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Nocturnal species in West Virginia come alive at night.
This story was originally published in the January 2025 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com.
Written by Wendy Holdren
From West Virginia’s common critters, like the opossum and the raccoon, to lesser-known creatures like the Allegheny woodrat or the northern long-eared bat, the Mountain State comes alive at night with wildlife activity.
A nocturnal animal is any wildlife that is primarily active at nighttime. Animals that are active during twilight, like the American woodcock, are known as crepuscular species. And some animals are both diurnal and nocturnal, meaning they are active both day and night, like the barred owl. “People think of owls being primarily nocturnal, but some species can be active during the day as well,” explains Mack Frantz, Wildlife Diversity and Natural Heritage Zoologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR).
As the state zoologist, Frantz is responsible for research priorities for non-game small mammals and aquatic invertebrates. Nocturnal species are sometimes difficult to study due not only their nighttime schedules, but also to their geographical preferences. He says nocturnal animals are oftentimes active at night as a strategy to avoid predators and to forage for food more safely. “Nighttime in West Virginia is when wildlife come out to play.”
Familiar Favorites
Most state residents are familiar with the nocturnal opossum, West Virginia’s only marsupial species. Geographically, opossums are found all throughout the Mountain State. As omnivores, they eat both plants and animals. Frantz explains that opossums are well-adapted for living in human environments—they have 50 teeth, more than any other land mammal in North America, which works well for the foragers.
While Appalachians who spend time around creeks are familiar with crayfish, they may not know that many crayfish species are nocturnal. “Many think of them in the stream,” Frantz says, “but there are up to eight primary burrowers that aren’t connected to the water table or open water.” These burrows are muddy chimney-like tubes that are formed as the crayfish come up at night to forage. Some stay in the entrances to ambush insects, then come out fully at night.
Other types of crayfish that live along the riverbanks are considered secondary or tertiary burrowers. They have a mix of terrestrial and aquatic tendencies and do not have to rely on burrowing alone. West Virginia is home to four blue crayfish species that are primary burrowers, including the blue crayfish, Allegheny Mountain mudbug, Meadow River mudbug, and the Blue Teays mudbug.
Lesser-Known Wildlife
West Virginians may not be as familiar with the Allegheny woodrat, a species researchers affectionately know by nicknames such as “forest chinchilla” and “talusmanian devil” (“talus” is a type of rock habitat where the woodrat can sometimes be found). Frantz says the woodrat has been in decline in the northeast region, in part because of raccoon roundworm and in part due to the loss of one of its primary food sources, the American chestnut. Researchers are actively monitoring the woodrat to better understand its existing habitats.
“They forage on plant material like acorns and nuts,” Frantz says, noting that food sources can be a challenge for them in the wintertime. Allegheny woodrats can be found in emergent rock forest lands like Coopers Rock State Forest. But even in areas with good habitat, biologists are struggling to find these creatures. An ongoing woodrat telemetry project uses antennaless brass radio collars for tracking. As of late October 2024, the team was able to track one active male woodrat for more than 380 days, which is encouraging for data collection.
A name change for the furry creatures is being considered, Frantz says, as the Allegheny woodrat’s characteristics are more in line with mice than rats, because it has a furred tail. Woodrats are a tidy species, creating woody nests and dedicated latrines. “They’re shy but also inquisitive,” he says. “They’re primarily nocturnal, but they can occupy caves and be active the entire day.” Geographically, they are found throughout parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Using lidar data—that’s “light detection and ranging”—biologists are trying to figure out the status of woodrat populations by finding patches of occupied habitat in the landscape. There are also translocation programs in place to reduce inbreeding. Frantz says many other states, including Pennsylvania, are interested in West Virginia as an area for translocation.
Another relatively unknown nocturnal animal is the West Virginia water shrew, also known as the southern water shrew. This species is known to be hard to detect, Frantz says, but it is associated with pristine streams in high elevations. Non-lethal techniques have been developed to better detect them, such as DNA collection in waterways. Bucket camera traps are also used to capture photos of the shrew.
The West Virginia water shrew can be identified by its physical appearance, particularly its large hind feet with specialized bristles. It is among the larger species of shrew and has small eyes and a pointy nose. With its large whiskers, it primarily forages through tactile feel. Because of its specialized feet, Frantz says, anglers have reported seeing a water shrew walk on water for short distances. The semi-aquatic species dives into cold streams to catch snails and mayflies.
Biologists are still working to determine if the West Virginia water shrew is genetically unique to the Mountain State or if it can be located elsewhere. A telemetry project on the water shrew near Spruce Knob is collecting data about its movements in stream and off stream to determine its foraging habits. While they are most active at night, water shrews must feed every four hours due to their high metabolism, so they forage throughout the day as well.
Frequent Flyers
Throughout the year, West Virginia is also home to 14 species of residential, migratory, and transient bats. While some are considered residential and live here year ’round, others are migratory species that make a stop as part of their long-distance migration to their primary habitat. Frantz says a wildlife tracking system, Motus, is being used to track these migratory animals to better understand their patterns. To check out the data for yourself, visit www.motus.org/data/projects and look for project ID number 427, or filter your results by searching “WVDNR.”
As the endangered species coordinator for WVDNR, Alexander Silvis has taken charge of the bat program. Several species found in the state are either threatened or endangered, Silvis says, including the Indiana bat, the northern long-eared bat, and the Virginia big-eared bat. “Bats are more important than people recognize,” he says. “They provide a lot of free ecological services, like pest and insect control. They have also been important in the development of medicine and developing military technology like radar and sonar.”
The Indiana bat is a small, brown bat that spends its winter hibernating in the Allegheny Mountain region and its summer in the Ohio River Valley and the Northern Panhandle. These bats are often found in mines or caves, as they migrate to these spaces to hibernate in the winter. Some juvenile bats tend to stay in the Ohio River Valley year-round, as the temperatures are more stable and generally warmer than higher elevations.
West Virginia is the outer range for this species; the majority of its range can be found in the Midwest and, appropriately, in Indiana. The species is nicknamed “the social bat” because of its maternal colonies, Silvis explains. “We believe the maternal colonies help rear one another’s young, including sisters, mothers, and aunts. For animals of their size, it’s somewhat unique. But bats are more social than you would expect. Bats work together and communicate with one another.” He says some species will call out to other bats, asking them to join them in a roost or alerting them to food sources.
Northern long-eared bats are forest-dwellers that can be found in tree cavities. Like the Indiana bat, the northern long-eared bat also utilizes maternal colonies during the summer. While Indiana bat colonies can include several hundred, the long-eared colonies are somewhat smaller, with up to 100 per colony. These bats will often groom one another and collectively rear their young.
Unlike Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats, Virginia big-eared bats live in caves year-round. “They have unique adaptations to be able to do that,” Silvis explains. “Their ears are almost the length of their bodies.” To keep their ears from getting too cold, they curl them up, almost like a ram’s horn. When the bats are awake in their cave dwellings, they unfurl one ear to hear. “We call them ‘whispering bats,’” Silvis says. “Bat calls are at a decibel level that is above human hearing. They use echolocations, or whispers, to fly through woodlands and catch insects.”
The Virginia big-eared bat is known to occur in only five states. Although it is one of West Virginia’s most endangered bats, the Mountain State is home to more than half of the known population. Its numbers are increasing, fortunately, due to cave conservation efforts to protect their habitats.
How to Protect Nocturnal Friends
One of the biggest threats to bat species in West Virginia is the invasive fungal disease known as white nose syndrome. First identified in West Virginia in the winter of 2010, the disease is spread by bats moving from cave to cave and has impacted both Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat populations. “Although we assume it is present in all known bat caves, we still take measures to avoid spreading it,” Silvis says. “Anyone doing cave recreational activities, we recommend they decontaminate their equipment to prevent spreading the disease.” While there is no cure, the WVDNR is working on treatments to reduce the impact on hibernating bats, such as UV light treatment.
One of the easiest ways to protect all of the Mountain State’s nocturnal species is to simply turn off outdoor lights when they are not in use, select a lower-intensity light, or make sure the light is pointing downward. As part of the Dark Sky Initiative, residents are asked to reduce artificial light pollution at night, which can benefit wildlife. Artificial lights disturb the behavior of insects, which can be a food source for nocturnal animals.
You can also support these populations by planting native plant species. Insects that are active both day and night benefit from the native plants, which in turn support other nocturnal creatures. Mowing less often or mowing a yard in strips can help insect populations, particularly moths. As they go through metamorphosis, they often make use of leaf litter.
Community members are also invited to participate in community science projects hosted by the WVDNR. Observations by residents can help biologists have eyes and ears across the state to better understand the state’s wildlife habits and habitats.
To learn more about how to get involved, visit WVdnr.gov.
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