Campbell Hill is the highest point in Ohio, reaching an elevation of 1,549 feet (472 meters) . It is located in Logan County, just east of Bellefontaine, in the west-central part of the state. This scenic recreational area is rich in Indian lore and is home to a thriving habitat system.
In this article, we will explore the 13 incredible animals that call Campbell Hill home. From white-tailed deer to red-tailed hawks, there is a diverse range of wildlife to discover atop Ohio’s highest point.
You are reading: Discover 13 Animals Lurking Atop Campbell Hill – Ohio’s Highest Point
13 Animals Lurking Atop Campbell Hill – Ohio’s Highest Point
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are one of the most common mammals in Ohio. They are also the state animal of Ohio.
White-tailed deer are herbivores and feed on a variety of plants, including leaves, twigs, fruits, and nuts. They are typically found in wooded areas and can be seen grazing in open fields.
Although they are not considered a threatened species, overpopulation of white-tailed deer can have negative impacts on local habitats. In fact, the overpopulation of deer is one of the threats to local species and their habitats in Ohio.
Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)
Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are medium-sized tree squirrels native to eastern North America. They are also known as grey squirrels. Eastern gray squirrels are omnivores and feed on nuts, seeds, buds, and flowers of trees.
They play an important role in seed dispersal, as they bury their food in several locations and sometimes forget where they buried them, allowing the seeds and nuts to sprout and grow the following spring.
Eastern gray squirrels have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to help locate food that they’ve hidden away. They communicate with each other by making sounds and body movements, such as tail flicking.
Eastern gray squirrels are preyed on by many predators, including red foxes, red-tailed hawks, bobcats, coyotes, and lynx. They emit warning calls to alert other squirrels of the presence of predators.
Eastern gray squirrels are common in urban areas and are often considered a problem by residents due to their nesting in homes and exploiting bird feeders.
Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus)
Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are small, striped rodents found in mature hardwood and mixed wood forests throughout eastern North America. They are the only living member of the chipmunk genus Tamias.
Eastern chipmunks are omnivores and feed on a variety of foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and fungi. They have cheek pouches that they use to store and carry food.
Eastern chipmunks are preyed on by many predators, including hawks, owls, foxes, and snakes. They are known to be one of many hosts for the parasitic larvae of Cuterebra botflies.
Eastern chipmunks are extremely vocal and produce a variety of chips, trills, and calls to alert others to the presence of predators or for territory defense. They are common in open deciduous forests, at the edges of woodlands, and in bushy areas.
Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) are the most common rabbit species in North America. They are found in a variety of habitats, including fields, woodlands, swamps, thickets, and bushy areas.
Eastern cottontails have speckled brown-gray fur above, reddish-brown fur around their neck and shoulders, and lighter fur around their nose and on their undersides. They are solitary and very territorial, and they tend to be intolerant of each other.
Eastern cottontails are mostly nocturnal but sometimes come out in the early morning and at dusk, and sometimes during the day on dark days. They are preyed on by a variety of predators, including coyotes, foxes, weasels, eagles, and hawks.
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Eastern cottontails are herbivores and feed on a variety of foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and fungi. They are an early successional species and may be encountered in a variety of habitats, but are most abundant in areas with abundant green grasses and herbs.
Raccoons (Procyon lotor)
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are medium-sized mammals native to North America. They are the largest of the procyonid family, with a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb).
Raccoons have a distinctive black mask around their eyes and a bushy, ringed tail. They are omnivorous and opportunistic, feeding on a variety of foods, including fruits, nuts, berries, insects, rodents, frogs, eggs, crayfish, and sometimes even garbage.
Raccoons are known for their dexterity and are able to manipulate objects with their front paws, which are similar to human hands. They are also good climbers and swimmers.
Raccoons are preyed on by a variety of predators, including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and owls. They are known for their habit of washing their food in water before eating it, which is why they are sometimes called “wash bears”.
Opossums (Didelphis virginiana)
The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial found north of Mexico, with a range that extends south into Central America. They are solitary, nocturnal, and terrestrial animals, but they are also adept climbers and may den in trees.
Virginia opossums are opportunistic omnivorous feeders, consuming a variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, plant material, and carrion. They are important seed dispersers and redistribute undamaged seeds from the genera Asimina and Diospyros, among others.
Virginia opossums are known carriers of at least 24 internal and 13 external parasites. They are preyed on by a variety of predators, including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and owls.
Virginia opossums can be found in most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and on the West Coast, as well as in Mexico, Central America, and in British Columbia, Canada.
Skunks (Mephitidae)
Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae, which also includes stink badgers. Skunks are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands, which they use to deter predators.
There are twelve extant species of skunks in four genera: Conepatus (hog-nosed skunks, four species); Mephitis (the hooded and striped skunks, two species); Mydaus (stink badgers, two species); and Spilogale (spotted skunks, four species).
Skunks are found primarily in the Western Hemisphere, ranging from Canada to central South America. They are primarily nocturnal and are a diverse group of carnivores that live in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, forests, and mountains.
Skunks are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, plant material, and carrion. Skunks are preyed on by a variety of predators, including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and owls.
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe, and Asia, plus parts of North Africa. They have long snouts and red fur across the face, back, sides, and tail.
Red foxes are omnivores and opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, plant material, and carrion. They are solitary hunters and feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game.
Red foxes are preyed on by a variety of predators, including coyotes, bobcats, and owls. They are known for their resourcefulness and adaptability, and they can live in many diverse habitats, including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts.
Red foxes are mostly nocturnal, but they can be active during the day, especially in areas with little human disturbance.
Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are medium-sized carnivorous mammals that are widespread throughout North and Central America. They are the only member of the dog family that can climb trees.
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Gray foxes have a distinctive grayish coat with reddish fur on their legs, chest, and neck. They are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, plant material, and carrion. Small mammals, such as mice, voles, and eastern cottontail rabbits, form the majority of their winter diet.
Gray foxes are solitary animals that socialize only during mating season. They are typically monogamous, although in rare cases polygamy and polyandry occur.
Gray foxes are abundant throughout most areas in the lower two-thirds of North America and have no special conservation status at this time.
Coyotes (Canis latrans)
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one of the dominant terrestrial carnivores in North America, with humans and wolves being their greatest enemies.
They are native to the Nearctic region and are found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Coyotes are significantly smaller than gray wolves and much larger than foxes.
They are distinguished from domesticated dogs by their pointed, erect ears and drooping tail, which they hold below their back when running.
Coyotes are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, plant material, and carrion. They are preyed on by a variety of predators, including grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, and wolves.
Coyotes are very vocal animals and have a number of vocalizations including barks, growls, yips, whines, and howls. They use a long howl to let other members of their pack know their location.
Bobcats (Lynx rufus)
Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are medium-sized cats native to North America. They are also known as the red lynx. Bobcats are found throughout most of the contiguous United States, southern Canada, and Oaxaca in Mexico. They are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, due to their wide distribution and large population.
Bobcats are solitary and territorial animals that live in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, mountains, swamps, and farmland. They are primarily nocturnal and are carnivores, eating a wide variety of small mammals like woodchucks, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, moles, and squirrels.
Occasionally, they will kill larger prey like deer. Bobcats mate between February and March, and the female gives birth to a litter of between one and seven kittens in late April or early May.
Bobcats are preyed on by Great Horned Owls, foxes, and male bobcats.
Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis)
Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) are one of the most widespread and familiar large hawks in North America. Here are some interesting facts about red-tailed hawks:
– They breed throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies.
– They are one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide.
– They are one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the “chickenhawk”, though they rarely prey on standard-sized chickens.
– They are a member of the genus Buteo, a group of medium-sized raptors with robust bodies and broad wings.
– They are known as “buzzards” in Eurasia, but “hawks” in North America.
– They have a bulky and broad-winged body, designed for effortless soaring.
– They are an inhabitant of open country, woodlands, prairie groves, mountains, plains, roadsides, and any kind of terrain that provides both some open ground for hunting and some high perches.
– They are mostly solitary and territorial, but they may form pairs during breeding season.
– They are carnivores and feed on a variety of prey, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
– They are preyed on by a variety of predators, including great horned owls, eagles, and other hawks.
– They are known for their distinctive red tail feathers, which are visible when they are in flight.
– They are a popular subject for birdwatchers and photographers, and can often be seen perched atop telephone poles, light posts, and edges of trees.
Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)
Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) are a species of New World vultures that are widespread throughout North and South America. Here are some interesting facts about turkey vultures:
– Turkey vultures are the most widespread of the New World vultures and are found from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America.
– They inhabit a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.
– Turkey vultures are scavengers and feed on carrion, which they locate by sight and smell.
– They have a keen sense of smell, which they use to locate carrion from great distances.
– Turkey vultures are known for their bald red heads, which are used to regulate their body temperature.
– They are mostly silent birds, but they can hiss and grunt when threatened or disturbed.
– Turkey vultures are monogamous and mate for life.
– They lay their eggs in caves, hollow trees, or other protected areas.
– Turkey vultures have few natural predators, but their eggs may be taken by mammalian predators, including raccoons and foxes.
– They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 in the United States.
– Turkey vultures are important for cleaning up carrion, which helps prevent the spread of disease.
– They are often called buzzards or turkey buzzards in North America and John crows or carrion crows in some areas of the Caribbean.
FAQS
1. What types of animals can be found atop Campbell Hill?
There are a variety of animals that can be found atop Campbell Hill, including white-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrels, eastern chipmunks, eastern cottontail rabbits, raccoons, opossums, skunks, red foxes, gray foxes, coyotes, bobcats, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures.
2. Are any of these animals endangered or threatened?
White-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrels, eastern cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and turkey vultures are not considered endangered or threatened. However, some of the other animals, such as red foxes and bobcats, may be threatened in certain areas.
3. Are these animals dangerous to humans?
Most of the animals found atop Campbell Hill are not dangerous to humans. However, it is important to remember that these are wild animals and should be treated with caution and respect. It is best to observe them from a safe distance and avoid approaching them.
4. Can visitors to Campbell Hill see these animals?
It is possible to see some of these animals while visiting Campbell Hill, especially if you are observant and patient. However, many of these animals are nocturnal and may be more difficult to spot during the day. It is important to remember to respect their space and observe them from a safe distance.
5. What is the best time of year to see these animals?
The best time of year to see these animals may vary depending on the species. Some animals, such as white-tailed deer and eastern cottontail rabbits, may be more active during the spring and summer months. Other animals, such as red foxes and coyotes, may be more active during the fall and winter months.
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Category: Animals
