Nature Connection: Love Is In The Air

Our yard bunny has no secrets now that there’s snow on the ground. We can tell where he or she has gone overnight and where they have rested just by following tracks. Yesterday a second set of rabbit tracks appeared, convincing me that yard bunny was indeed a female. The tracks bounced around in parallel, then signs of a “kerfuffle,” then more parallel movement, then more “kerfuffle,” and, well, it became evident that the second rabbit was in the mood for love.

One might ask, is it love when we talk about rabbits? Probably not in the way humans like to think of it. There’s attraction and, of course, mating, but then the male takes off and the female goes back to her solitary life. In a rabbit’s case this may all happen in a matter of moments. 

As we all look at the snow still piled high in our yards, it may seem a funny time for our wildlife friends to be feeling a bit frisky. January and February are prime months for our neighborhood wildlife, however. Although a few wait until March, such as fishers and sometimes red foxes, most of our mammals, large and small, become very interested in each other in the coldest months of the year.

Although a male may travel far to search for a suitable mate, most will leave after they have successfully mated, often to find another mate to impregnate if they are lucky. Most mammals have a much more complex and pronounced sense of smell than humans do. When females go into heat, usually referred to as estrus, they leave a scent behind that tantalizes and attracts males of the species. The males also emit a scent, or several different scents, to let other males know they are in the area and what their status is, to mark territory, and to let interested females know they are available. 

Coyotes travel in packs that are often family groups, and the alpha male will be the only male to mate with his chosen mate. Although younger family members may stay with the pack for more than a year, the young males will be encouraged to move along and find their own mates. In dire circumstances they may mate with a relative, but they seem to know instinctively that it is best to mate outside the family group, however extended it may be. Females may spend a second summer with the family to help with new pups, but they will not have their own young until the following year when they head out on their own.

Red foxes will pair up to mate and raise the young together, but by late fall most of the young will have dispersed and the adults will go about their business, but not as a bonded pair. It is unknown whether foxes pair up for a second season or beyond. Some males leave well before the young are independent, though studies are uncertain as to the causes. Some foxes meet a bad end and never return, but that cannot always be known or proven in most cases. 

Pretty much all the other mammals we have on Cape Cod are solitary, and the females will create or find a den or nest, giving birth after a period of gestation that may be as short as a few weeks or as long as a few months. As I write, hundreds of little mice, shrews, moles and voles are feeling the urge to procreate. Gray squirrels may already have mated, as well as Virginia opossums and, of course, eastern cottontails. These animals will often have several litters before next fall, but not always.

Raccoons, skunks, red foxes and otters may mate in February, but some, like red squirrels, will wait until March. Chipmunks and woodchucks will rise from their winter naps sometime in February and will be barely awake before seeking a mate. The call to reproduce is strong.

Although our sense of smell is far from the levels of sophistication of our wild friends, some scents are strong enough for us to register. If you’re out and about in broad daylight and smell what you assume is a skunk — look around to be sure — but often the strong scent has been left by a fox. Deer urine can also have a distinctive odor during mating season. It is unsure as to whether this is a warning to stay away from a buck’s territory or to let a female know he is willing and waiting.

Mammals are not the only ones feeling a little lovestruck in February. As I’ve noted in earlier columns, this is the time when owls are settling down to nest. Bald eagles usually wait until March to mate and lay eggs, but you may be noting some pairing up if you are lucky enough to see them on a regular basis.

Ducks have all sorts of mating rituals that can be fun to watch in February, and in our backyards the cardinals and song sparrows are perking up and testing their voices as mornings become lighter.

Valentine’s Day in February may seem like an odd choice of date for those of us in areas where winter is fierce, but when has a little snow or cold stopped a lovestruck suitor?

In a time when cruelty and hate can seem like they are running the world, it’s good to remember that love is our first instinct, so share a little love this week.

In the meantime, watch out for frisky wildlife, especially on the roads as the lovestruck are not always attentive to possible danger. They have other things on their minds.