Better Ask Barry: Critter concerns
A Prunedale resident recently complained about their chickens disappearing. They suspect a critter who looks something like an image they found online. They’d like to know what it is, and that’s our question in “Name That Critter.”
Is it a squirrel? A pheasant? Maybe it’s a ferret.
We showed it to Juan Govea at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, where they know a lot about the animals of Monterey County.
“That’s a long-tailed weasel. The ones that we have locally look a little bit different in color than that, a little more yellow and tan but certainly something we’d see around here,” said Govea.
So, if you guessed long-tailed weasel, you’re correct. As for those missing chickens…
“I don’t see them as being quite a threat to chickens. It’s certainly possible, but their main diets are rodents, so they love mice and rats and maybe even a rabbit, but even something like a rabbit is large for them,” he said.
That leaves larger predators, and there is no shortage of them around. Coyotes are a huge threat to livestock and pets. One post mentioned a pack that used a young pup as a decoy while they lay in wait.
Govea says coyotes rarely work in large packs.
“They tend to work in pairs, so you would not have a large, roving band of coyotes usually, but sometimes they will group up,” he said.
Govea says predators have a job to do. Our job is to make our homes less attractive.
“Certainly animals like raccoons will try to access the trash, will try to get different things and occasionally, dogs and cats are eaten by these apex predators,” he said.
It’s not just in rural areas that this is an issue. There could be a family of raccoons living in your closest storm drain.
There are several online resources to help protect your pets and property.
Here are some links:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
In the meantime, we’ve learned what a long-tailed weasel looks like.
Got a question? Better Ask Barry.
