Gordon Natural Area

Common Names: Domestic Dog

Year Observed: 2020

Identified and First Noted By: Nur Ritter

Notes:

Although this species has long been noted in the GNA, it was never considered to be part of the fauna. However, once a skull was noted in Area G1N on 9-22-20, it was considered to be a member of the GNA biota.

iNaturalist Observations:

60457549 (Observed: 9/22/2020)

Common Names: Coyote

Years Observed: 2020; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified By: Payton Phillips

First Noted By: Wildlife Camera

Also Noted By: Anna Carlson; Nur Ritter (tracks)

Notes:

For a number of years, we suspected that Coyotes were present in the Gordon because we repeatedly found the remains of dead fawns that had been dismembered and carried far from the killing site. Finally, in 2020, Temple University Doctoral student Payton Phillips came up with a verified Coyote sighting from one of her trail cameras. Then, in 2022, Temple U. Masters' student Anna Carlson came up with a trail cam photo of a second Coyote. Since, that time, GNA Staff have come across two sets of Coyote tracks and GNA trail cameras have recorded videos of coyotes in various parts of the GNA.

iNaturalist Observations:

148690747 (Observed: 2/2/2023)

147479252 (Observed: 1/27/2023)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the Coyote:

Coyotes kill doe (and the week that follows) (Video Posted: 3/29/2024)

Trailcam: Geologists meet Coyote (Video Posted: 02/13/2024)

Coyote in the Gordon woods at night (Video Posted: 05/12/2023)

Coyotes kill doe (and the week that follows) (Video Posted: 2/29/2024)

Common Names: Red Fox

Years Observed: 2008; 2010; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Gerry Hertel

Also Noted By: Kendra McMillin; Nur Ritter; Maribeth Beatty; Ariana Rivellini; Payton Phillips; Kathryn Krueger; Miranda Davies; Wildlife Camera(s)

Notes:

Often seen at the Gordon, and there have been various years when kits have been observed. Food sources in surrounding properties allow for a greater than normal number of Red Foxes in the GNA.

iNaturalist Observations:

150728759 (Observed: 3/8/2023)

149426876 (Observed: 2/22/2023)

148691409 (Observed: 2/3/2023)

147284352 (Observed: 1/11/2023)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the Red Fox:

Coyotes kill doe (and the week that follows) (Video Posted: 3/29/2024)

Trailcam: Fox vs. Heron II 🦊 (Video Posted: 02/20/2024)

Red Fox ponders eating a Great Blue Heron (Video Posted: 11/03/2023)

Fox Leaping at night in the rain (Video Posted: 09/18/2023)

What Does The Fox Say? — Fox calling alongside Plum Run. (Video Posted: 06/27/2023)

Red Fox kit being homeschooled (Video Posted: 06/11/2023)

Two Red Fox kits exploring around their den at night. (Video Posted: 06/06/2023)

Red Fox surveying along the Cattail Swamp (Video Posted: 05/01/2023)

Red Fox crossing Plum Run (Video Posted: 03/08/2023)

Common Names: American Beaver

Year Observed: 2022

Identified By: Thomas W. French (iNaturalist)

First Noted By: N. Ritter

Notes:

To date, known for the Gordon only from a skull that was found near to the Route 202 ramp in the spring of 2022 during the construction of a new trail. Our guess is that this individual may have traveled from Brandywine Creek (where there are known populations of American Beavers), up Plum Run, and onto Gordon Run. It would have encountered the Route 202 ramp at the upper end of Gordon Run and may have either been hit by a vehicle or just expired in the Gordon. Alternatively, the skull may have been dropped over the Gordon by a raptor (no bones other than the skull were found), or died elsewhere in the Gordon or surrounding area and was carried to where it was found by a scavenger.

iNaturalist Observations:

118550595 (Observed: 5/24/2022)

Common Names: White-tailed Deer

Years Observed: 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: William Overlease

Also Noted By: Gerry Hertel; Harry Tiebout; Jessica Schedlbauer; Greg Turner; Kendra McMillin; Nur Ritter; Alexandra Hodowanec; Kate Thompson; Paige Vermeulen; Maribeth Beatty; Jared Kline; Ariana Rivellini; Noah Long; Payton Phillips; Maeve Dowd; Maddison Rettenmaier; Kathryn Krueger; Miranda Davies; Alex Desjardines; Jessica Greulich; James Simpson (and, undoubtedly, many others); Wildlife Camera(s)

Notes:

The GNA is inhabited by a white-tailed deer population that is approximately 4-8 times its carrying capacity. This high population results in significant over-browsing and appears to be driving a transition in the GNA towards plant species that are resistant to browsing.

iNaturalist Observations:

137661784 (Observed: 10/5/2022)

83943509 (Observed: 6/21/2021)

70339958 (Observed: 2/28/2021)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the White-tailed Deer:

Coyotes kill doe (and the week that follows) (Video Posted: 3/29/2024)

Deer Browsing Fungi #trailcam #deer (Video Posted: 03/05/2024)

Deer vs Tree Cage #shorts (Video Posted: 02/12/2024)

Deer in a bamboo grove at the GNA (Video Posted: 07/18/2023)

Some Wild and Crazy Deer (Video Posted: 05/12/2023)

Common Names: White-footed Mouse

Years Observed: 2011; 2021; 2023

Identified and First Noted By: Gerry Hertel

Also Noted By: Nur Ritter; Miranda Davies; Wildlife Camera(s)

Notes:

A primary carrier of Lyme Disease bacteria.

iNaturalist Observations:

68608187 (Observed: 1/25/2021)

Common Names: White-tailed Deer

Years Observed: 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: William Overlease

Also Noted By: Gerry Hertel; Harry Tiebout; Jessica Schedlbauer; Greg Turner; Kendra McMillin; Nur Ritter; Alexandra Hodowanec; Kate Thompson; Paige Vermeulen; Maribeth Beatty; Jared Kline; Ariana Rivellini; Noah Long; Payton Phillips; Maeve Dowd; Maddison Rettenmaier; Kathryn Krueger; Miranda Davies; Alex Desjardines; Jessica Greulich; James Simpson (and, undoubtedly, many others); Wildlife Camera(s)

Notes:

The GNA is inhabited by a white-tailed deer population that is approximately 4-8 times its carrying capacity. This high population results in significant over-browsing and appears to be driving a transition in the GNA towards plant species that are resistant to browsing.

iNaturalist Observations:

137661784 (Observed: 10/5/2022)

83943509 (Observed: 6/21/2021)

70339958 (Observed: 2/28/2021)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the White-tailed Deer:

Coyotes kill doe (and the week that follows) (Video Posted: 3/29/2024)

Deer Browsing Fungi #trailcam #deer (Video Posted: 03/05/2024)

Deer vs Tree Cage #shorts (Video Posted: 02/12/2024)

Deer in a bamboo grove at the GNA (Video Posted: 07/18/2023)

Some Wild and Crazy Deer (Video Posted: 05/12/2023)

Common Names: Feral Cat

Year Observed: 2023

Identified By: Nur Ritter

First Noted By: Wildlife Camera

Common Names: Eastern Cottontail

Years Observed: 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Kendra McMillin

Also Noted By: Gerry Hertel; Nur Ritter; Paige Vermeulen; Maribeth Beatty; Noah Long; Miranda Davies; Kathryn Krueger; David Kramer; Wildlife Camera(s)

Common Names: Striped Skunk

Years Observed: 2019; 2021; 2023; 2024

Identified By: Nur Ritter

First Noted By: Nur Ritter (by scent)

Also Noted By: Wildlife Camera

Notes:

For many years, the presence of Striped Skunks in the Gordon was based on its scent. However, in 2023 we began seeing this species on trail camera images.

iNaturalist Observations:

186087593 (Observed: 10/2/2023)

Common Names: Brown Rat

Years Observed: 2018; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Jared Kline

Also Noted By: Miranda Davies; Nur Ritter; Wildlife Camera

iNaturalist Observations from the GNA:

169829414 (Observed: 6/20/2023)

Common Names: North American River Otter

Year Observed: 2024

Identified By: Nur Ritter

First Noted By: Wildlife Camera

iNaturalist Observations from the GNA:

209302055 (Observed: 4/23/2024)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the North American River Otter:

Otter in the GNA (Video Posted: 4/25/2024)

Common Names: American Mink

Years Observed: 2022; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: David Kramer

Also Noted By: Wildlife Camera; Kevin Murtaugh

Notes:

Kevin Murtaugh—a long-time visitor to the Gordon—reported having seen a mink in the meadow in the eastern GNA in 2024.

iNaturalist Observations from the GNA:

202441066 (Observed: 3/13/2024)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the American Mink:

#trailcam Mink & Groundhog in the stream (Video Posted: 3/15/2024)

Minks and Groundhog in water (Video Posted: 3/28/2024)

Common Names: Raccoon

Years Observed: 2008; 2011; 2019; 2020; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Kendra McMillin

Also Noted By: Payton Phillips; Nur Ritter; Kathryn Krueger (tracks); Wildlife Camera(s)

iNaturalist Observations:

194454494 (Observed: 12/20/2023)

148691089 (Observed: 2/3/2023)

148401882 (Observed: 2/9/2023)

147478068 (Observed: 1/27/2023)

110836027 (Observed: 4/8/2022)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the Raccoon:

What if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it (except a trail cam)? (Video Posted: 08/28/2023)

Raccoon Stampede!!! (Video Posted: 07/25/2023)

Raccoon Conga Line (Video Posted: 07/20/2023)

Raccoon having a drink (Video Posted: 05/19/2023)

Common Names: Southern Flying Squirrel

Years Observed: 2019; 2023

Identified By: Payton Phillips

First Noted By: Wildlife Camera

Notes:

Noted during Tick-borne Disease monitoring by Peyton Phillips (Integrative Ecology Lab, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA).

iNaturalist Observations:

68926242 (Observed: 11/23/2019)

Common Names: Groundhog

Years Observed: 2019; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Nur Ritter

Also Noted By: Miranda Davies; Kathryn Krueger; Jessica Greulich; Wildlife Camera(s)

iNaturalist Observations:

149429630 (Observed: 2/22/2023)

112148362 (Observed: 4/14/2022)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the Groundhog:

#trailcam Mink & Groundhog in the stream (Video Posted: 3/15/2024)

Groundhog Cliffhanger!!! (Video Posted: 08/21/2023)

Common Names: Eastern Gray Squirrel

Years Observed: 2008; 2010; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Kendra McMillin

Also Noted By: Wildlife Camera(s); Gerry Hertel; Nur Ritter; Paige Vermeulen; Payton Phillips; Noah Long; Kathryn Krueger; Miranda Davies; and, countless others

iNaturalist Observations:

180020493 (Observed: 8/24/2023)

151061080 (Observed: 3/13/2023)

99625614 (Observed: 10/28/2021)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the Eastern Gray Squirrel:

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor: Squirrel checks out Hawk (Video Posted: 10/18/2023)

What if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it (except a trail cam)? (Video Posted: 08/28/2023)

Common Names: Eastern Chipmunk

Years Observed: 2022; 2023

Identified and First Noted By: Kathryn Krueger

Also Noted By: Wildlife Camera(s)

Notes:

To date: A single individual has been noted.

iNaturalist Observations:

109239154 (Observed: 3/22/2022)

Common Names: American Red Squirrel

Years Observed: 2019; 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Nur Ritter

Also Noted By: Paige Vermeulen; Kathryn Krueger; Wildlife Camera(s)

iNaturalist Observations:

107418358 (Observed: 2/21/2022)

107417426 (Observed: 2/10/2022)

GNA YouTube Videos featuring the American Red Squirrel:

What if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it (except a trail cam)? (Video Posted: 08/28/2023)

Common Names: Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Year Observed: 2023

Identified By: Nur Ritter

First Noted By: Jessica Greulich

iNaturalist Observations from the GNA:

181090927 (Observed: 8/31/2023)

Common Names: North American Least Shrew

Year Observed: 2024

Identified and First Noted By: Nur Ritter

iNaturalist Observations from the GNA:

204412501 (Observed: 3/29/2024)

Common Names: Eastern Red Bat

Year Observed: 2022

Identified and First Noted By: Kathryn Krueger

Notes:

A distressed individual was on Kathryn Krueger's shoe in the large ginseng enclosure in Area G1S. No other individuals were noted.

iNaturalist Observations:

112041716 (Observed: 4/19/2022)