Things that go
Bump in the night BY EMILY STONE There’s a lot more darkness out there these days. During long nights you might hear some mysterious sounds. Use this guide to help you figure out what goes bump (or yowl, screech, or snort) in the night. While owls are one of the most common critters we hear at night, they can also be eerily silent. | JAMES MOSHER
RED FOXES
OWLS Owls sing duets with their mates, they clack their beaks in irritation at each other, they call to warn away rivals, and their hoots might send shivers down your spine, too. The deep-voiced pattern of notes from a Great Horned Owl sounds like “Who’s awake? Meee, tooo…” Barred owls sing more loudly, and say “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you alllll….?” They also make a monkey-like ruckus, and young barred owls give off terrifying shrieks when they beg for food. The robin-sized Northern Saw-whet owl makes a repetitive series of whistled notes, like the back-up beep for a cartoon truck. While owls are one of the most com-
mon critters we hear at night, they can also be eerily silent. Imagine an owl gliding stealthily through a dark forest and plunging talons-first for a tiny mouse. How do they do that? Broad wings reduce the need to flap loudly. On the trailing edge of those wings, a flexible fringe breaks down noisy air turbulence. On the top of the wing, a forest of tiny, downy feathers dampens sound even more. Why is silent flight important enough to warrant all of these adaptations? It isn’t just so the mouse doesn’t hear the owl; it’s so the owl can hear the mouse. Owls’ super sharp hearing is their best hunting skill. They can even pinpoint the rustles of a mouse in complete darkness and swoop down for the kill.
One of the most terrifying sounds that could ever pierce through a dark forest is the scream of a fox. But, just like with wolves, what’s scary to us may be sexy to other foxes. The hoarse, frantic call is used most frequently by female foxes, called vixens, when they are looking for love. Although the sound is blood-curdling, the result is a litter of fuzzy, adorable fox pups, born in early spring. Male foxes also scream occasionally, so it likely serves more than just that purpose.
One of the most terrifying sounds to pierce through a dark forest is the scream of a fox. | MICHAEL TAYLOR
PORCUPINES Imagine what a frustrated zombie might sound like as it tries to push open a door that says “pull.” That’s the sound of a grunting porcupine. You might hear this sound coming from the outhouse, or the underside of your car, or the front porch of your cabin as a porcupine gnaws on something covered in salt. The incessant grunting of a porcupine is actually a happy sound, often made in the presence of food. Throughout the year, porcupines
eat a shifting diet of tree bark, evergreen needles, buds, twigs, leaves, and weeds, based on the type of food that is most nutritious at that particular moment. One thing that their plantbased diet always lacks is salt, which is why they are attracted to the human items containing salt from urine, our hands, or road deicers. With an armor of 30,000 sharp quills to protect them, porcupines can afford to make happy sounds while they eat.
The incessant grunting of a porcupine is actually a happy sound, often made in the presence of food. | KEITH CROWLEY 16
OCTOBER 2020
NORTHERN WILDS
