Creatures of the Night

Many birds and mammals native to our area are familiar to us because we see them in the daytime. We are all familiar with the songbirds, falcons, hawks and vultures who feed during the day. These animals are termed "diurnal" because they are active generally from sunrise to sunset.

We also know our opportunistic canine, the coyote, who will dine when the opportunity arises, sometimes in daylight, but generally at dusk and dawn. The gray fox and our many species of bat are also "twilight hunters". The coyote, fox and bat are termed "crepuscular" which simply means they are most active during twilight hours.

Our felids, the bobcat and mountain lion, are opportunistic hunters, occasionally seen in the daylight, but generally preferring the cover of darkness.

These are the animals we know because their clocks are on the same time as ours — more or less.

There are, however, animals that we rarely see because their circadian rhythms are beaten by a different drummer, so to speak. These are the "nocturnal" animals, those birds and mammals who are generally seen only at night. This group is comprised of some familiar species. These we know because they are often seen munching on our dog or cat food left out after dark. These familiar ones are the striped and spotted skunk, the opossum and the raccoon. The nocturnal birds we see are generally the great-horned and barn owls.

There are however those that we are less familiar with, but who do exist and flourish right here in Ramona.

The most unusual mammals are the badger and the ringtail. The birds include the common poorwill and two members of the owl family: the Western screech owl and the burrowing owl.

The badger is a large, stout mammal weighing an average of 25 lbs., with the males being considerably larger than the females. This animal is a carnivore, silver gray in color with a dark head and white body stripe. He's equipped with powerful forefeet for digging as he uncovers his diet of ground squirrels and pocket gophers. Badgers mate in late summer, followed by delayed implantation in December, with the young being born in March or April. They prefer open areas with sandy soil. Our area is a great habitat for those that are still here. Several have been seen near our facility on Highland Valley Rd., and we have the "distinction" of being the only wildlife center in San Diego to have rehabilitated and released an injured badger.

The ringtail is similar to a small raccoon, but with a slender body and extremely long, ringed tail. Enormous dark eyes of the ringtail replace the facial mask of the raccoon, but the family relationship is nonetheless obvious. Like the raccoon, the ringtail feeds on mice, rats, berries and soft fruits. Unlike the raccoon, ringtails do not forage in water and aquatic organisms are not part of their diet. They do, however, prefer to live along watercourses and range from Oregon and Colorado, south into Central America. There have been several confirmed sightings of the ringtail in the Highland Valley Rd. area. We have rehabilitated and released two ringtails, however they were found in San Bernardino county and subsequently released within their home range.

The common poorwill is the most commonly seen of the members of the Nightjar family who inhabit San Diego county. This bird is equipped with a surprisingly large mouth to enable him to snare flying insects. Poorwills bear a resemblance to small owls with a big difference being that the poorwill roosts lengthwise on the ground, while the owl will be seen standing erect, and generally not on the ground. Many poorwills are brought to area wildlife centers by people believing them to be injured owls, when in fact, they are merely poorwills roosting and snoozing under the brush in preparation for their active night life.

The Western screech owl is often mistaken for a baby great-horned owl. From head to toe, this tiny owl is only about 81/2 inches high. Although very similar in markings, the adult great-horned owl is about 22 inches high, with their young being not much smaller than that. The screech owl feeds on prey in proportion to its size: small rodents and large insects.

The most strikingly obvious difference between the burrowing owl (91/2 inches high) and other small owls, is its long legs. This little round-headed, long-legged owl is a ground dweller, another distinguishing characteristic. Burrowing owls often reside in abandoned squirrel holes, reconfiguring them to meet their needs. These gutsy little owls, although nocturnal, may perch conspicuously during the day outside their burrow- generally one lone sentinel to guard their colonial lifestyle. Their defensive mechanisms include a vocalization that imitates the sound of a rattlesnake. If humans dare approach the colony, the burrowing owl will not hesitate to rush the offending person and give a quick attack to the shoes, socks or pants legs of the intruder.

Our nocturnal wild animals are just as delightful to watch as are our diurnal and crepuscular wildlife. Don't ever think that just because you've gone to bed, the rest of your world has, as well! There's a whole new party that begins at dark: one filled with the unusual and the rarely seen- the creatures of the night.

— Cindy Traisi