To embrace the Halloween spirit, let's talk about some of the Okanagan native critters that have traditionally been thought of as "spooky". Bats, snakes, spiders, toads, and more!
The Common Raven (L) and the American Crow (R)
These well-known birds help our ecosystems by being part of the clean-up crew! They are scavengers, eating whatever they can find. This often includes dead animals, or discarded human food if they are in a more urban area. Ravens are one of the smartest birds, able to vocalize very well and learn many different sounds, even better than a parrot! They are also acrobatic flyers, often doing somersaults and rolls in the air. Ravens are larger than crows, with a longer beak. Crows have a hoarser call and a smooth flight pattern. These birds are both members of the corvid family, which also includes magpies.
The Black Widow Spider
Just like all spiders, the black widow is great for insect control. They like hiding in dark spaces like sheds, garages, and wood piles. The females are black with a bright red mark on their abdomen and will be a lot bigger than the brown or orange male. If the female is hungry, she sometimes eats the males after mating.
Unlike other spiders, the female black widow is venomous and will bite if she feels threatened. Just make sure not to stick your hands or feet into places you cannot see!
The Great Horned Owl
This is the most common owl in all of North America. They are large owls, and are great for rodent control. If you hear hooting at night, it is most likely a male Great Horned Owl. These owls mate for life, and if that hooting you hear is accompanied by a screech in a duet, it is a male and female calling back and forth to eachother. Like all owls, the Great Horned Owl does not build its own nest. Instead, it uses nests that were previously built by ravens, Great Blue Herons, larger hawks, or other large birds.
The Northern Scorpion
This is the only scorpion found in Canada. Since the Northern Scorpion only gets about 5cm long and likes to hide under rocks, they am very hard to see. If you ever shine a UV light at them, they will glow a bright fluorescent green. They are important for the ecosystem because they help with insect control as well as being prey for larger animals.
The Northern Scorpion is venomous, but will only sting if people get too close. Their sting is like being stung by a bee and is not as dangerous as their southern cousins.
The Turkey Vulture
This bird species is another member of the EEK-osystem clean up crew!
Even though they share the same name, Turkey Vultures are actually not closely related to other vultures. They have a very good sense of smell and can find carcasses without having to see them. Because Turkey Vultures only eat things that are dead, they have a great immune system to fight off nasty diseases that may have affected their food.
If you see a Turkey Vulture circling in the air, it doesn't necessarily mean they have found a dead thing. Sometimes, they are just using the thermal winds to help them get higher in the sky.
The Western Toad
Western Toads have a distinct stripe down their back and their green to red-brown skin is very bumpy. These toads eat a wide variety of insects and like most toads, they hibernate in the winter. Apart from the breeding season, they spend 90% of their time on land.
The Little Brown Bat
This is the most common species of bat in the Okanagan. They are more comfortable than other bat species with living around human activity, and you might find them roosting under house roof edges or inside folded up patio umbrellas. They are excellent for insect control, eating up to `1000 mosquitoes per hour!
And finally, snakes!
We have seven different snakes in the Okanagan: The Great Basin Gophersnake, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Yellow-Bellied Racer, Common and Terrestrial Gartersnakes, Northern Rubber Boa, and Desert Night Snake. They are all amazing pest control, eating whatever can fit in their mouths! This includes many different rodents, frogs, lizards, birds, rabbits, and sometimes insects. Snakes are also prey for predator birds, badgers, weasels, etc.
The rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in the Okanagan, however they are very shy and will only bite if threatened.
Click the images below to enlarge
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