Who are our wild neighbors?

The animals you pass every day, properly introduced.

Knowing how an animal actually lives is most of what it takes to share a street with it. Here’s a page for each of our wild neighbors — what they look like, how they live, and what to expect from them.

Here is what we gather from our own research into these animals. We are not wildlife professionals, so please consult a qualified professional for your own situation.

You’ll also find advice for living alongside them and avoiding them being a nuisance to your garden.

Meet your neighbors

Pencil drawing of a bat in flight with wings outstretched Bats Eptesicus fuscus & Myotis lucifugus Pencil drawing of an Eastern box turtle showing its patterned shell Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina Pencil drawing of an Eastern chipmunk on a rock Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus Pencil drawing of a doe and her fawn White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Drawing of a pair of mallards at the water’s edge Ducks Anas platyrhynchos and others Pencil drawing of a flying squirrel clinging to tree bark Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans Pencil drawing of three fox kits in long grass Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Pencil drawing of a Canada goose swimming on open water Canada Geese Branta canadensis Pencil drawing of a gray squirrel holding a nut Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Drawing of a groundhog standing upright in grass Groundhog Marmota monax Pencil drawing of a red-tailed hawk in flight Hawks Buteo jamaicensis & Accipiter cooperii Naturalist illustration of a Norway rat Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus Pencil drawing of an opossum with three young riding on her back Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana Pencil drawing of an owl in flight Owls Bubo virginianus & Megascops asio Pencil drawing of an Eastern cottontail sitting in grass Rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus Pencil drawing of a raccoon Raccoon Procyon lotor Pencil drawing of a striped skunk with its tail raised Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis Engraving of a songbird perched on a fence post Songbirds Common backyard species Naturalist illustration of a white-footed mouse White-footed Mice Peromyscus leucopus

Want to help your yard work better for deer, wildlife and people alike?

See our guide to designing your yard for wildlife coexistence.

Gardening for coexistence

The information on this site is curated from published research, wildlife and veterinary organizations, and the experience of Montclair residents and gardeners. It is provided for general education and does not constitute medical, veterinary, legal, or professional pest-management advice. We aim for accuracy and cite sources where we can, but readers should consult a qualified professional for their own situation. Mentions of specific products or companies are not endorsements.