Animals

Skunks

Skunks are a well known nocturnal resident of Pennsylvania. On average they are the size of a house cat and are easily recognized by their black body with a white stripe running down their back.

They have earned their negative reputation through the foul odor of their musk, which they use for defense.

Bats

Bats live in a variety of habitats including wetlands, fields, forests, cities and suburbs.

Pennsylvania is home to eight species of the bat, with the Little Brown Bat being the most common. Bats and humans may come into conflicts when a lone bat flies into a home or building, or when a maternity colony roosts in a building. Bats arouse from hibernation during March and migrate to their summer roosts in April. Each pregnant female gives birth to 1 or 2 pups in late May and early June. By mid July the pups are able to fly and begin hunting insects on their own.

Squirrels

The Grey squirrel is the most common and abundant squirrel in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Squirrels are fast and agile, scaling trees and jumping great distances. Eastern Grey Squirrels find their way into homes by chewing holes through soffits, fascia boards, and by entering vents and chimneys. Once inside they can damage walls, insulation, and electrical wires.

Birds

Many species of birds inhabit Pennsylvania from the small song birds, to migrating geese and birds of prey. Most of the time birds are welcome guests to our back yard feeders and are a healthy part of our environment. It seems time and time again that certain species of birds cause problems such as pigeons, starlings, geese, and woodpeckers.

Snakes

There are approximately 21 species of snakes common in Pennsylvania, of which 3 are venomous , the Northern Copperhead , Timber Rattlesnake , and Eastern Massauga Rattlesnake ( endangered ). Snakes live in a variety of habitats including wetlands, fields , wooded areas , and near bodies of water. All snakes are carnivorous with diets consisting of insects , frogs , rodents , and even small birds.

Oppossum

The opossum is one of the world’s oldest living mammals and the only marsupial on our continent. An opossum has a white pointed snout with abundant teeth, long light grey fur, and a tapering tail naked and scaly, like that of a rat. Opossums are nocturnal animals taking advantage of any opportunity to find food and shelter.

Opossums commonly den beneath porches, sheds, and decks, and are excellent climbers, sometimes finding their way into attics and crawlspaces. When an opossum is threatened and cannot climb or hide to escape danger it will fake death also known as playing opossum.

Cats

Feral cats are the offspring of stray or abandoned household pets. Raised without human contact, they revert to a wild state and form colonies wherever food and shelter are available. With a steady food source cats can quickly reproduce and over populate an area and threaten public health.

Beavers

The beaver is North America’s largest rodent and is found throughout Pennsylvania.

On average adult beavers weigh 40-60 pounds and grow up to 40 inches in length. They have blunt heads, dark brown fur, and a paddle like tail. The beaver prefers to live near water in lakes, rivers, or creeks. Chewed trees, saplings and shrubbery is a telltale sign of a beaver present. Beavers gnaw trees into pieces which are then used in building dams and lodges.

Flying Squirrels

Flying squirrels are smaller than other tree squirrels. They are between 8-10 inches in length and weigh between 1.3 to 4 ounces. Flying squirrels may be various shades of grey and brown above and lighter below. The most distinctive characteristics of flying squirrels are the broad webs of skin connecting the fore and hind legs at the wrists, large black eyes, and a flattened tail. They use this skin as a parachute when gliding from tree to tree.

Foxes

Both red and grey foxes are found throughout Pennsylvania. They are intelligent predators with extremely sharp senses of sight, smell, and hearing.

The red fox has long redish-orange fur, black ears, legs, and feet, and a long bushy white tipped tail.

The grey fox has a black and grey coat with a buff colored underfur and a long, bushy black tipped tail.

Both reds and greys are mainly nocturnal, but it is fairly common to see foxes at dawn and dusk. Foxes may be afflicted with many parasites including ticks, fleas, lice, mites, and worms.

Groundhogs

The groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, is one of Pennsylvania’s most widely distributed mammals. With an average weight of 5-10 pounds, the woodchuck’s compact body is supported by short, strong legs which are well adapted for digging burrows.