Animals such as white-tailed deer, black bear and red foxes are common and often spotted inhabitants of the Lehigh Valley. But the region is also home to a number of smaller mammals that residents rarely, if ever, see.
In an effort to identify the less common mammals that live in or pass through the region, the Wildlands Conservancy is launching a three-year study to document smaller species. The effort is focused on those listed in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) with a status of imperiled (S2 designation) or critically imperiled (S1 designation).
The study, which will begin later this month, is an expansion of research work that the Emmaus-based nonprofit has been conducting since 2022 in northeastern Pennsylvania to target the two weasel species that call that region home: the long-tailed weasel and the ermine, or short-tailed weasel…