4 minute read
Animals Of The Night
Andi Sedlacek
Andi Sedlacek is a publications supervisor in the DNR’s Office of Communications.
While We Hit The Hay, These Animals Come Out To Play
As the sun sets and diurnal animals, or those active during the day, retreat to rest, others are just getting started: nocturnal animals. Often elusive and sometimes feared, Wisconsin’s nighttime creatures are fun to get to know.
Raccoons
You might hear them trying to get into your garbage or snooping around your campsite at night. Raccoons are found throughout Wisconsin and are easily identified by their distinctive black masks and ringed tails. Most adult raccoons weigh 10-20 pounds.
Raccoons venture out after sunset to look for food. They’re omnivorous and not picky eaters, dining on nuts, fruits, berries, seeds, insects, frogs, turtles, eggs, crayfish, carrion (dead meat) and, of course, garbage. They use their paws like little hands, washing them and their food in water.
Mink
Mink are not just nocturnal, they’re also semi-aquatic, living partly on land and partly in water. They have short, dense, chocolate-colored fur, sometimes with a white patch on their chest and belly, and are pretty small, weighing 1½-2 pounds.
They eat muskrats, fish, reptiles, amphibians, waterfowl, eggs and small mammals like mice, preferring to hunt near waterbodies. If you startle a mink, it might squeal, hiss or snarl and release a scent similar to a skunk, so watch out.
Opossums
These nocturnal creatures are the only Wisconsin marsupial, which means they carry and nurse their young in a pouch, where the babies stay until they’re the size of a mouse. Adult opossums weigh between 4-12 pounds. They have hairless tails, which they can use to grasp tree branches.
Opossums are like nature’s garbage disposal, eating fallen fruit before it rots, as well as crickets, beetles, mice and other household pests. They’ll also munch on your garden, compost or garbage and may raid a chicken coop if you give them the chance.
It’s a common myth that opossums carry rabies, but their body temperature is lower than that of most other mammals, making them less susceptible to common viruses like rabies.
Badgers
We know badgers as Wisconsin’s state animal, but other than our pal Bucky, it’s uncommon to see one. Badgers stay hidden in shallow dens during the day and come out at night to hunt. Weighing 12-16 pounds, badgers have wide bodies, short legs, grizzled gray fur, distinctive black patches on their faces and a white stripe from their nose to partway down their back.
Badgers are carnivores that eat ground squirrels, moles and other small mammals. When bothered, they snarl and growl, and they give off a musky scent like skunks and mink.
Skunks
You’ve likely smelled a skunk but may not have seen one. Wisconsin’s striped skunks, which average 4-6 pounds and have long, bushy tails, spend most of the day in a burrow or den. They are adaptable and can live wherever they find sufficient water, food and shelter.
You might not like their smell, but skunks are excellent at controlling pests like mice, rats, shrews, moles and ground squirrels. They’ll also eat insects, insect larvae and fruit — including your garden plants.
Skunk Smell Remover
If your dog or cat has an unfortunate encounter with a skunk, whip together some of this to get rid of the stink.
1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid dish soap
Mix all ingredients in an open bucket. Massage into your pet’s fur, avoiding eyes, ears and mouth. Allow to soak in for a few minutes, then rinse. Do not store. Keep out of eyes!
Learn More
Some night creatures can be a nuisance. Check the DNR's Nuisance, Urban and Damaging Wildlife webpage for strategies to discourage animals from paying you a visit.
