We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season with their loved ones! Check out our December/January Photo of the Month from volunteer Rob Gormbley! These two bears were caught snooping around the yard! Bear sightings may slow down during this month, but if you see any and have pictures submit them to us here.  

Side Note: We encourage everyone who has a Ring camera or similar security system installed, as well as people who might have neighbors that are spotting wildlife around the community on Nextdoor, to spread the word about MassMammals and let them know that we would love to see their security footage of any furry visitors! New volunteers are welcome to submit their sightings using this link.

Trail camera photo of a coyote from Susan Crim

As we are in the middle of winter, you may be wondering what different mammals around the state do to adapt to the cold weather. Here are some winter changes of common mammals you may find in your backyard!

White-tailed Deer - During the winter, white-tailed deer grow a thicker grayish-brown coat to help blend in with their environment. Male white-tailed deer, also called bucks, shed their antlers in late winter or early spring and start regrowth. Deer also have hollow hairs that trap air and provide which provides excellent insulation.

Coyotes - Coyotes may have lighter-colored fur in the winter to help blend into the landscape. Their padded paws come in handy to navigate the icy terrain. Unlike black bears, coyotes may become more active during the winter as they search for food to sustain themselves in the cold. Late winter is mating season for coyotes, which may cause you to hear more howls as they try to communicate with mates!

Red Fox - The red fox is notorious for its vibrant red coat, but during the winter, it stands out in the snow. To solve this, some fox's coats turn gray or silver to better blend. Foxes are pretty nimble and agile, which makes them very good at hunting small mammals like mice and voles during the winter. Red Foxes are known for stocking up on food during the winter and stashing it in the snow to eat when food is scarce.

Source: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Over the following months, MassMammals will be showcasing new members on social media and newsletters. If you are following our Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen our new member spotlight for Grace on the data and outreach team!

Meet Grace! Grace is a new member of the MassMammals team who joined last fall. She is a sophomore at Amherst College and a prospective neuroscience major.

When we asked Grace why she joined, she said, "I am very interested in all of the forestry and wildlife around us. We are just a single part of a huge ecosystem, and I think it is important to figure out how to contribute to it in a positive way. It is important to me to learn about the other animals that also live here and how we can keep the home of all life safe in the area. My interest was definitely engaged when I heard the project involves people from all communities in Massachusetts and how to safely interact with and track wildlife. I am excited to learn more about the wildlife around me and to engage with other people in our community. I am excited to learn from the data and also from other individuals who care about wildlife. "

Trail Camera photo of a black bear walking at night by John Quill!

Trail cameras and ring cameras give our group valuable  presence and absence data. If you have a fixed camera, like a trail camera or ring camera, please consider contributing your photos/videos regularly. Presence and absence data gives us a more complete and whole understanding of how mammal populations function in Massachusetts.

Presence data  alone, indicating where a species is found, offers valuable insights into habitat preferences and distribution patterns. However, absence data, revealing where or when a species is not present, augments our ability to understand these patterns more thoroughly. Together, presence and absence data contribute to a holistic approach in wildlife monitoring.

While some mammal sightings may decline in winter, we would love for our volunteers to keep sending in any submissions amidst the chilly weather! Additionally, snow makes it much easier to identify animal tracks, so if you have any photos of those, feel free to send them our way for help with identification as well. When identifying tracks, it's important to place a ruler, coin, or some sort of standardized identifiable scale next to the track to help us be more accurate in our answer. Stay warm, and we wish you a wonderful winter season!