New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

small mammals

A Short History of Adirondack Beaver

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beaver illustrationCastor canadensis is North America’s largest rodent and the second largest in the world — which was driven to near extinction in the Adirondacks around the turn of the last century, but whose reintroduction was astoundingly successful.

Although they had once been a major Adirondack economic force by anyone’s estimation — it was reported in 1671 that Dutch traders delivered 80,000 pelts a year to Europe — there was a dearth of information on the beaver once they had ceased to be profitable. [Read more…] about A Short History of Adirondack Beaver

Virginia Opossums Moving North

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opossum hangingThe opossums that show up on my students’ trail cameras at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont sometimes look out of place, with their naked tails and frostbitten ears that seem so poorly suited to our weather.

These amazing consumers of ticks did, after all, come from a different continent – or at least their ancestors did. And their official name, Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), suggests a more southern home. [Read more…] about Virginia Opossums Moving North

All About New York’s River Otters

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TOS_OtterOne summer day, I was relaxing on the bank of a secluded pond watching mallard ducks forage when a dark shape broke the stillness of the water. It was a North American river otter, swimming with its head and back emerging from the surface, sleek body over 2 feet long, tapered tail trailing behind. It dove beneath the surface without a splash. Seconds later, its round head emerged at the edge of the pond. We stared at each other. [Read more…] about All About New York’s River Otters

The Small and Seldom Seen Pygmy Shrew

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pigmy shrew courtesy Flickr user polandezeThe vast expanses of conifer and mixed forest that exist in the Adirondacks serve as home to numerous forms of wildlife. While many of these creatures are easy to recognize and lead lives that have been well studied by researchers, others are still shrouded in mystery. Among the mammals that are difficult to identify and which have not been well researched is a tiny creature believed to be widespread across the Adirondack Park – the pygmy shrew. [Read more…] about The Small and Seldom Seen Pygmy Shrew

New York’s Raccoons in Spring

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Often, during my forays into the woods behind our house, I wonder who might be occupying the holes carved into tree trunks by time and nature.

The barred owls I hear hoo-hoo-hoo-hooing, maybe, or the chittering red squirrels. And, chances are, there are raccoons in some of those hollows, high above the ground. [Read more…] about New York’s Raccoons in Spring

A Porcupine’s Salt Cravings

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When I was growing up, my family rented a vacation home on a mountain in southern Vermont. One night we were awakened by our dogs barking. Soon we heard a persistent gnawing on the outside of the house. My Dad went to investigate. His flashlight beam revealed a large porcupine with black, beady eyes. My father scared it away, but it returned other nights. [Read more…] about A Porcupine’s Salt Cravings

Appreciating New York’s Woodchucks

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One summer we had an ongoing battle with a woodchuck. Unbeknownst to us, it had dug a burrow in an ideal location — in the center of our dense raspberry patch, about 10 feet from our vegetable garden. The woodchuck then dug a hole under the garden fence and feasted on beans, peas, and other tender vegetables.

We filled the hole and placed a large rock over it. The next day the rock had been moved and the hole re-dug. We tried more rocks, then sheets of metal roofing, but every day these barriers were removed. Finally we put a Havahart trap near our garden — and caught a young skunk (which was released, very carefully)! [Read more…] about Appreciating New York’s Woodchucks

Our Hibernating Jumping Mice

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Woodland jumping mouse courtesy Wikimedia user D Gordon E RobertsonWinter is the time when wildlife activity ebbs. Many residents of our fields and forests have retreated to shelters beneath the surface of the soil in an attempt to escape this season of low temperatures, snow and ice, and little if any food.

The woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapus insignis) is one member of our wildlife community that retires to the seclusion of a cushiony nest underground and lapses into a profound state of dormancy, known as true hibernation, for roughly six months beginning sometime in mid-October. [Read more…] about Our Hibernating Jumping Mice