As Halloween approaches, we want to talk about a few animals that get a bad rap for being scarier than they truly are.
Owls
Owls are often associated with death and bad luck and were once thought to be messengers of witches. One owl in particular, the barn owl, takes the brunt of some of this folklore. Due to its nocturnal nature, ghostly white color, habit of resting in barns, and loud screaming calls, these creatures were thought to be a ghost.
The reality is these animals don’t want to be around people at all. They are great predators that help to control rodent populations, which in turn helps to stop the spread of zoonotic disease that rodents may be carrying.
Virginia Opossum
These nocturnal animals are often misunderstood and thought of negatively. Common opinions are they are aggressive towards people, not intelligent, dirty and disease-ridden.
This could not be farther from the truth. These animals try their hardest to avoid people but when this is unavoidable, their defense can look somewhat intimidating. They hold their mouths open and hiss. In most cases, this is a bluff, and they will then attempt to run away or hope you walk away so they can flee. These animals are not dirty and in fact spend a lot of time grooming to keep clean. Being the only marsupial or pouched mammal in North America makes them quite unique and they have a slightly lower body temp compared to other mammals, making it very difficult for them to get rabies. In addition to this, they are also immune to most North American snake venom, scorpion, and bee stings. These animals are actually very important in the environment and in addition to fruits, vegetables, greens, and insects, they will also eat carrion, or dead animals. This helps to stop the spread of disease and clean up the environment. They also help to prevent tick borne illness by eating a large number of ticks as they groom themselves. They play a role in dispersing seeds and are a food source for other animals such as owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and bobcats. So, as you can see, these misunderstood creatures are not scary but in fact super beneficial in the environment.
Toads
Toads have been said to give you warts if you touch them, but this is not true. In fact, the bumps on their back actually secrete a mild toxin to ward off predators. Because of this, they were often associated with witches and said to be used by them to craft poisons.
I can see where this would sound scary but, in all reality, toads are very beneficial to the environment. These animals are great at consuming insects, especially in your garden or around crops. They also are great indicators of ecosystem health as their skin is permeable and it makes them vulnerable to toxic substances and drought, which means a decline in numbers can show environmental problems. Even though they can secrete a mild poison, some animals are immune to it or have figured out the safe areas to eat, so toads serve as an important source of food for these other animals (Ex. Crows, Red shouldered hawks, snakes, and even Virginia Opossum).
Bats
Bats were first connected to Halloween after Dracula was written in which vampires were said to shapeshift into Bats and then drink blood from humans. There are only three species of bats (Common vampire bat, white-winged vampire bat, and hairy legged vampire bat) that feed on blood, and they are found in Central and South America. There are also a few species of carnivorous bats that feed on birds, mice, lizards, frogs, and fish. But the vast majority of the close to 1,400 species of bat feed on insects, fruit, and nectar. These animals are very important for pollination and seed dispersal and many of the bat species, especially ones found in our area, are great at pest control, consuming large amounts of insects each night. These animals account for just over 20% of all the mammal species in the world, which means 1 in 5 mammals are bats!
**Unfortunately, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is unable to accept bats, as it is illegal to rehabilitate this species in the state of Illinois due to the risk of rabies exposure. If you encounter a sick or injured bat, or find a bat in your home, please do not handle it and contact your local animal control agency as well as your physician.**
Snakes
Snakes often receive a bad reputation and are thought of as evil, slimy, and dangerous. Throughout history (mythology, religion, and storytelling), snakes have been portrayed as evil. These creatures have scales instead of fur, lack eyelids so they cannot blink, and have no appendages so they slither across the ground flicking their tongue to smell and assess their environment.
These creatures are actually very beneficial to the environment as many eat rodents, which helps to reduce the spread of zoonotic disease. Some smaller snakes like Dekay’s brown snake and Garter snakes’ prey on insects and help to keep your garden free of pests. In addition to being a predator, these animals are also prey for many animals such as larger snakes, birds of prey, and some mammals.
Of the 3,900 species of snakes worldwide, about 600 or 15% of them are venomous. While these few snakes have the potential to cause bodily harm to a human, most just want to be left alone and will not go out of their way to engage with humans. They don’t want to use their venom unless they must and ideally that would be for catching prey. Otherwise, most interactions with snakes, venomous or not are when we find them basking in the sun to warm up, moving through the woods or our yards foraging for food, and hiding under an object near our home. Once spotted they do their best to either flee, feign death, or be defensive in hopes of scaring us away. So next time you see these misunderstood creatures, give them some space and let them be on their way as they have an important job to do.
Coyote
While wolves are more commonly associated with Halloween and said to shape shift into werewolves, we would like to highlight this local and lesser known canid.
Coyotes were once thought of as an ominous sign. Native American Navajo people believed you should turn back if one crossed your path. They also admired the coyote as well for its intelligence and aptly named it the trickster since they can be funny or fearsome. These animals are also thought to be dangerous to humans, which is generally not true and if seen out in the day, people often think these animals are rabid, which usually is also not true.
While these animals are very intelligent and curious, they are quite shy and fearful of humans. They are top predators and help control the populations of smaller mammals and rodents such as rabbits, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and sometimes deer. This helps with maintaining a healthy ecosystem and species diversity in the environment. Surprisingly, coyotes are omnivores and will eat fruit and vegetables too, especially when meat is scarce. These animals are most commonly crepuscular, which means they are active at dawn and dusk. However, they are opportunistic, so based on food availability, they may be out during the day or night. If you see them out during the day, it does not mean they have rabies, they are more than likely just searching for food.
These animals are very important in the environment and help to keep the ecosystem balanced. While it is not common, they can pose a threat to some of our smaller domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, not horses and other large farm animals. To keep coyotes wild and away from your pets, it is best to feed your pets inside, keep your cats indoors, and make sure to supervise your dog(s) when they are outside. While coyotes don’t actively seek these animals as prey, they would not turn down the opportunity if the animal was easily available. There is no need to fear a coyote but just be aware and alert if one is near your property and smaller pets.
Appreciate and Respect Wildlife
We hope you are less fearful of and have a better appreciation for some of these species after learning about how important they are in the environment. In the future if one should cross your path, admire from a distance, and let it be on its way as it has important business to tend to and a special place in the ecosystem and food web!
Written By: Sydney O., WMC Program Coordinator
