Carbondale wildlife experiences the first snowfall of the season

Many of our furry and feathered friends on campus were met with a shocking surprise when it began snowing early Saturday morning here in Carbondale. The snow reached its peak around 6:30 a.m. as the very light and scattered flurries briefly became intermittent light snow and began coating the ground at a maximum height of approximately 3.5 inches.

There are a wide variety of tree squirrels that can be found around campus, including but not limited to Eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels and red squirrels, as well as a select few ground squirrels like eastern chipmunks and Franklin’s ground squirrels. Eastern gray squirrels are the most common squirrel species found in Carbondale and are known for their lively nature and surprisingly bold personalities when introduced to a constant influx of people.

There have been many different types of interactions between students and squirrels on campus, and I have personally witnessed one, watching a particularly rotund Eastern gray squirrel throw a nut at a passerby. Unfortunately that passerby was myself… I had a bruise on my forehead for three days. These squirrels are the most known throughout campus life and even have a small social media presence.

Fox squirrels are also found on campus, but not as frequently due to their solitary nature and shy personalities and are only spotted with another member of their species during mating season. They are commonly mistaken for red squirrels because of the similar fur pattern and color, but are fairly easy to tell apart due to the fox squirrel being the largest tree squirrel within the Midwest and Eastern United States and are almost double the size.

Both the Eastern gray squirrels and Fox squirrels were seen running through the snow and getting to high ground Saturday morning so their small paws didn’t remain as cold as they would on tree branches where less snow could be found. The Eastern gray squirrels were seen more frequently on the ground in comparison to the fox squirrels, however, and had a tendency to burrow through the snow to continue the search for nuts.

Campus Lake also received some wildlife action with an influx of Mallard and American black ducks paddling across the lake despite the frigid temperatures of the water along with the consistent falling snow. Mallards are by far the most common duck in Illinois and can be spotted anywhere wetlands and significant bodies of water are located. The main reason these ducks are so diverse in almost any wetland area is due to the fact that they are the ancestors of almost all domestic ducks and will mate with ducks from other species, further increasing their population size. Their colorful plumage is a dominant trait that identifies them as Mallards.

American black ducks were also seen wading in Campus Lake, but remained harder to see because there weren’t as many and blend in with the environment. Similar to the fox squirrel, they are known to not be social creatures and tend to shy away from most animals, making them slightly harder to find in relatively suburban areas.

The most shocking surprise of the snowy morning was a trio of Canadian geese joining the ducks on Campus Lake before taking to the skies once again. They can be seen as far south as Louisiana and Florida and have the capacity and migratory abilities to travel as far as 3,000 miles from their home destination. The most astonishing fact is the geese can cover about half the distance in as little as 24 hours. The cold of the water and the air has little to no effect on these geese and are the partial cause for their migration south.

Multiple species of perching birds were also seen flying through the trees outside West Campus when the snow began to let up and the sun started to shine. The snow may have not lasted long, but it was eventful for many of the animals to get a chance to experience winter a little early this year after a long bout of heat so late in the year.

Staff reporter and photographer Mo Collar can be reached at m0.alexander on Instagram or [email protected].

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