The Missouri countryside is teeming with wild animals. Deer are seen almost daily around here. Over the years you will see a wide range of animals. Unfortunately, mostly as road kill. Over the decades I have had some interesting encounters with wild animals.
Mammals
Coyote
Canis latrans
Ever since I was a child I recall hearing coyotes yelping in the night. Before we had air conditioning, I would sleep with my head close to the screened window and I would often hear owls and coyotes. There are a lot of farms in Boone County. In my experience, the primary complainers are owners of small livestock. Coyotes are a menace. Sheep farmers often have large dogs with white fur intermingle with their herds and this is usually effective.
As a country “gentlemen,” with no livestock, I find coyotes intriguing. My game camera has captured some beautiful shots of coyotes, but my most memorable encounter was while sitting in my back yard I saw a coyote nonchalantly wander across Prairie #2. About a third of the way across the yard he turned and noticed me. He did not panic, but looked me over for a bit, before proceeding toward the pond.
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
It is interesting how the presence of animals ebb and flow. As a young man, I counted as many as twenty one rabbits in one evening. I began to observe that they returned to the same location every day, making it easy to distinguish them. But the raptor population increased and when I moved into the old house in 2023, I did not see a single rabbit! There were also very few squirrels. But with two prairie projects ongoing, the rabbits have returned. They have most likely found refuge in the tall grasses. Now I regularly see anywhere from two to four rabbits at a time. Lovely little things as long as they stay out of the strawberry patch!
Eastern Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
Aka — The field mouse by locals. It no longer suffices to call them “deer mice”, because there is a western deer mouse and an eastern deer mouse. My encounters with deer mice go all the back to my childhood. I would find them in brush piles, the wood pile and, of course, in the house. So many tales that it may warrant a special article on these little things.
Deer mice live virtually anywhere, and it is no surprise that I stumble across them while walking through either of the two prairie sites. I sometimes see them scurrying under brush piles.
My method for trapping them is to use a live animal trap. I do not use poisons because of the harm it does to domestic animals and people. Having 30 acres at my disposal, I find different places to release them.
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
This was the squirrel that I grew up around. I did not recall seeing gray squirrels until I was in college. Fox squirrels are biggest squirrel I have encountered. They have brown-orange bushy tails. They are aggressive raiders of the bird feeder and the subject of many YouTube videos.
As with the gray squirrels, the population of the fox squirrels has ebbed and flowed with the presence of raptors. But they are presently a few around.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
When I was a kid about all I saw around the house were what we called “fox squirrels”, so labeled because of their long, bushy tails. But their true name is Eastern Fox Squirrel. There were a ton of them because they had few predators. Over time, the Eastern Gray Squirrel made its appearance and today are predominant. I rarely see a red squirrel. Their numbers have diminished considerably because of the abundance of raptors in the area.
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
The muskrat has been the one animal that rural Missourians love to hate. My father conducted warfare against the animals persistently over the decades. There was good reason for it. They loved to burrow into the banks of ponds, but it seemed like they preferred burrowing into the dam. Not cool. All it takes is for one to discover the opposite side of the dam and the next thing you have is a major leak. Good thing the neighbor was an enthusiastic trapper. Before long, there were no more muskrats. A few years later, they reappeared. The trapper, then a teenager, had now grown into a young man and was no longer in the area. So Dad carried out his stacked shotgun and dispatched them accordingly (and probably a dozen bass and frogs besides).
So I was not surprised to recently observe them swimming across the pond. The pond is no longer rimmed by barren banks. Much of the shoreline is lined with deeply rooted grasses, shrubs and trees, with an inner lining of cattails. The dam is also different, recently reinforced with an inner lining of large rocks and filled with an additional two feet of clay. Muskrats will find the large rocks a bit challenging to dig through (hopefully).
All this to say that I am not too concerned about the muskrats. This is now a wild pond, frequented by herons, ducks, and geese. And now a pair of muskrats.
Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Also known as the “possum”, these are the most peculiar creatures. My experience with opossums goes back to my childhood. Famous for their ability to feign death, they can fool you into thinking they are sluggish, dumb-witted animals. Far from the truth. I would find them in the trash barrel, a chore of which I totally despised. It was always cold. I would find them “frozen” at the bottom of the barrel. I would tip the 50 gallon barrel over (something a bit difficult for a twelve year old), take a long stick or pole, wait for them to clamp down on it, and drag them out. They would then pause for a moment to look me over, and scamper away before climbing a nearby tree.
As an adult, I have had them walk practically into me as I sat in a chair. Of course, I would not provide them the opportunity to come into contact, knowing the length of their teeth. They would see my movement, pause for a moment, turn around and walk away. I get the feeling their eyesight is awful. If you happen to be downwind from them and sitting still, they will come up very close.
Raccoons
Procyon lotor
My encounter with raccoons justifies a separate story, but a short description is due for this section. Raccoons are all over the place in our area. They are amazing animals to observe, but they can try your patience. Their ability to sabotage bird feeders, harangue chickens and upend garbage cans is highly recognized. In my experience I have had them raid the dog food, spin around on an old frying pan, inhabit my attic and put the fear of God in me as I maneuvered them in traps.
Yet for all the years I have dealt with raccoons, they have generally been well-behaved in my rural estate and I have not seen one as of late in Rachel’s Prairie. The game camera captured on during the night, but the picture is too fuzzy for this website. So I will make do, for now, with a web-linked photo to Wikipedia.
Red Fox
Vulpes fulva
I have had a long history with foxes. I have frequently seen them. There was a time I knew about every hole they crawled into. I would see them while camping or hiking. Around the house I have frequently seen them during the day (they are typically noctornal). They are intensely curious. I sometimes get this feeling I am being watched and I turn and, lo and behold, see a fox 20-30 yards away looking me over. For a few years there was one or two that stayed close to the pond.
Insects
Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus
Appears in June. Getting these lovely things to hold still for a photograph is quite a challenge. I have been using a high-powered zoom lense, often standing a considerable distance from the butterfly, and then approaching a step at a time.
Butterflies love the prairie, but I often encounter swallowtails in the woods as well.
Gall Wasp
Family Cynipidae
Appears in April and May.
Quite frankly — never seen one. I probably did, but I subliminally lumped them as just another one of a hundred bee and wasp species. But galls? Seen those since I was very young and always wondered what they were about.
So it was that I came across a bright green ball on the forest floor as I walked about the pond in 2026. Folks on iNaturalist helped identify the gall as that of the gall wasp. But identification of the species is down to the Family. So some additional information is required.
Is this an immature gall that fell on the ground? Almost all galls I have seen are on the tree. They are dry and rather fragile, yet firmly attached to the tree.
Leaf-footed Bug
Acanthocephala terminalis
Appears in late May
Sometimes called Coreids, Coreidea, or Stink Bugs. Will exude a pungent smell if cornered or smashed, but the “stink bug” is usually a related species, about half the size of the leaf-footed bug, and a frequent visitor to our gardens. This large bug is also a garden pest to some degree, but I see them less often and I typically encounter them in the wild.
Luna Moth
Actias luna
Appears in May
Missouri is blessed with a range of beautiful moths and butterflies, but nothing beats the Luna Moth. Somewhere buried in my archive of photos is an actual picture of one in Rachel’s Prairie. But this moth perched on my kitchen screen will have to do for now. 🙂
Meadow Fritillary
Boloria bellona
Appears in May.
Missouri is blessed with an array of beautiful butterflies. The Meadow Fritillary flitters about on clovers, dandelions and milkweed.
Metric Paper Wasp
Polistes metricus
Appears in May
Can’t have an animal kingdom without a few bugs, right? I have never been a big fan of wasps. I learned not to fear dirt dobbers as a kid. But wasps? I started out on a bad note with those things. Was stung frequently up through my teenage years before I picked up the degree of caution necessary to avoid getting stung — like always knowing where you are placing your hands.
But wasps are pollinators. They have an important role in our world. I also noticed that wasps were about as likely to sting you as any other pollinator I would see in the garden or out in the prairie. Just let them be, and they will not bother you.
Periodical Cicada
Magicicada
The noise around the prairie can get surprisingly loud: redwing blackbirds, up to two dozen bird species, frogs, toads and crickets. But it can get rather intense when the cicadas emerge. Folks around Columbia are rather laid back by their presence. Depending on the species, they will appear every few years. They coat the trees, discarding their exoskeleton everywhere, and display some rather peculiar behavior. Topping my list was back in the 80’s when a hoard of cicadas blanketed the brick wall by the entrance of the supermarket.
The photos show the cicada in the wild and one that decided to check me out.
Saw-Wing Moth
Euchlaena serrata
Not everything I observe is on the prairie. Once in a while, the prairie comes indoors. This lovely thing appeared in our kitchen.
Turtles
I am setting up a separate category for “Turtles.” While researching turtles I quickly discovered that this a learning process. There are a lot of species out there, many of which look similar. Just when you think a turtle is a turtle, you discover there are “sliders” and “cooters.”
Pond Turtle
Appears in March — as soon as there is some warm sunshine.
I am sure that over time I will nail down the exact species of this turtle, but for now it is “pond turtle.” Actually saw one of these things burrowing into the flower bed uphill from the pond where I am cultivating bulb flowers. Almost appeared like “she” was laying some eggs. Will see.
The pond has dozens of these type of turtles. They are not “box turtles.” I typically will catch them sunning themselves along the pond bank.
Three-Toed Box Turtle
Terrapene triunguis
Begin to move around a lot in May.
You know, after 65 years of observing turtles, I never bothered to count their toes. Turtle identification is a learning process. We all become familiar with identifying a turtle by looking at the top of their shells. But did we ever stop to count their toes? The conventional “box turtle” is actually the Three-Toed Box Turtle.
Whitetail Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Year-round.
Around here deer are seen almost daily. The herd has ranged from three to twelve. They are not domesticated, per se. They often walk into my back yard or the prairie while I sit quietly in a chair. The bucks are usually not pleased by my presence, snorting at me from behind cover. The deer get nervous if I am around, but don’t always take off and run. They have particularly been pleased with the development of the two prairies. The wild grasses and flowers are providing a more diverse, natural forage. There are also a wide range of mushrooms growing in the prairies and probably explains why on wet summer mornings they are seen grazing in broad daylight, sometimes sleeping in the grass (you know how mushrooms can be).
I have to watch my step in the spring. I nearly stepped on a fawn one time. I had a fawn approach me one time, only to discover it was covered with ticks, particularly around its eyes. Before I could get it to the vet, it wandered off. It was later discovered in our front flower bed, startling my wife as she was planting flowers. It ran away. I believe it survived the ordeal.
Reptiles
Black Rat Snake
Maybe it’s a technicality, but this is the black rat snake, not the black snake. We had another label for the rat snake. We called it the “bull snake,” but the more you probe into the world of snakes the more you discover that local descriptions of these creatures can be considerably in error. I still have a friend who swears that he killed a “cottonmouth,” but I am not positive they are present in this part of Missouri.
The peculiar feature of the black rat snake is its potential size. It can get to be as long as 6 feet. Black snakes, on the other hand, are no longer than three feet. The same applies to the infamous cottonmouth. Of these three snakes, the cottonmouth is venomous.
The snake pictured was a frequent visitor to my garden, which is not far from Rachel’s Prairie. I noticed it slithering its way into the tall prairie grass.
Licorice Twizzler
Glycyrrhiza Torta
Found this near the road adjacent to Rachel’s Prairie. With all the snakes we have around here, you can’t be too careful.
Prairie Lizard
Sceloporus consobrinus
Appears in May.
These little creatures keep appearing in wood piles, gardens, my front porch and along the brick retaining wall. The ones in the wild are a bit skittish, never holding still long enough for a photo. But the garden variety seem to know me, don’t run and pose for a picture. 🙂
Resources
Peterson Field Guides: Mammals, William H. Burt, ed. and Richard P. Grossenheider, Illus., Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1980
Facebook: Missouri Snake Identification and Education Group
Missouri Department of Conservation Field Guide
Please note that, unless clearly designated in the photo, photos are from the Creative Commons, usually Wikipedia.
© Copyright 2026 to Eric Niewoehner
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