What Mammals Live in Nashville's Canopy?

Mammals in Nashville’s Canopy

Whether they live in trees, burrow under them, or use them to manage their environment, mammal niches both large and small take up space in wooded ecosystems. In this article on the fauna of Nashville’s canopy, we’ll explore the range of mammal relationships with trees and the local food web, also taking a look at how humans (we’re mammals, too!) fit into the mix. At the end, we’ll discuss mammal habitat loss and how residents can support local wildlife safely.

The Tree Canopy as a Mammal Habitat

A large, mature tree provides many types of shelter options for mammals of all sizes, from cavities in the trunk to dens among the roots. Rabbits, foxes, and mice alike utilize these spaces for safety. Branches create off-the-ground refuges from predators and a transit network for squirrels and other small- to medium-sized climbing mammals like raccoons and opossums. Even bark provides a covered space for small bats to wedge themselves under.

Trees also supply nutrients and energy to wild mammals of all kinds, from rodents to deer. The type of food a tree provides to any mammal will vary by its diet:

• Herbivores – Both young and mature trees provide plant nourishment to mammals. This includes buds, leaves, berries, seeds and nuts, and the bark and twigs of saplings. Deer, rabbits, and (usually) squirrels are herbivores.

• Carnivores – Certain mammals eat tree-dwelling wildlife. Mammalian predators include foxes and coyotes, as well as cats. Most bats in Tennessee are primarily insectivores.

• Omnivores – Some mammals will eat almost anything, including both plant material and animals that are sheltered by trees. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, bears, dogs, and humans are able to adapt to a wide variety of dietary options. 

How Do Trees Benefit From Mammals?

Mammals contribute various ecosystem services to trees and wooded areas that improve the health and maintain the continuity of the environment. These services to trees include:

• Seed Spread – Squirrels, chipmunks, and other animals bury seeds and nuts, such as acorns, walnuts, and beechnuts, to be retrieved at a later date, and many trees grow from forgotten caches.

• Environmental Management – Mammals do all sorts of things that contribute to the management and good condition of a wooded ecosystem. Deer create disturbances, like broken twigs and crushed materials, that help break down tree litter, and the dams built by beavers create rich wetland ecosystems. Mammals of all kinds dig and aerate soil when building dens or searching for food.

• Animal Population Control – Across the food web, mammals are both predators and prey. Big ones keep populations of birds and rodents in check, while some small mammals consume insects in abundance.

• Nutrient Decomposition – When mammals eat whatever the environment provides, they decompose that organic matter and return the nutrients to the soil of the environment, where plants (including trees) are able to absorb necessary vitamins and minerals.

Trees and Humans

When discussing the close relationship between mammals and trees, humans can’t be left out of the conversation. Many of the environments humans live in are wooded. Trees condition the atmosphere of these areas with oxygen and moisture, keeping the air pure and the environment cool. As we’ve lived in these comfortable conditions, we have also managed trees as an essential natural resource in many areas of human development:

• Food – Trees provide many kinds of fruits and nuts that we eat every day, and field crops depend on the presence of some trees in a region to store groundwater. Trees also provide shade for farm animals.

• Fuel – Wood is a natural source of heat that can be managed renewably with some planning.

• Tools – Trees have provided materials for all types of tools and weapons that have been essential for construction and defense throughout history.

• Shelter – Wood is a strong, durable material used for frames, flooring, rafters, and many other parts of homes and other buildings. Of course, trees themselves provide shade and cover from rain.

• Transport – Ships, carts, and carriages were made of wood for millennia, useful for transporting people and products.

• Culture – Most musical instruments have some wooden components. In the 20th century, wood pulp started to be used widely for paper, which made communication and information storage more accessible. In general, the presence of trees has a positive impact on mental health and connection to a place.

What Is the State Mammal of Tennessee?

Tennessee’s state mammal is the raccoon (Procyon lotor). This masked ball of striped, gray fur is well-known in both urban and rural areas, where they don’t mind living in proximity to humans (who they tend to avoid, being most active at night). 

Raccoons are able climbers, resting on tree branches and nesting in trunk cavities or dens in logs or under trees. They eat fruit, insects, seeds, nuts, eggs, reptiles, rodents, and whatever else they can get their little hands on! While they are a potentially dangerous wild animal and may be a bit of a pest, raccoons are important and respectable woodland creatures.

Mammal Habitat Loss

Habitat fracturing and loss affect mammals who have to walk from place to place, and many have a harder time hiding the bigger they are. The built environment pushes many kinds of medium and large mammals out of an area, which then become dependent on preserved wilderness spaces (unless they are comfortable and discreet enough to live in human-dominated environments).

Providing safe wilderness habitat is challenging for large wild animals in urban areas, such as coyotes and bears. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, for example, provides guidance on human coexistence with black bears in residential areas. Wild animals can be dangerous around people, but they are important actors in the local ecosystem. Conservation groups are working to encourage balance and educate residents on how to manage and respect local wildlife. 

Check out these resources for more information on Tennessee mammals:

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency – Provides information on the state of Tennessee’s Wildlife Action Plan, a list of mammal species in greatest need of conservation, and a list of Tennessee licensed animal rehabilitators. 

• The Wildlife Society Tennessee Chapter 

• Tennessee Wildlife Federation 

• American Society of Mammalogists 

Mammals in Your Yard

Planting trees across our neighborhoods helps smaller and medium-sized mammals who can easily access backyards and use trees as a network, like squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, and raccoons. Landscape your yard with a variety of trees and plants to attract helpful Nashville animals, contributing to the city’s area-wide canopy ecosystem! 

Visit the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps’ tree sale page to browse our native trees at competitive prices. If you can’t plant a tree for yourself, consider volunteering with us! And sign up for our email newsletter for regular coverage of Nashville trees.