Natural Notes: While you were in, wild animals were out

Spring is finally here!  Birds are chirping, leaves are budding out, and some of you may be venturing over to the garden, bumping into neighbors that you probably haven't seen in several months.  The snow is gone for the season (hopefully) and spirits are high.  It has been a long and cold winter, and a general feeling of relief washes over everyone as the warm rays of sunshine trickle down.  But during the long and cold winter wild animals in the University Village neighborhood had to endure it all. 

Wildlife in our region must do one of three things in order to survive winter.  They either have to hibernate (or go dormant), migrate (get the heck out), or insulate themselves (grow a nice thick winter coat).  The third option is the hardest, and unlike people, animals don't have a choice as to which option they choose, but rather they must possess physical adaptations that allow them to survive harsh winter conditions. 

Let's take a look at a great example of a wild animal that perhaps us gardeners would rather not see, but who was able to somehow survive Chicago's extreme winter.  Yes, I'm talking about bunnies, or more specifically, the Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) (figure 1).  A very successful animal in urban and suburban gardens, eastern cottontails do not dig holes like their European counterparts, but instead take refuge underneath thickets of shrubs and plant debris where they huddle together to stay warm during periods of snowy and cold weather. 

Figure 1:  Eastern Cottontail rabbit. 
Photo credits:  Matthew Mellinger
Another common and notorious wild animal of our urban Near-West neighborhood is the Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciuris carolinensis).  During the summer months, squirrels build nests in trees where they raise their young, referred to as pups, in a structure made of a bushel of sticks and leaves called a drey.  During the winter, when the leaves fall off of the trees, you might notice dozens of these dreys near the tops of old trees (figure 2). 

Figure 2:  Squirrel drey.  Photo credits:  Michael J. Wright
During the winter, however, squirrels must find a more solid and insulated shelter.  Typically, squirrels will look for hollowed trees, but in a landscaped neighborhood like University Village, they might also hide out in gutters, under mulch piles, or wherever else they can go that is sheltered from Old Man Winter's harsh winds.  But squirrels don't just sit there like rabbits do.  Even on cold winter days they must forage for food almost everyday, looking for nuts, fruits, and sometimes scraps of food waste from your trash bin.  The bushy tail of a squirrel is an adaption that allows squirrels to keep warm.  In fact, they can wrap their tail around most of their body and use it as a warm winter "coat".  Life is tough for wild animals in the city, but squirrels have been very successful. 

While rabbits and squirrels must remain somewhat active during the winter, other animals like insects must go dormant and keep completely out of sight.  Many insects will burrow underground.  Others overwinter in the egg stage, their embryo protected by a hard outer-covering.  Some insects amazingly overwinter as adults and emerge the split second a warm day or winter thaw arrives!  One of those interesting insects that are quite common in the University Village neighborhood is a beautiful butterfly known as the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) (see figure 3).  Red Admiral butterflies often emerge even before our first flowers start to bloom, and some may wonder how they get by without any flower nectar to feed from.  It just ends up though that Red Admirals really don't drink much flower nectar, and instead prefer the sweet and rich flavors of dung (animal poop) and rotting fruit!  Red admirals lay their eggs on anything in the nettle family, which includes many ornamental and weedy plants found growing in people's yards, so this butterfly has been fairly successful in urban places. 
Figure 3:  Red Admiral Butterfly
Hibernate, migrate, or try to survive.  Most familiar animals in our neighborhood must stay active all year and fight for their survival while the rest of us relax in the comfort of our heated homes and apartments.  So the next time you see one of our furry or winged neighbors, maybe you'll appreciate how well adapted they are to the long and cold winters of the Windy City. 

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