Carnivores are distinguished from other mammals by their large
canine teeth and strong jaws. Many have strong legs and claws. All have five
toes on their front feet and four or five toes on their hind feet. Females are
smaller than males, sometimes being only one-third the size of the male. Some
carnivores, like those common in Wood County, are nocturnal meaning that they do
much of their hunting and foraging for food at night. However, they do come out
during the day but it may take a patient and watchful eye to find them.
Raccoons
Procyon lotor
|
Habitat:
|
Woodlots
with a nearby water source. |
|
Adult weight:
|
10
- 35 lbs. |
|
Adult body
length:
|
18
- 28 inches; tail length: 8 - 12 inches |
|
Breeding
period:
|
Late
January - March |
|
Litter size:
|
2
- 7 offspring |
|
Life
expectancy:
|
3
- 4 years, sometimes as old as 13 years |
|
Typical foods:
|
Fruits,
nuts, grains, eggs, insects, crayfish, frogs and mice |
|
Image from bcadventure.com
Hear a raccoon 
Video 
(AVI - 0.93 Mbytes) |
|
Coyotes
Canis latrans
|
Habitat:
|
Open
grasslands, brushy areas. In Ohio they prefer hilly farmland near wooded
areas. |
|
Adult weight:
|
20
- 40 lbs. |
|
Adult body
length:
|
28
- 29 inches; 12 - 15 inch tail |
|
Breeding
period:
|
January
- March |
|
Litter size:
|
5
- 6 offspring |
|
Life
expectancy:
|
10
- 12 years |
|
Typical foods:
|
Rodents,
rabbits, birds, insects, grasses, and fruit |
|
Image from bcadventure.com
Hear a coyote
and another
|
|
Skunks
Mephitis mephitis
|
Habitat:
|
Woods,
plains, meadows, and also the suburbs. |
|
Adult weight:
|
8-10
pounds |
|
Adult body
length:
|
16-18
inches;8-10 inch tail |
|
Breeding
period:
|
in
late winter or early spring |
|
Litter size:
|
1-10
offspring |
|
Life
expectancy:
|
3-5
years |
|
Typical foods:
|
small
mammals, birds, eggs, insects, honey and bees |
|
Image from bcadventure.com
|
|
|
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
|
Habitat:
|
Farm
lands with woodlots and brushy fields and nearby water such as a marsh. |
|
Adult weight:
|
8
- 15 lbs. |
|
Adult body
length:
|
22
- 25 inches; tail length: 14 - 16 inches |
|
Breeding
period:
|
January
- February |
|
Litters per
year:
|
1 |
|
Litter size:
|
4
- 9 |
|
Life
Expectancy:
|
6
- 8 years |
|
Typical foods:
|
Mostly
mice, rats, rabbits, and other small mammals; birds, reptiles, amphibians,
eggs, insects, and fruits. |
|
Image from bcadventure.com
Video
(8.2 Mbytes MPEG)
|
