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​1.  In warmer months there is a wide variety of animals seen in WCP – frogs, insects, birds,     snakes, crabs, deer and others. By contrast, only birds or mammals like deer and squirrels   are seen in the winter months? What enables the deer and squirrels to be so active at these   times?

Since the deer and squirrels are mammals, they are warm blooded (endotherms) and generate enough internal heat to combat the colder outside temperatures. They also have insulating fat and hair to help keep them warm.

2.  The Eastern Grey Squirrels in WCP eat a large number of acorns in preparation for the     challenging winter. Why are acorns or other seeds a good choice of food for wildlife?

Acorns and other seeds are a good source of protein, fats and calories.

3.  Mammals favor eating acorns from the white oak tree family over those from red oaks, since they taste better and are more easily digested. However, acorns from red oaks last longer so they serve mammals and birds well into winter and spring.  Why is it reasonable that squirrels influence the distribution of oak trees?

Since squirrels do not always recover the acorns that they bury, some acorns grow into trees, thanks to the squirrels’ efforts.

4.  Semi-aquatic animals live on land and in the water.  What is the most common semi-aquatic  mammal of the marsh at WCP—the beaver or the muskrat?

The muskrat is the most common semi-aquatic in the Chesapeake watershed marshes.

5.  Which animal footprints have been seen in the marsh mud?

Raccoon, opossum, and deer tracks are often seen in the marsh mud.

6.  What are these raccoon, opossum, and deer doing in the marsh?

Scavenging food washed in with the tide, preying on marsh dwellers, hiding from potential predators, or even resting in marsh cover.

7.  Bats are the only mammal that can sustain flight. WCP is either home to or on the   migratory route of some 12 species of bats.  Some bats that commonly inhabit this area are   the hoary bat, little brown bat, and evening bat.  When can you see bats and what do they eat?

Bats, being entirely nocturnal, are only seen very late in the evening or at night when they are typically out looking for food. All bats in Virginia are insectivorous and are the number one predator of insects. They have been reported to eat from 6,000 to 8,000 mosquito sized insects each night.

8.  The muskrat is a large resident of the WCP marshes and is named for its distinctive smelL and its rat-like general appearance.  They can be easily seen when they are swimming Little   Creek on their way home or going to find some food.  Muskrats are omnivores.  Do you know  what this means, and what do muskrats eat?

Omnivores eat plants and animals.  Muskrats eat all parts of the plants in the marsh as well as insects, frogs, fish and mussels to name a few.

9.  Muskrats help other animals in the marsh.  Can you guess how they might be helpful to     other animals in the marsh?

When they eat plants and make their dens, they open up areas in the densely crowded marsh for ducks, geese, shorebirds.  Also, their lodges provide good places for snakes, turtles, frogs, ducks and geese to rest and nest on.

10. White-tailed Deer in WCP are often seen at the edges of the open spaces in the park.  These areas are good for them since they can find food easily here and escape quickly into the   woods if needed. During late fall and winter, deer eat one particular thing for up to 75% of their diet.  What could that be?

Deer rely heavily on acorns for food in the late fall and winter.  They will travel to locate good acorn crops. Acorns are an excellent source of protein for the deer. With improved nutrition, more twin fawns are born in the spring.