By ALISON MITCHELL
Executive director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Across the forests, riverbanks, and backyards of New Jersey, animals are building shelters that are marvels of engineering and ingenuity. Take a closer look, and you’ll find that some of our most familiar wildlife are master architects.
Ever wondered who uses those large round leafy nests in the crook of trees? Gray squirrels, often spotted darting across treetops or burying acorns, are builders of those impressive abodes known as dreys. Built from leaves and twigs and lined with softer materials like moss and shredded bark, dreys are insulated against cold and rain. While they may appear haphazard from below, a well-made drey is sturdy enough to house an entire squirrel family through the winter.
On the forest floor, the funnel-web spider spins a silk-lined cone for its home, which opens onto a broad sheet of webbing. These stealthy hunters don’t rely on sticky snares like some of their fabled counterparts. Instead, they wait at the narrow end of the funnel, sensing vibrations from prey that land on their doorstep. In a flash, they rush out, bite, and retreat with their meal. Tucked into grasses or leaf litter, these funnel webs are both trap and shelter, built to conceal and protect.
Dig a little deeper – literally – and you’ll find the groundhog, a rodent renowned for its elaborate burrow systems. Sprawling tunnels stretching up to 60 feet in length with multiple entrances, chambers and escape routes provide a house, a hideout and a fortress all in one. Separate “rooms” may serve as nurseries, latrines or sleeping quarters. Groundhogs spend the winter hibernating in these dens, surviving months without emerging from their underground world.
Another underground wonder? Behold the northern pine snakes of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. These expert burrowers hibernate for nearly six months in cozy tunnels, though we might find them dark and somewhat dull. Their underground skills also make them top-notch subterranean hunters, sneaking up on moles, mice and voles. Above ground, they commonly prey on birds, expertly climbing trees to find nests.
Females are among the few snakes in the world that team up to dig winding nesting tunnels – sometimes more than 10 feet long and more than a foot deep – where they create hidden egg chambers. With their stealthy moves and subterranean smarts, they’re basically the secret agents of the Pine Barrens.
Consider the belted kingfisher. Often seen perched above rivers, scanning for fish, this bird is also a tunnel digger. Using its sharp beak, the kingfisher excavates horizontal 3-to-6-foot deep burrows in riverbanks. At the end of the tunnel lies a nesting chamber, safely hidden from predators. The burrow is above the waterline, which helps deter flooding and shows the builders’ firm grasp of terrain and elevation.
Perhaps the most flamboyant avian architect is the Baltimore oriole. The female intricately weaves a hanging nest, suspended from the tips of high tree branches. Shaped like a sock or small basket, the nest is built with plant fibers, string and sometimes even horsehair – anything flexible and strong. It sways in the breeze but is remarkably secure, cradling eggs and chicks high above the ground.
Each of these creatures constructs its home from nature’s blueprints, instincts honed over millennia via evolution by natural selection. Their shelters act as strategies for survival, protection and raising the next generation, not unlike our own. Yet, humans often focus on homes we find pleasing to the eye. In the wild, architecture isn’t so much about aesthetics but evolution. Still, there’s plenty of beauty in these displays of practicality and wisdom.
To learn more about how you can help preserve New Jersey’s natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at www.njconservation.org or reach out to us at info@njconservation.org.
