While driving through a large tract of undeveloped property in the Rockdale area of Lewis County last week, I became aware of some movement in the brush.  Very curious to see what this might be, I slowed down to get a better look. Just as I did, a bobcat sprang out, bounded across the road, and then high-tailed it into the forest on the other side.

Initially I was startled, then thrilled! That was a first for me – seeing a bobcat.  I couldn’t help but feel honored that I caught a glimpse of the wildlife that typically remains out of the reach of civilized eyes.   This experience made me wonder what I might see in the forest if I sat silently on a rock all day and evening to watch.  So I did a little research.

I was surprised to find out that Tennessee is considered the most biologically diverse inland state in the country. On the Highland Rim, an abundance of raw land with hardwood forests, limestone rock formations with caves, barrens (grasslands), creeks and rivers provide an ideal habitat for the wealth of wildlife that makes Middle Tennessee its home. While birds and gray squirrels are a common sight, many of the other inhabitants of the land aren’t. They are either asleep during the day or wisely keeping a low profile. In the wilderness, you may see evidence of them, but you won’t often see them.

What are some of the animals in Middle Tennessee whose sudden emergence would inspire a frantic grab for the camera?

Bobcat
If you want to see a bobcat, you had better be in the forest late in the afternoon or early in the morning. It is generally most active at twilight and at dawn. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise
Nature gives the bobcat a beautiful camouflage with black streaks on its gray to brown coat. It has dark bars on the forelegs and tail and black-tipped, pointed ears with short black tufts. The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears. The bobcat is about twice as large as the domestic cat. Males can weigh up to 30 lbs. and females, 20. It is a muscular cat with its hind legs longer than its front legs, giving it a bobbing gait. Bobcat tracks show four toes without claws (claws are retractable).

Coyote

Since coyotes are primarily nocturnal, they are only occasionally seen in the daylight hours. They aren’t indigenous to the Middle Tennessee area, but have expanded their home range from the desert southwest for habitat availability.

You’ll probably hear a coyote long before you see one. They are very vocal animals and communicate through a series of yips, barks, and howls.

The average weight of a coyote is 20 – 40 pounds.  It has erect, pointed ears, a slender muzzle with a black nose, and a bushy tail. The tail is carried down as opposed to domestic dog’s tail which is carried in the air. Its fur is long, coarse and heavy, varying in color from gray or brown to reddish-gray with buff under-parts.  A gray-black band of longer hair runs down the mid-back and forms a shoulder saddle or mane. The eyes are typically yellow or amber. Their tracks are oval in shape and the toenail marks tend to hook inwards.

Fox

The red fox is the most common and widespread species of fox and can be distinguished by the white tip on its tail. It has moderately long legs that are typically black. Its coat is a light orange-red and can have a silver or black tint. Its average weight is 7.5 to 15 pounds.

It prefers a mixture of forest and open country for its habitat and likes to hunt at the edge of the open areas.

Armadillo

Armadillos are a relative newcomer to Tennessee. They are nocturnal in summer but shift their activity to daytime or evening in winter. Armadillos are built to dig. They have short, strong legs that are well suited to rapid digging, either for food or for shelter. It can smell beetles, larvae and ants six inches underground, and it spends its waking hours eating them. It digs, pushes its nose into loosened soil, shoots out its sticky tongue to collect a meal and immediately digs another hole.

All armadillos have shells, made of true bone, that cover their backs. They rely on speed or their digging ability to escape danger.

The nine-banded armadillo is the only species of armadillo that is increasing. It has moved as far north as Illinois, with occasional sightings even farther north. Cold weather will eventually stop the spread of the armadillo. They cannot tolerate even relatively short periods of extreme cold as they don’t have large fat reserves to help insulate their bodies.

Northern River Otter

Northern river otter is the largest semi-aquatic predator found in Tennessee. They are expert swimmers and divers and may remain underwater for several minutes if necessary. While on land, they appear clumsy and will use their tail for balance. They are highly intelligent and extremely curious but very shy and are rarely seen.

They have long cylindrical bodies with blunt heads characterized by short snout with bulbous nose.  Their fur is short and very dense, ranging in color from dark chocolate brown to light brown.

Their dens are typically located near waterways under tree roots, rock piles, logs or thickets.  Restocking efforts have restored river otter populations in most areas of the state.

Raccoon

Everyone knows what a raccoon looks like…with that little bandit mask.  Most raccoons tip the scales at between 12 and 22 pounds. They have excellent hearing and night vision -- both very useful for locating small quarry such as beetles, grasshoppers and crickets.
The ideal raccoon habitat is an area with small stands of timber bordering corn and vegetable fields, and with water close by. Raccoons do not construct their own den sites and are quite flexible and eclectic in their housing choices. While hollow trees are a common nesting location, so too are barns, attics, old squirrel nests, large forks in tree limbs, crawl spaces under houses and sheds, abandoned cars, brush piles, rock clefts, and groundhog holes.
Raccoons are the most common carriers of rabies in the United States, especially in the east. Stay away from animals that are walking around in daylight, especially those that seem either fearless or lethargic.

Beaver

The beaver is rarely seen. It is the largest rodent found in all of North America and is primarily nocturnal. Its preferred food is the water-lily which bears a resemblance to a cabbage-stalk, and grows at the bottom of lakes and rivers.
Beaver build their dams as a protection against predators, such as coyotes, wolves and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers always work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth.
They are known for their "danger signal:” when startled or frightened, a swimming beaver will rapidly dive while forcefully slapping the water with its broad tail. This creates a loud "slap", audible over large distances above and below water.

Deer

These brown and white deer can be seen most often in the early morning and early evening hours. Males’ weight can range from 75-400 pounds and females’ from 50-250 pounds. A large white flag wagging back and forth and disappearing into the woods indicates a whitetail deer on the move. Their coats are reddish in summer and blue-gray in winter.

A loud whistling snort from the woods, in morning or evening, means a deer has scented you. The deer eats twigs, shrubs, fungi, acorns, and grass and herbs in season

They live in groups up to 25 or more in winter, but singly or 2-3 (doe and fawns) in summer and fall. Their home range is rarely more than 1 mi. across.
IF you are lucky enough to see any of these or other wildlife members in person, please view them at a distance. Remember, they are wild animals. Just keep snapping those pictures!