The animals

The Eastern Grey Squirrel's proclivity for burying nuts to save for later (and sometimes forgetting where they hid them...) makes them ecologically essential to forest regeneration. 

The Northern Raccoon is Tennessee's official state wild animal. The word “raccoon” is derived from the Algonquian/Powhatan word arahkunem: “he scratches with the hands."

Barred Owls are common in Tennessee. They hunt small animals, especially rodents, and can be identified by their beautifully spooky “Who cooks for you?” call.

Eastern Screech-Owls are tiny but mighty! They eat small birds and rodents, plus other small critters such as earthworms, insects, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, and lizards. 

The Virginia Opossum is the northernmost marsupial in the world. Newborns are the size of honeybee! When injured or threatened they can imitate their own death.

The Red-tailed Hawk has the raspy scream often heard in movies. Look for this bird soaring above open fields or perched on nearby trees, telephones poles, and fenceposts.

The Eastern Chipmunk forages for seeds, insects, and fungi that live around tree roots that are critical to tree survival. Chipmunks help to spread fungi within a forest, just as they help spread seeds.

The Striped Skunk is beneficial to humans because they feed on large numbers of agricultural and garden pests. Young skunks are adorable, but they are wild animals and it is illegal to keep them as pets in Tennessee.