Dark and light green leaves

Beaver Habitat

Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus)

Status: Least Concern
Delmarva Fox Squirrel

Habitat: Delmarva fox squirrels prefer old growth or mature forests located in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. These forests provide plenty of food for the squirrels, as well as places to make dens.

Adaptations: Fox squirrels have strong forearms, abdominals and paws. They use these strong muscles to grab on to trees and climb up or bound quickly on the forest floor to avoid predators.

Diet: In the wild, Delmarva fox squirrels would eat nuts, seeds and acorns from various trees. They also like to find fruit, fungi and occasionally a small insect if available. At the Salisbury Zoo, our Delmarva fox squirrel eats rodent block, and a mix of fruits and veggies, and nuts are given as rewards while training.

Fun Fact: Delmarva fox squirrels were listed as an endangered species in 1967 due to habitat loss and overhunting. However, with conservation efforts, the Delmarva Fox squirrel was delisted in 2015 and there are now colonies all over the Delmarva peninsula.

American Crow – Corvus Brachyrhynchos

Status: Least Concern
American Crow

Habitat: American crows are found in North America, from Canada to northern Mexico. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows, farmland and open woodland. Northern crows may migrate south in the winter; southern crows do not.

Adaptations: American crows are very social, sometimes forming flocks in the thousands. Their flight style is unique, a patient, methodical flapping that is rarely broken up with glides. The most usual call is “CaaW!-CaaW!-CaaW!”
Diet: Crows are opportunistic, and they will eat several kinds of food, including insects, earthworms, fruit, seeds, reptiles, eggs and rodents. In towns and cities, they quickly learn to associate people with food and will scavenge garbage.
Fun Fact: Inquisitive and sometimes mischievous, crows and their cousins, the ravens, jays and magpies, are some of the most intelligent of all birds. They learn quickly and are excellent problem solvers, even learning how to use tools in some cases.
Support the Salisbury Zoo by adopting our American crow

North American Beaver – Castor Canadensis

Status: Least Concern
North American Beaver

Habitat: Beavers are found in North America in streams and lakes that have trees or shrubs on the banks. Unlike many animals, beavers will make their own habitat, using downed trees, mud and rocks to form dams, which blockade streams to form ponds. These dams can measure up to half a mile long.

Adaptations: As a semi-aquatic species, the eyes, ears and nose are located on the top of the head. This allows the animal to see, hear and breathe while the rest of its body is submerged. The eyes have a transparent (nictitating) membrane that covers the eyes while underwater. The large hind feet are webbed for swimming. The mouth has extra “lips” that close behind the incisors to allow chewing underwater. The tail is broad and flat and is used as a paddle when swimming and for balance on land. If frightened, a beaver will slap the surface of the water with its tail, sounding an alarm.

Diet: Beavers eat leaves, twigs, the inner bark of trees, ferns and skunk cabbage. In the autumn, beavers cut and gather young saplings. They stockpile them near the lodge until they sink from the weight of the pile. This stockpile will be a source of fresh food during the winter months.
Fun Fact: During the colonial era, beaver fur was one of the most valuable trade items in the Americas. One of the main driving forces behind the exploration of North America was the search for more beaver pelts, and wars were fought over access to beaver-rich lands. Heavy hunting pressure caused beavers to disappear from much of their range, though they have since become more common.
Support the Zoo by adopting a North American beaver