1. Red fox What it looks like: The red fox is the size of a small dog with a red coat and yellowish white belly. It has a long tail, pointed snout, and upright ears. Where to find it: Red fox like brushy areas at the edge of fields. They also need a nearby water source. What it eats: The red fox eats moles, mice, rabbits, groundhogs, and birds. They will occasionally eat fruit. What eats it: The primary predator of red fox is the coyote. Fox are also trapped for their fur. Interesting facts: Red fox are nocturnal animals. They have been known to bury extra food to eat later. They do not hibernate in the winter.

2. Hairy-tailed mole What it looks like: Hairy-tailed moles have gray or black fur and are about 6 inches long. They have long snouts and long front claws for digging. Their tail has short hairs on it. Where to find it: Hairy-tailed moles can be found in forests and pastures, but they also like lawns and golf courses! They can cause a lot of damage with their tunneling. What it eats: Hairy-tailed moles eat what they find underground—worms, beetles, and insects. What eats it: Moles are eaten by fox, coyote, snakes, dogs, and cats. Interesting facts: Moles stay active most of the winter—they just dig tunnels deeper underground. They can live 4-5 years.

3. American toad What it looks like: The American toad is brown and tan with bumpy, dry skin. They are amphibians that can grow up to about 4 inches long. Where to find it: American toads can be found nearly anywhere that has a permanent fresh water source nearby. What it eats: Toads are very beneficial as they eat lots of insects. They are carnivores and will also eat snails, beetles, and earthworms. What eats it: The American toad secretes a poison from its skin that will make most animals sick. The garter snake is one of the few animals immune to this poison. Interesting facts: Adult American toads shed their skin 4 times a year. They eat it—that’s why we don’t find them. Toads hibernate underground by digging with their back legs and backing into the hole. Toads like to hide during the day in cool, dark places.

4. Milk snake What it looks like: Milk snakes have reddish patches with gray between with a checkerboard belly. They can grow to about 3 feet long. Where to find it: The milk snake lives all over Ohio. It has been found in fields, forests, rocky areas, and near rivers. What it eats: It prefers to eat mice and other small rodents, but will eat birds and other small snakes. What eats it: The milk snake has relatively few predators unless injured. It is most often killed by people vs. other animals. Interesting facts: Milk snakes are constrictors— they suffocate their prey. Because they are constrictors, they have small, almost harmless teeth. Because they have similar patterns, people mistake the mild snake for a copperhead.

5. Harvestman What it looks like: The harvestman looks like a spider, but really isn’t. It is more closely related to mites and ticks. It has one main body part (spiders have two) and only 2 eyes. They are usually light brown with very long legs. Where to find it: Harvestmen can be found almost everywhere outside and inside! What it eats: Harvestmen eat aphids, slugs, flies, mites, worms, and even bird droppings! What eats it: Birds are the primary predator of harvestmen. Interesting facts: Most people call the Harvestman a “Daddy Long-legs.” Harvestmen molt about every 20 days. They release a bad odor when attacked.

6. Yellow Jackets When spring comes, a queen bee will Warm up enough to fly. She will find a Place to build a nest. She will have to Do all the work herself. She will lay eggs in her nest. The eggs Hatch and baby yellow jacket, called Larvae grow. Each larva hang upside down by its tail. The tail has a very sticky Glue on it. Soon the larvae spin a white silk cover over itself. Inside, the larva transforms into a pupa. What it does in the winter: A queen bee hibernates under the bark Of a tree, with her wings, legs, and Antennae tucked up against her body. She is too cold to move, so she has to hide from her enemies. She lives off the fat stored inside her body. : Yellow jackets eat liquid food from Many things. Their favorite is the Juice of chewed up insect, (Yum, Caterpillar!) Also dead animal meat, plant sap, flower nectar.

7. Wolf Spider What it looks like: It has 8 legs and 4 pairs of eyes. They can be about ½ to 2 inches long. They are dark brown and have small hairs on their legs. Where to find it: Wolf spiders like dark spaces. They live underground in a burrow. They can be found anywhere in Ohio. What it eats: Wolf spiders are great hunters. They eat smaller spiders and insects. They grab their prey and then crush it with their mouth. What eats it: Wolf spiders are eaten by coyotes, wasps and their larvae, and other larger insects. Interesting Facts: They shed their skin as they grow. The mother carries her babies on her back until they are old enough to survive on their own. Wolf spider bites can hurt like a bee sting!