Moles, voles, shrews, woodchucks, and white-tailed deer are not only found at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, but may also be a wild neighbor to you at home. While thriving on Long Island’s suburban landscape, these creatures have earned themselves a bit of a bad reputation. Let’s uncover the untold stories of these misunderstood residents, and learn about the beneficial roles they play in our local ecosystems.
Many garden problems are blamed on moles, voles, and shrews; who are often considered the enemy of most suburban yards. However, a closer look reveals their invaluable contributions to our ecosystems. Eastern moles can tunnel up to 18 feet per hour and play a vital role in aerating soil, promoting water percolation, and controlling grubs, beetles, centipedes and ant populations underground. When these creatures come above ground, which is rare, they are food for hawks, owls, and red fox. Eastern moles are strictly carnivorous whereas voles are herbivorous and do eat plant matter.
The northern short-tailed shrew is a voracious predator of insects and is almost constantly moving and foraging, rarely stopping even for sleep. In fact, shrew’s heart rate ranges from 800 to 1000 beats per minute! In their constant search to eat their own body weight in food a day, these mammals have evolved some amazing adaptations. Echolocation helps them locate their underground prey. Shrews are one of the only venomous mammals in the world, and they use their venomous saliva to incapacitate their prey (don’t worry, humans aren’t on the menu). Many medical studies are examining shrew venom with the hope that it can be a part of a new miracle drug that will smooth wrinkled skin, alleviate pain, and kill certain cancer cells.
White-tailed deer are very common throughout North America. Despite their impact on small shrubs and ornamental plants, studies suggest that the presence of deer can enhance mature forest tree growth through nutrient input from their fecal and urine deposits.
Woodchucks are considered “ecosystem engineers” because they alter habitats that benefit many other species. Rabbits, skunks, chipmunks, and even foxes can utilize their abandoned burrows that can be 6 feet deep and are generally 12 to 25 feet long. Not only do animals rely on woodchucks, but scientists are learning about metabolic function and endocrine systems by studying woodchucks.
Other animals that are considered pests, like opossums and raccoons, are omnivores that help clean forests. Properly storing garbage and pet food prevents these animals from making a mess of our backyards. Rodents are especially unloved but mice and rats are important food sources for predators like owls, hawks, and red fox. They also aid in seed and fungal dispersal. The use of rodenticides has extreme effects on the food chain and are very harmful to owls and hawks when they ingest poisoned rodents.
Many of the problems we associate with these animals considered “pests” are ones created by human destruction of natural places, cultural values of curb appeal, and elimination of natural predators. With a deeper understanding of their special place in the food chain and benefits to our local ecosystem, we can find a new appreciation for Long Island’s wild neighbors.
By Cara Fernandes