Animals In Comstock
There is a great variety of wildlife in Comstock. Wildlife found in Comstock includes bats, shrew, moles, rabbits, chipmunks,gophers, squirrels, mice, rats,muskrats, porcupines, red fox, raccoons, skunks, opossums, beavers, woodchucks, turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes and white tailed deer.
Red Fox
The red fox weighs 8 to 15 pounds. It has a reddish coat with white underside and black feet. The red fox lives in areas that combine forest and open country. It has the ability to adapt to different environments. The red fox eats rabbits, small rodents, birds, snakes, and wild berries.
Beaver
Beavers weigh 60 to70 pounds. They are a brownish color. The beaver has large webbed feet. The beaver has two large teeth. His teeth can gnaw down trees. Beavers live in woodlands near streams and lakes. They build dams across streams using stick and trees. Beavers eat marsh grasses, roots, bark, and twigs.
Raccoon
The raccoon has long, coarse fur which is grayish brown. The raccoon's tail is bushy with 4 to 10 rings. There is a mask on the face of the raccoon.The raccoon usually weighs 12 to 16 pounds. Some raccoons weigh up to 40 pounds.The raccoon lives in trees and like to be near water.During the winter , raccoons sleep in a den and come out during warm periods. Raccoons hunt at night for chickens, mice, bird eggs, fish, and frogs. They are seen going through trash looking for food.
White Tailed Deer
Deer stand up to 3 3/4 feet high at the shoulder. The length of the deer is up to 6 feet and they weigh up to 400 lbs. Deer are a tan color in the summer and a blue gray in the winter. The deer that are found in the Comstock area are called white tailed. They are called white tailed deer because they have white tails on the underside. Adult males grow antlers. The deer live in forests. Deer are alert. In flight they raise their tails to show their white undersides. Deer eat twigs, leaves, bark, corn, grass, and buds of bushes. The most active feeding time is twilight.
Snapping Turtle
The snapping turtle has a big head and upper jaw. Its tail looks like an alligator's .Predators destroy a lot of nests . The babies will hatch in 55 to 125 days. Snapping turtles eat a lot of different foods. They eat insects, worms, leaches, crayfish, snails, and tadpoles. Big snappers sometimes eat baby ducks.
Eastern Box Turtle
The Eastern Box turtle is a small turtle that lives on land. The eggs of the box turtle are very thin. Many box turtles are killed by cars or they are pets . Most of the male box turtles have red eyes and the females have brown eyes.
Bullfrog
Michigan's largest frog is the bullfrog. A bullfrog that is frightened will yelp, then jump into the water. If you would go looking for a bull frog. you should go to a permanent pond, lake. marsh, or slough.
Spotted Salamander
Spotted salamanders are black or dark grayish brown. The eggs hatch in three to five weeks. Spotted salamanders eat insects, worms, slugs, and snails. They spend much time underground and are rarely seen after breeding season.
The Eastern Hog Nose Snake
The eastern hog nose snake looks like a cobra. This snake can be found in sandy areas. It digs with its snout to find toads. Its enemies are skunks, foxes and raccoons.
Sources:
North American Wildlife by Henry Hill Collins, Jr.
Groliers 1997 Multimedia Encyclopedia
Groliers Interactive Inc. 1991
Microsoft Encarta 1998 Encyclopedia
by Ryan and Andrew
