4: Aix sponsa, Wood Duck

Figure 4. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Woodland Ponds and River Swamps in the Eastern US and

Canada

Diet: Omnivore – Aquatic Plants, Seeds, Insects, and Acorns

Behavior: Wood Ducks nest in tree cavities lined with down feathers from the

female’s breast. Breeding pairs search for a nest location together, and prefer

cavities over 2 ft. from the ground. Clutches average 6 to 11 tannish-white

eggs, but up to 29 have been found in a nest; the result of egg-dumping by

other females. Hatchlings leave the nest for the first time within a day. A

breeding pair may be seen grooming each other when together.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #5: Orconectes rusticus, Rusty Crayfish

Figure 5. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Native to Lakes and Streams of the Great Lakes region &

Introduced to the Northeast

Diet: Detritivore – Aquatic Debris & Plants, Invertebrates, and Fish Eggs

Behavior: Rusty Crayfish can lay 80 to 575 eggs at a time and have a life

span of 3 to 4 years. Individuals live in shallow burrows under rocks & debris,

and will force other crayfish out of hides during the day; always fighting when

they come across other crayfish of their own kind. They communicate using

urine when engaged in fights, as a cue of recognition.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #6: Procyon lotor, Northern Raccoon

Figure 6. Courtesy of Cal Cray

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Woodlands in Mainland US, Southern Canada, Mexico, and

Central America

Diet: Omnivore – Fish, Fruit, Eggs, Nuts, Insects, Seeds, and Tubers

Behavior: Northern Raccoons are highly adaptable to new habitats and diets.

They are crepuscular, leaving their den at dusk and twilight, rarely traveling

over 3km from home. Raccoons live for an average of 5 years but can live to

16 years. Motor vehicles kill 15 million annually in the US. Raccoons typically eat

with their hands, not directly with their mouth; they will “wash” their food in

water if it is available.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #7: Odocoileus virginianus, White-tailed Deer

Figure 7. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Forests & Grasslands in Mainland US, Canada, Mexico, and

Central America

Diet: Herbivore – Maple, Aspen, Birch, Yucca, and Prickly Pear Cactus

Behavior: White-tailed deer typically live 2 to 3 years, but can live to 10 years

in the wild, or 16 in captivity. They can run up to 30 mph through a forest.

Females will graze together in herds of hundreds, while males will travel in

small groups of 2 to 4 in summer, but disband before mating season. Scent

glands between hoof sections are used to communicate with other deer,

becoming especially strong during mating season. Worms dispersed by white-

tailed deer are fatal to moose and caribou, decreasing the competition for food

resources as they share very similar diets.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #8: Danaus plexippus, Monarch Butterfly

Figure 8. Courtesy of Kalyndi Martin

Conservation Status: Apparently Secure

Geographic Range: Open Country & Forest in Mainland US, Canada, Mexico, and

Central America

Diet: Nectarivore – Milkweed and Flower Nectar

Behavior: Monarch Butterflies migrate seasonally. They have two distinct

populations in North America; those that breed in the East and those that

breed in the West. The Eastern population overwinters in the volcanic

mountains of eastern Michoacán in central Mexico. The Western breeders spend

their winters along the California coast. Monarchs are poisonous to

vertebrates, their poison comes from milkweed consumption.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #9: Erethizon dorsatum, North American Porcupine

Figure 9. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Grassland & Forest in the Mainland US & Alaska, Canada,

and Northern Mexico

Diet: Herbivore – Bark, Evergreen Needles, Leaves, Berries, and Seeds

Behavior: North American Porcupines can live up to 18 years in the wild.

Porcupine habitat varies geographically; in Massachusetts they spend 13% of

their time on the ground. Porcupines are the only mammal in North America to

use quills to deter predators. When threatened, a porcupine will chatter its

teeth and produce a chemical odor before using their quills, as it requires a

great amount of energy to release.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #10: Lynx rufus, Bobcat

Figure 10. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Shrubland & Forest & Grasslands in the Mainland US,

Southern Canada, and Northern Mexico

Diet: Carnivore – Rodents, Rabbits, Birds, and Lizards

Behavior: Bobcats can live up to 12 years in the wild, and can live to 32 in

captivity. They are very territorial, male territories overlap with multiple

females; males and females rarely overlap with the same sex. Bobcat tails

have a black tip with a white underside. In suburban areas, bobcats are often

targeted as pests due to their predation on small pets left outside without

human supervision.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #11: Sciurus carolinensis, Eastern Gray Squirrel

Figure 11. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Forests in the Eastern US and Southern Canada

Diet: Omnivore – Nuts, Flowers, Insects, Seeds, Fungi and Bark

Behavior: Eastern Gray Squirrels are the most commonly seen mammal in the

eastern United States. They communicate with each other through

vocalizations and tail-flicking. Squirrels enjoy over 24 species of oak tree buds.

Their forgotten winter seed caches are important to seed dispersal; they also

help to distribute truffle spores as they drop when being eaten. Squirrels are

extremely agile and are difficult for predators to capture.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #12: Lycaena phlaeas, American Copper Butterfly

Figure 12. Courtesy of Sal Cosmedy

Conservation Status: Secure

Geographic Range: Prairies in the Eastern US and Canada

Diet: Nectarivore – Rumex, Buttercup, Clover, Daisy, Wild Strawberry

Behavior: American Coppers are active all day, visiting plants and sunning

their wings. They can live for up to a year if they find suitable wintering

locations. The species is the smallest of the coppers. American Coppers prefer

areas with disturbance. They communicate with other butterflies visually.

There is no parental care of young after eggs are laid.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #13: Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Gray Fox

Figure 13. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Stable

Geographic Range: Forests & Shrubland in the Mainland US, Mexico, and

Central America

Diet: Omnivore – Birds, Small Mammals, Eggs, Nuts, and Fruit

Behavior: Gray Foxes are solitary and nocturnal creatures. Their

characteristic short legs and retractable claws make them more primitive of

the Canidae family. Foxes communicate primarily by barking and growling, and

through urine.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #14: Archilochus colubris, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Figure 14. Courtesy of Project Stream

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Forests in the Eastern US, Canada, Mexico, and Central

America

Diet: Nectarivore – Floral Nectar and Small Insects

Behavior: Ruby-throated Hummingbirds live 5 to 9 years old in the wild. Their

nests are the size of a large sewing thimble. Hummingbirds can see in the

blue-violet range and near UV wavelengths 370 to 570 nm. They emit high-

pitched chirps to warn other hummingbirds when they enter their territory.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #15: Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum

Figure 15. Courtesy of Kate Ballantine

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Forest & Shrubland in the Eastern & Central US, Southern

Canada, Mexico, and Central America

Diet: Omnivore – Small Mammals, Fruits, Seeds, Snails, and Insects

Behavior: Virginia Opossums are mostly active at dusk and dawn. They change

den sites every few days unless mothers have young. They are known for going

into a state called “playing opossum” where they feign death for 1 minute to 6

hours. Opossums are very slow and clumsy. An average of 13 babies live in the

pouch for 2 months, then cling to their mothers back for 2 more months.

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Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail Species Marker #16: Homo sapiens, Human

Conservation Status: Least Concern, Population Increasing

Geographic Range: Earth

Stephanie M Bennett, Class of 2019

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Capstone Project

Thank you to Kate Ballantine, Tim Farnham, and fellow Mount Holyoke College

students who assisted me in collecting pictures and data. A special thanks to

the Restoration Ecology Project for being the perfect host for such a trail, and

for all it does by providing a safe habitat for local wildlife.

Please scan this QR code to learn more about the species that call Mount

Holyoke College home, see more pictures from our wildlife cameras, and find

resources!

[QR code for link to paper and pictures]