# FAUNA

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Fauna: Characteristic members of the fauna are either mast-eaters (nut and acorn feeders) or omnivores. Mammals show adaptations to an arboreal life; a few hibernate during the winter months.

- North American herbivores include white-tail deer, gray squirrel, and chipmunk.
- Omnivores include raccoon, opossum, skunk, and black bear.
- Carnivores have been largely eliminated through the deliberate effort of humans but should include timber wolves, mountain lions, and bobcats. The coyote, native to the western grasslands and deserts, has recently dispersed east and taken over the niche of its departed cousin, the timber wolf.

Resident bird species also tend to be seed-eaters or omnivores. Many, like the several species of woodpeckers and the chickadees, are cavity-nesters. The loud, conspicuous blue jay is a major agent in the dispersal of oaks onto abandoned farmland and pastures. Migratory species tend to be insectivorous and include many so-called neotropical migrants, including warblers, wrens, thrushes, tanagers, and hummingbirds.

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