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Howl-oween is a hoot!
Great horned owl and Eastern coyote
Hooting owls, coyote howls, and other wild sounds in the woods may seem spooky, but they aren't telling ghost stories.
They're just having conversations to manage territory, find mates, and communicate with family.
Many species are adapted to life after dark and are heard more often than seen. Listen carefully while trick-or-treating this evening. You might be lucky enough to hear the voices of some of Maine's nocturnal wildlife, and that's a treat better than candy!
Learn more about wildlife species in Maine or check out these nature-based educational activities and materials at mefishwildlife.com. And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mefishwildlife for more fun wildlife facts.
It's not just Halloween, it's Bat Week!
It's no surprise that Bat Week is celebrated at the height of spooky season. But despite being a fright night icon, bats all but disappear from Maine's night sky by mid-fall each year. It's just as well, as the benefits bats provide make them not so spooky after all!
After spending all summer chowing down on flying insects such as mosquitoes (thanks bats!), three of Maine's eight bat species migrate south for the winter. The rest hibernate in Maine's caves, tree cavities, talus slopes (areas where rocks have accumulated at the base of cliffs or hills), and human-made structures like old wells and accessible attics.
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For a bat biologist, winter is the real spooky season. That's when they brave the dark nooks, crannies, and crevices where bats hibernate to monitor the health of Maine's at-risk bat populations.
This winter, a crew will begin a new multi-year study to learn more about bat hibernation in Maine's talus slopes. It's another step forward in bat conservation!
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