Habitat Mural Guide Deciduous Forest - Exploring Nature … · Habitat Mural Guide Deciduous Forest...

Habitat Mural GuideDeciduous Forest

Enlarge, color and cut out deciduous forest animals and plants to construct an educational mural for your classroom.

@Sheri Amselwww.exploringnature.org

White-tailed DeerOdocoileus virginianus

White-tailed deer are found across Southern Canada and

throughout the eastern U.S., mid-west and Rocky Mountains

in forests, farms and open, brushy country. They are brown in

summer and gray in winter. They have a large tail that they raise

when they are running away, the bright white underside waving

like a flag. Males reach up to 200 pounds and 7ft long. They

grow spiked antlers that they lose each winter

and grow back every spring. They travel in

small groups. They are active mostly at early

morning and late evening. Though they can be

seen at all times of day feeding on twigs, grass,

and acorns.

Females are

pregnant for

6 months

and have

1-3 fawns.

©Sheri Amselwww.exploringnature.org

White-tailed DeerOdocoileus virginianuswww.exploringnature.org

White-tailed deer can reach 5-7 feet long if blown up to full size. Place deer in the background at smaller sizes.

©Sheri Amsel

Mink Mustela vison

Minks are found throughout the U.S. and Canada. They

live in forests along streams, lakes and ponds near brushy,

rocky shores. They have a long, thin body up to 2’ long, a

pointy face and a soft, dark coat with white on their throat

and chest. They are active at night, dawn and dusk. They

swim, climb trees, and dig burrows at the edge of the water.

They live alone and feed on small mammals, birds, frogs,

and crayfish. Females are pregnant for 40-75 days and

have up to 8 young in April or May. They live up to 10 years

in the wild and are not endangered.


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©Sheri A

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Red Fox Vulpes vulpes

The red fox is common in many places all over the world,

including Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America in all

habitats; including woodlands, farms, urban and coastal areas.

They are easy to identify with their reddish body, white tipped,

fluffy tail and black legs. They weigh about 10 pounds and are

mostly active at night (nocturnal). Red fox are also often seen

during daylight hours on golf courses or open fields, trotting

along with their fluffy tails held out. They travel alone. They are

scavengers, eating what they can find, but will also hunt and kill

small animals and raid nests for eggs. Females

are pregnant for about 7 weeks,

having 4-5 pups in dens

dug under trees roots

or piles of brush.

They will also

den in tree

cavities or

rocky

crevices.


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©Sheri A

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Beaver Castor canadensis

Beaver are found all over Canada and the U.S. on forest

ponds and rivers. They are the largest rodents in North

America with 2 pairs of sharp front teeth (incisors) that never

stop growing. They weigh up to 100 pounds, have a large,

flat, scaly tail that they slap on the water when startled

and webbed back feet. They are active at night (nocturnal)

cutting down trees to build dams. This makes a beaver pond

where the beavers build their lodge. To protect their young,

the only entrance is underwater. They eat water lilies roots,

leaves and the green bark of softwood trees. They mate for

life and both care for their babies. Females are pregnant for

4 months (gestation) and have up to 4 kits a year. They live

for about 10 years in the wild and are plentiful.


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Black Bear Ursus americanus

The black bears of North America live in old forests, swamps

and scrubby places where fires have burned all the trees.

Their fur can be many colors from tan to brown to black. Male

black bears weigh about 300 pounds. Females weigh about

150 pounds. The largest black bears reach up to 600 pounds.

Black bears are active mostly at night (nocturnal). They eat

plants and animals (omnivores). They eat small mammals,

fruits, nuts, roots and insects. They spend the winter in a den

sleeping (hibernating). They have 1-3 babies called cubs. They

have their babies in January or February. Female black bears

are pregnant for about 71/2 months (gestation). The babies

nurse on milk for about 8 months.


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Black bears can reach 4.5 ft long.

©S

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RaccoonProcyon lotor

Raccoons are found throughout the western hemisphere

from Canada to Argentina in woodlands near water and also

in farmlands, neighborhoods and cities. They den in trees

and sometimes in abandoned burrows or caves. They will

also den in attics, barns, and garages. Raccoons are 4-feet

long including their tails and in the wild weigh from 15-30

pounds. Raccoons in the north tend to weigh more. Urban

raccoons feeding on trash can reach 60 pounds! They have

a ringed tail and black mask on their face. Raccoons are ac-

tive year round at night (nocturnal), but can be seen at dawn

or dusk. Raccoons are omnivores and will eat frogs, cray-

fish, fish, birds, eggs, fruits, nuts, grains, small mammals and

insects. Females are pregnant for 2 months and have 3-7

young in the early spring.


Rac

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©S

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Gray SquirrelSciurus carolinensis

Eastern gray squirrels are found in eastern Canada and

the U.S. down through the Midwest into Iowa, Kansas and

Texas in hardwood and mixed forests (as long as there

are trees that produce nuts). They especially seem to like

oak and hickory nuts. They are gray with lighter fur on

their bellies. They have a flurry tail with silver tipped hairs.

They are about 9 inches tall and weigh up to 2.5 pounds.

They are active in the daytime (diurnal), especially in

the morning and evening. They are active all year. Gray

Squirrels den in trees cavities in the winter and leaf nests

in the summer. They eat nuts: hickory, beech, acorns,

and walnuts. They bury nuts they collect, so act as tree

planters. Females are pregnant for 6 weeks and have 2-3

young born in the spring.


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Snowshoe HareLepus americanus

Snowshoe hares are found throughout most of North

America in conifer and leafy (deciduous) forests and

brushy areas where there is lots of food and shelter. They

have large feet for traveling on top of the snow. Their brown

fur turns white in winter. They have long ears, though much

smaller than jackrabbits. They are active all winter. They

eat deciduous trees and shrubs, some conifers, grass, and

wildflowers. Snowshoe hares usually have 2-3 litters a year

from April to August. Females are pregnant for

about 35 days, having up to 8 young.

Snowshoe hares live about 3 years in the wild.


Snowshoe hares can reach about 20 inches long.

Snowshoe HareLepus americanus

www.exploringnature.org

©Sheri Amsel

BobcatLynx rufus

Bobcats are found from Canada to Mexico in all habitats

from forests and swamps to scrubby desert. They weigh up

to 45 pounds and have a light spotted coat with stripes on

their short, stubby tail. They have smaller ear and cheek

tufts than their relative, the lynx. They are active both day

and night hunting at dawn and dusk for rabbits, hares,

squirrels, chipmunks, birds and sometimes, even deer.

Females are pregnant for about

60 days. They have up to 6 kits at

any time of the year. They live

for about 12 years in

the wild.


BobcatLynx rufus


Bobcats can reach 2.5 ft long.

©Sheri Amsel

Red SquirrelTamiasciurus hudsonicus

The red squirrel is found in Canada and the northern United

States down to the Appalachian Mountains in coniferous,

deciduous, and mixed forests. They are reddish-brown on

top and have white bellies with a black stripe where the two

colors come together on their sides. They have ear tufts in

the winter. They are about a foot long including their tail and

weigh about 8-9 ounces. Their tail is not as bushy as the

gray squirrel’s tail. They are active during the day (diurnal)

and all year round. They live much of their lives in the trees

(arboreal). They eat pine seeds, nuts, fruit, insects, bird

eggs and even small animals. Like the gray squirrel they

bury seeds for later so are important tree planters and see

dispersers. They nest in tree cavities

or underground in tunnels. They

live alone except to breed in

the spring. Females are

pregnant for about 5 weeks

and can have 2-6 young.


Red SquirrelTamiasciurus hudsonicus


©Sheri Amsel

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

Hairy Woodpeckers are found from Central Alaska across

Canada to Newfoundland, south to Florida and Central

America in deciduous forests, mixed woods, parks and

yards with trees. They are about robin-sized with a white

back, black and white striped (barred) wings and a red

patch on the head. They have a long, slender bill. Their

tail is black with white outer feathers.

Females have a black patch on head

instead of the red patch. They look like

the downy woodpecker but are bigger.

They peck for insects in trees. They

will also eat fruits and seeds and

come to bird feeders. They

nest in trees holes. Females

have 3 – 7 white eggs.


Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus


Black-capped ChickadeeParus atricapillus


©Sheri Amsel

©Sheri Amsel

Black-capped ChickadeeParus atricapillus

Black-capped chickadees are found all across North

America from Southern Canada south to the middle

United States in mixed forests, open woodlands, and

wetlands to suburban areas. They have a black cap

and throat with white cheeks, a gray back, wings and

tail and a white belly. They are very common at feed-

ers all winter. They have a chica-dee-dee-dee call.

They form flocks in winter. They eat insects and seeds.


Barred OwlStrix varia

Barred owls are found all over eastern North America from

Southern Canada down to Florida. They have spread west

in Canada and Washington State in wooded swamps and

forests, especially when they are near rivers and streams.

They grow to about 20 inches tall. They have a big, brown

head, with rings around their eyes on a pale face. Their

back and wings are brown with white spots and their chest

and belly are white with brown bars.

Males and females look the

same. They hunt at night eating

eat mice, rabbits, birds and

frogs. They nest in tree holes

(cavities) or use old nests

left by a hawk or crow.

Female lays 1-5 white

eggs.


Barred OwlStrix varia


©Sher

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Deciduous Forest Amphibians

woodfrogred eft (newt)

American Toad


Cottontail RabbitLepus sylvaticus

Cottontail rabbits are the most common and widely found

rabbits in North America. They like to hide in tall grass,

thickets, and along fencerows. They have a rounded body

with large back feet, long ears, and a round, white, fluffy

tail. They vary in color from grayish to reddish brown and

have white bellies. They weigh 2-3 pounds and are active

all year, mostly at night (nocturnal). They have good sight

and hearing and will freeze in place when sensing danger.

Their coloring helps them blend in (camouflage). If they are

flushed out of hiding they can run up to 18 mph for a short

distance. If caught by a predator they can make a loud, shrill

scream. They eat grass and green plants and in winter will

eat the bark, twigs, and buds of shrubs and young trees

(herbivores). Females are pregnant for about

28 days (gestation) and give birth to 3-8 young

in a nest built underground or under thick grass

and lined with grass and fur.


Cottontail RabbitLepus sylvaticus


©Sheri Amsel

Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo

Wild turkeys live in southeastern Canada south to Florida

and in some places throughout the west in open woodlands

and clearings. They are often seen along roadways. They

look like tame turkeys except they are thinner with rusty-

brown tail feathers instead of white. They are a huge bird,

weighing up to 25 pounds. Instead of feathers on their face

and neck, they have bumpy, loose skin. They have a large

fan-shaped tail and spurs on their long, strong legs. Males

are much larger and more colorful with a beard of loose skin

(wattle). They travel in flocks. In the winter, there can be as

many as 200 birds to a flock. They sleep (roosting) in trees

at night and run when startled. They can fly, but they don’t

unless they have to. They eat fruit, seeds, acorns, insects

and tree buds.


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©S

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Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus

Ruffed grouse are found in Alaska, all over Canada and the

northwestern and northeastern U.S. down to Alabama in

mixed forests and are seen along roadways. They spend

the winter in conifer forests. They are a large, dark bird

with gray-brown dapples above. They are lighter below.

They have a fan-shaped tail with barred stripes. Males

make a “drumming” sound in the spring to attract a mate.

They spend most of their time on the ground but will burst

into flight when they are alarmed. This works to scare off

predators. They eat tree buds, and some leaves, nuts and

fruit and insects. They make a nest in the dead

leaves next to a tree or rock for cover. The female

lays more than a dozen (7-16) light brown

eggs that blend in with the dead leaves.


CoyoteStrix varia

Coyote are found all across North America in all habitats

from woodlands and fields to deserts. Their fur is frosty

gray to brown with a light-colored belly. They have a bushy

tail with a black tip. They walk and run with their tail hung

down. They weigh from 20-50 pounds. They are more ac-

tive at night (nocturnal). They live in dens. Coyotes are

survivors. They adapt better than wolves to living near hu-

mans. They can run up to 40 mph. They can jump 8-foot tall

fences. They eat what they can find. They are scavengers.

They also hunt small mammals and even deer. Females

are pregnant for about 60 days and can have more than 12

pups in one litter, though usually they have 6. They live up

to 15 years in the wild.



OpossumDidelphis virginiana

Opossum (possum) are found from southern Canada,

throughout the U.S., into Mexico and Central America (and

spreading) in woodlands, along streams and around farms.

They reach about 20 in long and weigh up to 12-14lbs. They

are mostly grayish colored with a white, pointed face, pink

nose and thin, round, hairless, dark ears. They have a long,

pink, hairless, rounded tail, like a giant rat’s tail. It can be used

to wrap around things like fingers (prehensile). They have

50 tiny teeth, the most of any mammal in N.A. Their back

feet have usable, clawless thumbs (opposable) that help in

climbing. They have a belly pouch where their young stay

protected and nurse (marsupials). They are the only marsupial

in North America. They are active at night (nocturnal). They

live alone except to mate or a female with young. They are

well adapted to living near people and will wander around

raiding garbage cans and grain bins. They will eat almost

anything; fruit, plants, nuts, eggs, insects,

rodents and poultry (omnivores) and even

dead animals (carrion).

Red-shouldered hawkButeo lineatus

Red-shouldered summer in the northeastern U.S. and northern midwest and some central and southern states in moist deciduous forests with a more open canopy. They are often seen perching in trees along the edges of waterways. Red-shouldered hawks are medium-sized hawks that reach up to 2 feet long. They have wide, roundish wings that they hold slightly forward when in flight. The wings and tail have dark and light banding. The tail’s banding has more dark color with thinner white bands. The shoulders are reddish. The chest and legsare light colored with reddish bars. They have long yellow lower legs and feet. They hunt for small mammals (mice, voles, gophers and chipmunks), amphibians and reptiles and sometimes songbirds from a perch, often hear the water’sedge where they watch for prey.


Blue JayCyanocitta cristata

Blue jays are found in southern Canada through eastern

U. S. to Gulf Coast, westward to central Texas. There are

small groups of them all the way west to Washington.

Some go south (migrate) in winter and some stay in the

north in oak forests and suburbs. They are bright blue on

their heads, back and wings with black stripes (bars) on

their wings and tail. They have a white face, chest and

belly. They have a blue head crest with a black line framing

the sides of their face. They have a loud call and can be

very aggressive. They eat nuts and seeds with some fruit

and insects. They build a nest of twigs and grass, with

mud. The female lays 2-7 blue to light brown eggs with

brownish spots.


Trees of the Deciduous Forest

Deciduous Forest Animals

black bear

bobcat

white-tailed deer

coyote

mink

cottontailrabbit

red fox

ruffed grouse

snowshoe hare

wood frog

toad

barred owl

raccoon

beaver

wild turkey

opossum

newt

chickadee

blue jay

hairywoodpecker

red squirrel gray squirrel

red-shouldered hawk


Habitat Mural Guide Deciduous Forest - Exploring Nature … · Habitat Mural Guide Deciduous Forest...

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