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ISLAND ANIMALS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Mt. Desert Island boasts close to 80 species of land and marine mammals, reptiles and amphibians. White-tailed deer are plentiful. The tall, graceful creatures have a tan coat and a tail with a white underside, and usually feed on grasses and tree buds. One of the white-tailed deer's natural predators is the eastern coyote, a buff-colored canine that resembles a wolf, but has a smaller build, narrower muzzle and larger ears. Since the 1960s, the coyote's numbers have steadily increased in Maine, leading some to call for this predator's eradication -- a position much criticized by environmentalists. While the coyote isn't common on Mt. Desert Island, many residents report hearing its distinctive, high-pitched "singing" at night. The red fox can be seen hunting hare and small rodents in open fields and salt marshes, or darting across island roads and trails by night. During the fall and winter, its red-brown coat becomes thick and richly colored. When cold weather approaches, the non-burrowing snowshoe hare molts its gray-brown coat and grows white fur, excellent camouflage against the winter snow. The toes of its hind feet splay apart to form natural "snowshoes." Heavily trapped for its fur during the last century, the beaver had all but disappeared from the island. Local legend has it that Acadia owes its present healthy population to just two pairs of beavers released in 1920 by George Dorr. These large, broad-tailed rodents begin building dams in August when the brooks and streams are at their lowest levels. The playful harbor seal is five to six feet in length with gray-brown fur. These marine mammals are easily spotted at low tide, basking in the sun on offshore ledges and islands, especially in late spring or early summer whelping season. At high tide, they take to the water to catch herring, mackeral and other North Atlantic fish. Some of the most commonly seen whales are the finback, which ranges from 30 to 70 feet in length, and has a distinctive white stripe across the right side of its jaws. The humpback grows 30 to 60 feet, and is noted for its acrobatic behavior, knobby head and snout. The smaller minke, is usually no more than 20-25 feet in length, and isn't quite as plentiful as the other two. BIRDS Located at the juncture of the northern and temperate life zones, Mt. Desert Island attracts more than 270 species of sea, shore and land birds, from the common loon to the majestic bald eagle. Sea ducks also frequent the coastal waters, particularly during the winter months. Also of special note are the buffleheads, red-breasted mergansers, common eiders, black scoters and the white-winged scoters. Dozens of brightly colored warblers summer on the island. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Return to News Files |