Porcupines in NY can't throw their quills-- and they are usually docile-- like a skunk try to avoid meeting people-- and they like to climb trees-- the one in the zoo hangs out on an upper limb of a tree-

I don't see skunks in my neighborhood-- (i used to see them in the Bronx) my neighborhood is suburban/small town-ish; with single house on a plot of land-- i am less than ½ mile from a large, "undeveloped" (read wilderness) park, and about 1 mile from coast (long island sound) There are still undeveloped lots in the area.

I have seen possum* (opossum) and raccoons in my yard, and in the park, a red fox (vixen). there are also red tailed hawks, and all sort of birds- ducks, geese, (not to many) swans, cormorants, and egrets- and once in while i have seen a quail..

the common small birds in NY are called "sparrows"-- but i am told they are not-- and i don't know the difference between a sparrow and a wren--and would use both words interchangeable to define small, grey song birds-- as do most in NY.

starlings are recognizable, and cardinal, oriels (well Baltimore oriels-- with their orange plumage--named for Lord Baltimore) and blue jays, and blue birds-- very different birds. I am not really a bird watcher-- but i sit in gazebo-- and see them--

* possums are US marsupials-- do you have possums in Australia? SA has an other marsupial--a sloth i think, and it might be found in souther/Mexico border states. Possums are found as far north as souther Maine-- WOW do you ever see?

and i second that hedgehogs are cute-- and silly--like gerbils-- they have teeth-- but little mouths, so unless you stick your pinky finger near their mouth they can't get mouth open big enough to really bite.

Snappers are common-- does anyone else have "snapping turtles?" they have sharp jaws, and when the close them hard, they make a snapping noise--a really loud noise! kids are warned at some lakes, not to dangle bare feet in the water-- since snapping turtles (about 8 inch long) are strong enough and aggressive enough to snap off toes!
Some times you'll see a little duckling with damage web feet bitten by a turtle-- or worse, see a duckling snapped and dragged under the water to be a lunch for a turtle.

I have never seen any other turtles in NYC-- but 25 miles away (state parks in lower parts of Adirondack's-- part of Appalachian mountains) have seen "box turtles" and other turtles.


my other obsession