HARTFORD | October 26, 2000 -- Halloween is the time when we celebrate the mysterious and strange. Over the next week, television programming will be filled with eerie movies, while children will don costumes to depict odd characters. To commemorate the season, let's look at some of the myths and legends surrounding the state's animal kingdom.
No discussion of Halloween animals would be complete without looking at the raccoon. This animal, which has mask-like facial markings, has been the main character of many folk tales. Because of its markings and real-life antics, the raccoon is often portrayed as a trickster. This belief is still depicted in the many Disney films that feature a raccoon character.
According to an Indian legend, the raccoon received its facemask as a result of a trick gone awry. The raccoon tried to play a trick on his sleeping coyote friend. But the coyote awoke and tossed the raccoon into the fire. Seeing his mistake, the coyote rescued the burning raccoon. To douse the burning fur, the coyote threw white river mud on the raccoon's face.
After the excitement, the raccoon was left with charred fur around its eyes and white mud stuck to its face. The two-toned fur became a lasting trademark of the raccoon.
The whitetail deer is one of Connecticut's most popular game animals.
Successful hunters often rate their trophy by the size of the deer's antlers. But there are many myths surrounding deer antlers.
Bucks loose their antlers each winter and they must grow a new set the following summer. Many believe antler size is related to the deer's age and older deer have the biggest antlers. This belief creates many deer legends as older bucks are perceived to be wily animals having learned to avoid hunters.
Thus, deer with large antlers are rare and difficult to find. But biologists have a different view. Antler growth is primarily dependent upon nutrition. Age and genetics only play small roles in antler development. Usually the best antler growth occurs in three to eight year old deer that have plenty of forage. Science also shows that certain plants, such as clover, help the deer grow larger antlers. Because Connecticut's deer forage often consists on non-native decorative shrubbery, the deer rarely grow extraordinarily large antlers.
Indian legend tells another story on how the deer got its antlers. In the early days, the deer and rabbit were both very fast animals. The two animals decided to have a race to see which one was faster. As a prize, the winner would get a crown of antlers. On the race day, the rabbit was caught carving a path through the tickets so it would have an advantage. The other animals declared the rabbit a cheater and awarded the antlers to the deer.
The rabbit is the brunt of many legends about misdeeds as seen in the above deer story. Even the famed tortoise and hare race showed the rabbit making poor judgments that cost it the race against a much slower animal.
Legends of this nature promoted some of the early superstitions that rabbits brought bad luck.
During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that witches could transform themselves into rabbits. They believed that if a rabbit crossed their path it meant bad luck would follow. Eventually, this belief transferred over to the black cat. Today, the rabbit is often a symbol of fertility and good luck.
Some people carry a rabbit's foot as a good luck charm. The Easter bunny also means good fortune because the mythical animal brings candy to children.
Perhaps the most famous animal legend surrounds the woodchuck, often called a groundhog. Legend tells that the animal can predict the weather.
According to the legend, the groundhog leaves its winter burrow each year on Feb. 2. If the groundhog sees its shadow, winter will linger for six more weeks. If the animal does not see its shadow, spring will come early. The exact origin of the legend is still a mystery, but many believe it is a carryover from early Europe where a similar myth surrounded the badger.
Meteorologists and naturalists both concluded that the groundhog has little weather predicting capacities. Yet, Groundhog Day is still a major celebration in Punxsutawney, Pa., where the Groundhog Club has monitored the yearly event since 1898.
Today, the groundhog is one of the state's most recognized and easy to find animals. It has adapted very well to civilization.
Woodchucks are commonly found living on the grassy strips along the highway. They learned to avoid traffic and rarely venture out on the pavement. You can find these animals feeding on the tender highway grass during the morning and late afternoon.
Hopefully, these animal legends will give you a better appreciation for the state's wildlife. For more information on the wild creatures of the Connecticut, visit the Department of Environmental Protection's website at www.dep.state.ct.us.
Happy Halloween.
