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Urban Wildlife Fact Sheets

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Urban Wildlife Fact Sheets BOBCATS BENEFITS OF BOBCATS Bobcats play an important ecological role. They are effective predators of small mammals, such as rodents and rabbits, TIPS FOR REDUCING HUMAN- helping to keep population numbers in check of these and other herbivores. BOBCAT CONFLICTS: Bobcats occasionally take larger mammals, such as deer, Do not feed wildlife. This increases the usually culling the weak ones. This limits over-browsing by chance that the animal will lose its deer and prevents unmanageable population increases. natural fear of humans. Feed dogs and cats indoors and clean up after them. Water, pet food, and NATURAL HISTORY droppings can attract wildlife, including bobcats. Bobcats are members of the feline family. Their range covers Do not leave unattended dogs and the entire continental United States. They inhabit places with cats outdoors, especially from dusk dense vegetation and plenty of prey. However, as their native to dawn. Left outside at night, small habitats shrink, they are increasingly common in urban areas. pets may become prey to bobcats. Bobcats live in dens, which can be in a tree trunk, cave, brush pile, or fallen tree. Do not move "abandoned" baby bobcats. Mothers leave their babies Bobcats are carnivores, meaning they eat only meat. Their alone while they hunt for food. Baby preferred food is rabbit, but they will also eat rodents, insects, bobcats found alone are typically not birds, and even deer! The bobcat sneaks up on its prey before orphans. ambushing it with a lethal bite. A leashed dog is a safer dog. When A female bobcat's territory is approximately 5 square miles. out for a walk, keep your pet leashed Females are very territorial and their ranges never overlap. to greatly reduce the chance of a Alternatively, a male bobcat's territory is approximately 30 negative wildlife encounter. square miles and may overlap with other male cats. Enclose pet birds and poultry in a secure pen or house. Properly secure Bobcats are crepuscular- meaning they are most active during domestic birds to reduce their risk of dawn and dusk. becoming prey to bobcats. For more information visit Frisco Animal Services or DFW Wildlife Coalition. COYOTES BENEFITS OF COYOTES Coyotes play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and species diversity. They are a keystone species, TIPS FOR REDUCING HUMAN- meaning that their presence or absence has a significant impact on the biological community. COYOTE CONFLICTS: As the top carnivore in some ecosystems, coyotes provide a Do not feed wildlife. This increases the number of benefits including regulating the populations of chance that the animal will lose its smaller predator species, such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes, natural fear of humans. which helps boost biodiversity. Feed dogs and cats indoors and clean up after them. Water, pet food, and droppings can attract wildlife, NATURAL HISTORY including coyotes. Do not leave unattended dogs and Coyotes are members of the canine family. They inhabit every cats outdoors, especially from dusk state in the continental United States. They prefer deserts, to dawn. Left outside at night, small grasslands, and forests, but are incredibly adaptable to most pets may become prey to coyotes. habitats. For this reason, they often thrive in urban areas. A leashed dog is a safer dog. When Coyotes are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and out for a walk, keep your pet leashed animals. Though they have a wide-ranging diet, they do prefer to greatly reduce the chance of a meat and hunt for small mammals, birds, mice, and snakes. In negative wildlife encounter. times when meat is scarce, they also eat fruits and berries. Enclose pet birds and poultry in a Coyotes are semi-social animals; they can be solitary or form secure pen or house. Properly secure traveling pairs or packs. This varies based on geographic area. domestic birds to reduce their risk of Urban coyotes tend to be transient and travel alone. becoming prey to coyotes. Tightly cover garbage and compost Location affects when coyotes are most active. They can be bins. Open bins encourage scavenging. diurnal (active during the day) or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). However, they tend to become more nocturnal Remove fallen fruit from yards. (active at night) when they live in close proximity to humans. For more information visit Frisco Animal Services or DFW Wildlife Coalition. BATS BENEFITS OF BATS Bats play an important role in their environments. Some plants depend partly or wholly on bats to pollinate their flowers or TIPS FOR REDUCING HUMAN- spread their seeds, while other bats also help control pests by BAT CONFLICTS: eating insects- like mosquitoes! Do not handle bats with your bare You can help increase bat populations, and biodiversity, by hands. Bat bites can cause injury and installing bat boxes on your property. carry disease. Seal potential roosting locations within your home. Placing caps on NATURAL HISTORY chimneys and blocking outside entryways to crawlspaces, attics, and Bats may fly through the air like birds, but they are true under porches will deter bats. mammals. They belong to the order Chiroptera, a Greek word A leashed dog is a safer dog. When meaning "hand-wing," which accurately describes their most out for a walk, keep your pet leashed notable and unusual anatomical feature. to greatly reduce the chance of a Bats are insectivores and eat insects like beetles, moths, and negative wildlife encounter. mosquitos. They are incredibly efficient at insect control! For Ensure your pets are up-to-date on example, one little brown bat can consume up to 500 mosquito rabies vaccination. Prevention is the -sized insects in just an hour! best medicine in the event your pet is bitten by a bat. Remember, the Bats are typically social creatures, and prefer to live and roost majority of bats DO NOT carry rabies. A in large groups. In many species, males and females roost study by the CDC found the positivity separately except when mating. rate among bats to be approx. 6%. Bats are nocturnal- meaning they are active at night. During Understanding reduces fear. Bats are the day, bats rest, groom, and sleep. At night, they emerge to often feared and misunderstood by forage for food and drink water. After feeding for an hour or humans, but they are incredibly two they may rest again, then have a second feeding before beneficial creatures. They help dawn. pollinate plants and eat unwanted insects, like mosquitoes. For more information visit Frisco Animal Services or DFW Wildlife Coalition. RACCOONS BENEFITS OF RACCOONS Despite the mischief this masked mammal can sometimes cause, raccoons play an important role in the ecosystem by serving as gardeners, pest control, and the "clean-up crew", TIPS FOR REDUCING HUMAN- RACCOON CONFLICTS: Raccoons are beneficial to ecosystems for the distribution of plant seeds. Feeding on berries and nuts, not only on meat, Do not feed wildlife. This increases the raccoons then help distribute the seeds around the areas they chance that the animal will lose its inhabit. natural fear of humans. Raccoons also eat carrion, or the remains of dead animals, and Feed dogs and cats indoors and clean feast on small rodents and insects. This keeps areas clean, up after them. Water, pet food, and which in turn helps to keep pest populations in check droppings can attract small mammals, including raccoons. NATURAL HISTORY A leashed dog is a safer dog. When out for a walk, keep your pet leashed Raccoons are members of the Procyonidae family, often to greatly reduce the chance of a categorized as "little bears". Raccoons are common throughout negative wildlife encounter. the United States. These extremely adaptable creatures can thrive in almost any environmental setting, and live in both the Tightly cover garbage and compost city and country. bins. Open bins encourage scavenging. Raccoons are omnivores and will eat almost anything. Their diet is typically made up of 40% invertebrates (such as insects, Seal potential denning locations mussels, and crustaceans), 30% plant material, and 30% within your home. Placing caps on vertebrates (such as small mammals, birds, and reptiles). chimneys and blocking outside entryways to crawlspaces, attics, and Raccoons are semi-social, often sharing a territory with a small under porches will deter raccoons. number of other raccoons. They spend the majority of their time alone, but will meet at resting and feeding areas without conflict. Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, meaning they're most active at night, though it is not uncommon to see them awake during the daytime. For more information visit Frisco Animal Services or DFW Wildlife Coalition. SQUIRRELS BENEFITS OF SQUIRRELS Squirrels play an important ecological role as seed and spore dispersers. Squirrels catch, or store, seeds and nuts in the soil TIPS FOR REDUCING HUMAN- and trees. When forgotten, these seeds and nuts sprout into new plants and trees. SQUIRREL CONFLICTS: Squirrels also spread mushrooms through their scat. After Do not feed wildlife. This increases the eating a mushroom, the spores travel through their guts chance that the squirrel will lose its unchanged, and are then dispersed throughout the forest. natural fear of humans and become aggressive. Do not attempt to pet squirrels. They NATURAL HISTORY seem friendly, but are wild! Squirrel bites can cause injury and carry Squirrels are members of the Sciuridae family, consisting of disease. small and medium-sized rodents. Tree squirrels are commonly seen everywhere from woodlands to city parks. Do not move "abandoned" baby squirrels. If you find a fallen squirrel Tree squirrels are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants nest on the ground, the best action is and animals. Though they are excellent climbers and spend a to leave the nest at the base of the lot of time in trees, squirrels come to the ground in search of closest tree.
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