The white-tailed deer and the eastern cottontail are crepuscular species, meaning they are active in the early morning at dawn and in the late evening at dusk. Diurnal mammals have eyes that are adapted to bright light and are often colored to blend in with their surrounding habitat. Contrarily, other species such as squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. Adapted to living in the dark, these species have light-sensitive eyes and darkly-colored fur to camouflage themselves from predators. For instance, skunks and raccoons are nocturnal, meaning they engage in feeding and other activities at night. The mammals of the Preserve are active during different times of the day, depending on the habits and survival techniques each species has developed. The problem of overabundance is further discussed in the White Tailed Deer section. Elimination (or overabundance) of a keystone species can have profound effects on other species and the overall structure of the ecosystem. A keystone species is a species that influences and interacts with numerous other species in the community. Several mammals-including carnivores that keep prey in check and large herbivores such as the white-tailed deer that shape habitat-function as keystone species in the Preserve ecosystem. For instance, the guano (excrement) produced by bats such as the Mexican free-tailed bat serves as a nutrient source for cave fauna. Although none of the mammals are specific only to the Central Texas region, they are an integral part of the Preserve ecosystem and food web. A live animal trap baited with some canned cat food will be going in the garden tonight.The habitats of the Bull Creek Nature Preserve support an interesting variety of mammals. The next step, then, will be to set a trap and see what bites. There’s a distinct possibility that there’s more than one culprit here. Needless to say, the evidence is inconclusive.

We don’t have much of these items (other than earthworms and fruit) available here, so I’m still not convinced we’re dealing with this particular creature. Carrion also is a favorite food item” (Source: ). They will eat many different items including bird eggs, chickens, moles, and earthworms, insects, snakes, grass, fruit, pet food, and garbage. Possum scat is larger, about that of a cat or small dog, although it can vary based on its diet.Īccording to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, “opossums are known as opportunistic feeders.

Armadillo poop looks like little round balls of clay because they eat a lot of soil when picking insects and small snails off the ground. Rat droppings are blunt on the ends and measure from about ½” to ¾” in length and about ¼” in diameter. L to r: house mouse, roof rat, Norway rat Half-eaten kumquats hung precariously from the branches, and several more were littered all over the ground below. Then I noticed that the nearby kumquat trees, which were heavy with fruit, had been recently used as a late-night snack bar, of sorts. There was also no evidence of what the suspect was digging at in the soil – grubs, earthworms, who knows? Not much to go on so far…Īt first I considered armadillos, – we have at least one that is a permanent resident in the garden, unfortunately – but the raised beds are too high for an armadillo to access. Because of the mulch, I couldn’t see any tracks, so that was a dead-end. The digging was predominantly around the outer edges of the raised beds, deeper in some areas than others. So I quickly switched on my Sherlock Holmes persona and started investigating.

But over the weekend, something decided to get into these beds and mess them up. Just last week, several Master Gardener volunteers sweated and toiled over these beds, pulling out dead and dying plants, leveling the soil and adding mulch. It all started upon returning to work Monday morning and seeing evidence of digging in some of the raised beds in the demonstration garden at the Extension office. Never in a million years did I think I would spend the better part of my workday trying to identify an animal by its droppings. Yesterday, it was poop… not the smell (thank goodness), but rather the identification of it (actually, its owner). Last week I had to deal with the stinkhorn mushroom stench not too bad. Some days I handle plants, insects or snakes that’s cool.