Ecology

Education through representation

Anne Gageby
Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

(4/2023) The last hard frost is just on the horizon and with it, spring, as our seasons officially switch gears. Maple season is over for the year. Trees are beginning to bud alongside early-blooming hellebores and daffodils. Biting insects will soon ride in on the tide of warmer weather. And the Animal Ambassadors of Strawberry Hill are prepping for springtime programs. Each Ambassador represents a different aspect of our local ecosystem.

Ollie, Strawberry Hill’s resident striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), has been slowly emerging more regularly from his den. Despite living in human care, Ollie still displays regular skunk-like behaviors, especially when it comes to his winter den. He loves thick, warm blankets to burrow into as the temperatures drop and often hesitates to come out of his winter den if the weather outside is particularly cold. Ollie seems to sense coming storms and bad weather and will often retreat to his den right before a cold snap, emerging as the temperatures rise. On warmer days, Ollie spends his time exploring his enclosure and rearranging his den to suit his tastes.

Contrary to common belief, skunks don’t hibernate. They go through torpor or long periods of inactivity that can mimic hibernation. Because of these long stretches of inactivity, wild-born and raised striped skunks must survive off thick layers of fat they accumulate throughout the summer and fall. Skunks periodically leave their dens during the winter in order to scavenge food, especially if the temperatures are warm enough. Since winter resources are pretty lean, skunks will search for and feed on everything from fruit and seeds to carrion and backyard compost piles, often leaving distinct anthill-style mounds behind.

February was the start of skunk mating season. This season brings with it a flurry of activity and increases the chances of seeing skunks out in the open. With gestation between 62 and 66 days, the first litter of kits isn’t far away. By early summer, we’ll see, and smell, the newest members of forest society.

Skunks spend the winter nestled in dens under porches, inside barns, and existing burrows. Skunks have been known to make dens in attics though this isn’t common. Despite being excellent climbers, most skunks avoid making dens high up unless it’s absolutely necessary. Ollie, for example, prefers a burrow at ground level.

On the other hand, Strix, Strawberry Hill’s resident barred owl, enjoys his late-winter days on a perch with a view of the pond and forest. Despite being primarily nocturnal hunters, barred owls are frequently active during the day and will often be heard throughout the afternoon. They often call to each other across Strawberry Hill’s pond and the grove of trees behind the office. Barred owls prefer to nest in tree cavities and are known to take over empty hawk, squirrel, and crows’ nests. For this reason, knowledgeable bird watchers will often pay attention to abandoned nests in hopes of spotting new neighbors who just moved in.

Mating season for barred owls begins around March and can go until August. Some owls will begin courting as early as December in preparation for mating and nesting later in winter. Owls generally start nesting earlier than some birds because it takes longer for owl young to develop. A clutch of one to five eggs are laid in the nest and incubated for 28-33 days. Because eggs are laid over a period of time, young do not hatch all at the same time. Males hunt on behalf of their incubating partners.

Barred owl are generalists, meaning they feed on amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, birds, and small mammals up to the size of rabbits. These incredible raptors have been observed fishing from perches and wading into shallow water. A particular favorite, especially as the weather warms up, is crayfish.

Like Ollie, Nelson, Strawberry Hill’s American Toad ambassador, has also spent a good portion of the winter in torpor. Nelson, like all American Toads, digs himself backwards into his dirt home. Sometimes, he burrows so deep it’s hard to spot more than his eyes. Wild-born and raised toads hibernate in similar fashion. They dig into leaf litter, under rocks or fallen logs. In areas with harsher winters, toads dig deeper underground, backing into the soil and pushing out dirt with its hind feet. As the temperatures rise in spring, toads begin to emerge and make their way toward breeding grounds, usually slow-moving streams, ponds, and wetlands. The American Toad’s breeding season occurs between March and April but can occur well into July. By early summer, the drawn-out trills of American Toads will become a deafening chorus alongside wood frogs.

Strawberry Hill has two turtle ambassadors – Bob, a box turtle, and Shelly, a spotted turtle. Box turtles like Bob typically bromate until mid-March or until the daily temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. Brumation is a cold-weather slow down and period of inactivity fueled by colder nighttime temperatures paired with decreasing daylight hours. It’s a natural process that’s often confused with true hibernation. Brumation is the period of dormancy experienced by ectothermic or "cold-blooded" animals, and hibernation is the period of dormancy experienced by endothermic or "warm-blooded" animals. Brumation is usually a much shorter period than true hibernation and is usually sporadic, depending on the outside temperatures.

Spotted turtles, interestingly, become active as soon as the ice and snow melt. In our area this usually occurs around late March to mid-April. As a species, spotted turtles prefer cooler temperatures and tolerate water temperature as low as 37 degrees. Early in spring, spotted turtles can be spotted basking on logs and in grassy areas close to water. By early summer, spotted turtles will likely be harder to spot due to decreased activity as the outside temperatures rise. The most active period for this species is when air temperatures hover between 56 and 64 degrees. By June or July they will become mostly dormant as an escape from the heat, a process known as aestivation.

As days grow longer, if not quite yet warmer, we are reminded that "it is spring again" where "the earth is like a child that knows poems by heart" (Rainer Maria Rilke). Just like our Animal Ambassadors – for they know spring by heart.

Anne Gageby is the Environmental Education Manager of the Strawberry Hill Foundation. Strawberry Hill inspires stewardship of our natural world by
connecting the community with educational opportunities.
 Learn more by visiting StrawberryHill.org.