Wild Mamas

This Mother's Day we celebrate all the amazing mamas out there- feathered, furry and scaly!
1. Virginia opossum. Thought you came from a big family? The opossum mama raises anywhere from 7-12 babies at one time in her pouch. Once it becomes too crowded these babies then get to take a "opossum- back ride" to learn the ways of this wild world.
2. Hornbill. You've heard of moms who have been ordered to bed rest during a difficult pregnancy. The hornbill literally seals herself into the nest for the whole duration of the eggs incubation. She leaves only a tiny hole where her loyal mate can feed her daily.
3. Alligators. Most people don't typically think of reptiles as nurturing mothers but the alligator is a most protective mama. Not only will she protect the nest from predators but once the babies begin to hatch, she will assist them and carry them gently down to the water. Alligators have been known to lookout for their young and protect them if they are distressed for long periods of time. That's a mom most wouldn't want to mess with.
4. African Elephants. 9 months might seem like a long time to carry a baby but elephants carry their calf for over a year and a half! Once the calf is born, they will nurse anywhere from 4-6 years.
5. Black Bears. These excellent mothers give birth to cubs that usually only weigh around 10 ounces. While the cubs are so small, they nurse every 10 minutes! That's a dedicated mom.
6. Chickens. They saying "mother hen" is due to a hen's dedication to her young. She does not feed the chicks once they hatch as they are able to immediately eat on their own but she finds good foods for them, runs to their distress calls and will lay down and let them climb up under her feathers for security and warmth.

Moms are amazing, nurturing and protective beings. There is nothing like a mom. Here's wishing all the moms a most wonderful Mother's Day. You deserve it.

Keeping wildlife Wild

Spring has finally arrived and with the warm temperatures and blooming flowers also come lots of spring babies. Wild spring babies. Most people love the sight of baby birds in a nest or the sight of baby cottontails hopping around their yard but there is a really important line between helping wildlife and not hurting wildlife.

Many wildlife myths are still passed around today and cause great harm to wild babies. I always pass on to kids and adults that just as your mom is a wonderful mom to you, so are wild mamas. We are quick to think babies are in trouble and need our help when in fact wild mothers are just as dedicated and nurturing as your own mother. So here are a few wild myths and helpful tips to keep those amazing critters safe and WILD this spring.

Baby cottontails. These adorable native rabbits of our region are perhaps the number one "victim" each spring of human help. In most cases, rabbits DO NOT need our help. They make their nests very shallow and often times in very visible areas. Mother rabbits have very rich milk and the babies fill up fast. They feed their babies in the morning and again at night, so chances are quite good that you will never see the mother near the nest. The babies are safest this way as the mother's scent would draw predator's to her nest. Even if a rabbit nest is disturbed by humans or a dog, the mother WILL return to her babies. She may even move them to a new nest site. If you have a nest in your yard, keep dogs and cats indoors. When you go out to mow for the first time in the spring, walk the area first to look for nests- many babies die due to lawn mowers.

Fawns are another animal that end up "kidnapped" each spring by well meaning wildlife lovers. Mother deer purposely lay their fawns in a spot where they will be safe. Again, most often fawns are not in need of our help unless you have actually seen the mother killed. In unfortunate cases like those, only a wildlife rehabilitator is legally able to care for these animals. They will give them the best chance of returning to a wild life.

Everyone has a baby bird story but it is again important to know whether or not to intervene. Baby birds fall out of nests fairly often especially depending on the species of bird and where they have made their nests. Many people believe that once you have touched that baby bird on the ground, the mother will refuse to take her young back. Ironically, most birds have limited to no sense of smell! The very best thing to do for a fallen bird is to return him to his nest. The mother will come back as soon as you leave the area. Fledgelings that are taking their first flight lessons are sometimes thought to be in trouble. If you see a young, feathered bird on the ground trying to fly- look closely and you will spot eager parents trying to encourage their young.

Box turtles. These amazing native turtles are beautiful and endearing especially when you happen to spot a hatchling. We provide permanent sanctuary for 4 box turtles here. All four were wild turtles that became pets. Often times people believe these young turtles are in danger or in trouble but these awesome reptiles have natural instincts for survival. One of our turtles was kept for years in a guinea pig cage and stopped eating for her owners for several months. As soon as she came here, she gulped down earthworms and slugs on her own in her outdoor habitat and hibernated this winter. They are born knowing everything they need to know and they are very difficult to keep as pets.

Snakes. These poor guys seem to always get the short end of the stick or sadly a shovel. They don't get the sympathy that baby bunnies or baby rabbits do but they are just as important and vital to our ecosystem. The easiest rule of thumb with these guys is to leave them alone. Do not try to move or handle them and above all do not harm them. Lots of our area snakes have patterns on them and this leads to incorrect assumptions that they are dangerous. Baby black rat snakes are a common sighting and they are patterned when young. Remember a snake in your garden is your best friend-he wants nothing to do with you but he will spare your crops from naughty little mice or keep your children safer by eliminating rats that can spread diseases. Often times we don't think of it that way.

If you truly love wildlife, the very best rule to follow is snap as many pictures as you want but leave wildlife alone. Happy spring to all and enjoy this beautiful season!

St. Patrick and the snakes of Ireland

March 17th is one of my favorite times of the year. My Grandmother was born in Ireland and had beautiful red hair and green eyes. I've always considered myself quite lucky to be Irish, after all we tell the best stories, have a great sense of humor and we know how to eat and drink and be merry. So I do make the traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and irish soda bread on St.Patrick's Day and Sean the naughty Leprechaun always visits our house much to the joy of our children who awake to all the mischief and chocolate he leaves behind. But one of my favorite parts of being Irish are storytelling and the wonderful legends that have come from Ireland.
One of the best known of course is the legend of St. Patrick and how he drove the snakes from Ireland. Legend has it that St. Patrick banished all snakes from Ireland and drove them into the sea where they drowned. Thus today, there are no snakes in Ireland. Snakes or serpents represented pagan beliefs and rituals that St. Patrick removed from Ireland. It even goes on to say that shamrocks were planted everywhere because snakes could not live in the shamrocks and it kept them out.
The other side of this legend is the scientific fact that there probably were never snakes in Ireland. When snakes evolved 100 million years ago, Ireland was actually under water. Then there was the ice age and once the last glacial ice fell, Ireland was an island separated from England and Europe by the North Channel ocean water. No snake could ever cross this icy and long span of ocean water and so there are no snakes in Ireland.
I love this Irish tale but I also love that we have an amazing array of these magnificent reptiles in the United States. Wildlife Ambassadors currently cares for 2 corn snakes, 1 king snake, 1 boa constrictor and 2 ball pythons. We also have lots of shamrock plants.
Whether you believe St. Patrick or you think its a bunch of blarney, it certainly is interesting and afterall don't we all need a bit o' blarney in our lives? Happy St. Patrick's Day Lads and Lassies!

Winter Bird Bingo!

The days are a little warmer, the snow is not as deep and the kids have played every game indoors and outdoors. Perhaps you are looking for some different things to play with the kids? One favorite that i have played with my three kids and during some of our wildlife camps is Bird Bingo. Winter is such an amazing time to spot lots of different types of birds especially if you have a bird feeder. Playing Bird Bingo is fun and you can play from your window if its terrible weather like our recent blizzard or better yet, bundle up and play outside!
First you need to have the kids make the bingo sheet and this is half the fun. All you need is a piece of construction paper and some crayons. Divide the sheet of paper so there are nine boxes. Pick nine birds that are commonly seen right now and easy for children to identify. Some good examples are the cardinal, the blue jay, woodpecker, black capped chickadee, crow, sparrow, hawk, house finch, tufted titmouse and the Eastern bluebird.
You might want to show the kids some of the different birds first so they are familiar with them. You can either color pictures of the different birds, one in each square or if you have nature magazines, cut them out and paste them in the boxes. Once the kids have done this, you are ready to play. Hand everyone a marker and head outside! When you or child spot the bird, call out its name and put a check mark next to it on your bingo sheet. The first one to get all nine birds says BINGO! For really young children you can have the bingo sheet show bird "actions" instead of species. For example, you can make pictures of birds singing, birds eating, birds bathing, birds flying and so on. You can be as creative as you want, have fun!

Snow Blizzard 2010!

Well we all made it through this crazy snow blizzard but not without the help of many wonderful people! We lost power for 4 days and so while our wonderful neighbors fed us and took us in, the Hamilton Fire and Rescue was kind enough to take in all of our reptiles, invertebrates and one very elderly hedgehog. We are so grateful to them for taking care of them during this time and keeping them warm and fed. Our generator was able to keep our animal building warm enough for the mammals and birds but not the heat lamps and heat pads needed for the others.
We moved some animal indoors and are so glad we did as the outdoor enclosures got heavily snowed in. We worked around the clock to keep the animals outdoors safe and dry. It sure is peaceful to watch the snow at 3 a.m. My husband was out in the middle of the blizzard shoveling off animal roofs and reattaching tarps that were being ripped off in the winds.

Thank you to everyone for your donations of blankets, dog beds and tarps- all have been used and very appreciated! Here's hoping for an early spring!!

Surviving Winter

With these low temperatures, high winds and already two feet of snow accumulation, we are having quite a start to our winter. So how do we and the animals around us survive winter?

People often joke about hibernating for the winter- eating up a lot of high calorie foods over the holidays and then staying snug indoors or napping the days away! Some people choose to migrate and head south for the winter giving them the nickname snowbirds. And then of course, there are those of us who like the winter and love to play in the snow. sled, ice skate and build snowmen despite the cold temperatures.

Animals tend to fit into these three categories as well. As far as hibernators go we all typically think first of the bear who is best known for this amazing ability to sleep soundly until spring arrives. Hibernation for bears and many other mammals has really nothing to do with the cold. Its actually an adaptation to deal with the scarcity of winter food. Most bear dens are just as cold inside as it is outside but the bear is well protected by fat and a thick coat of fur. Bears in the south might not even hibernate if they are still able to find food but in northern regions they can actually hibernate for up to 7 months. The true deep hibernators are the woodchuck or groundhog and other types of small rodents. Some, like the chipmunk go deep into their burrows where they have stored food for the winter months.

Reptiles and amphibians could of course not survive the winter months. These animals typically go dormant or it is often called brummate, a type of hibernation for reptiles. Frogs, turtles and other more aquatic animals will bury into the soft mud beneath the pond. While the pond will probably freeze over the winter, the deepest mud still remains soft and unfrozen for these animals. Box turtles, toads, and snakes might either dig into the soft dirt underground below the freeze line or go deep into rocks and crevices until spring. Most insects overwinter in the egg or larva stage, emerging in spring. Depending on the species, some insects or spiders only live for one season, so they die before winter while others go into a type of hibernation or as you have probably found some take refuge in your house!

Some animals choose to migrate or head to warmer regions for the winter where food will be available. Animals in this category include some butterflies, many species of birds, certain whales, fish, caribou and elk. Finally there are those animals that simply adapt to the winter. Lots of our local animals fit into this category such as raccoons, foxes, opossum, hawks, owls, deer and rabbits. Many of them might den up for days during bad storms or snow but do not hibernate. Animals that you might think of as normally being nocturnal might venture out during the day in the harsh winter for a better chance at finding food. Finding food can of course be a huge challenge. Two winters ago, I opened our back door to find a fox staring at me with one of my chickens in his mouth. When I yelled at him, he dropped her and surprisingly she was unharmed. It had been a rough winter, so the chickens obviously looked quite good to this red fox.

Our animals here at Wildlife Ambassadors require special care during the winter months as well. We have several animals that live in outdoor enclosures and handle the winter months quite well. We provide lots of straw and blankets for insulation, replacing both often. We also wrap outdoor enclosures with tarps to protect from winds and snow and ice. All of our outdoor animals have dens to escape the harsh temperatures. Taking care of outdoor animals also means unfreezing waters twice a day, shoveling snow off their roofs and checking on them at least twice a day. When weather is really bad, this could mean a visit outside at any hour. This morning I pulled on my carharts, winter jacket and boots at 4:30 a.m. to make sure everyone was faring well in these wicked winds. Our porcupine, Magnolia, spends much of her time in her treehouse den and we tend to feed her in her den. In the wild, porcupines, find caves or trees in the winter and do not venture that far. Their diet often becomes pine needles and the soft bark of coniferous trees. We cut pine branches for Magnolia and also feed her a diet higher in fat during the winter months. Her super thick coat protects her well.

Mabel the opossum also has a den and stays in it much of the time during severe weather. She will venture out on milder days or nights for her food but prefers to stay nestled in her blankets. Our little screech owl has a nest box that he resides in especially during these high winds. Screech owls are cavity nesters which can protect them from predators and weather. Their layer of down keeps them warm. Our two foxes seem to be the only true winter lovers. They are out every day frolicking, playing, totally unfazed by the weather. They have a den as well although they seem to enjoy the cooler temperatures. Wild foxes in our area are similar, denning up when they need to but they are also well adapted for the winter months and can be seen on a snowy day trying to break through the snow to find some dinner.

Our reptiles and parrots are of course indoors and heated all winter. We even bring in our box turtles for the winter. So what kind of winter person are you? Do you prefer to eat up and then sleep the winter away like the bear or the groundhog? Perhaps you just don't like winter at all and would rather travel to warm sunny destinations like the Monarch butterfly. Or do you fit into our last category- a true lover of winter, frolicking in the snow like the foxes?

Talkin' Turkey

If you are like most people, the countdown has begun. Less then one week till we again celebrate one of the most favorite American traditions. Thanksgiving, of course. We all know quite a bit about the history of Thanksgiving but how much do you know about the Turkey?

Wild turkeys actually look pretty different from the domestic turkeys that people eat on Thanksgiving. The turkey that is always pictured at this time of year and modeled in children's crafts is the wild turkey. Wild turkeys are smaller than domestic turkeys and fly quite well. They are found in the woods in North America and are the largest game bird in our country. They roost in the trees at night. Wild turkeys are not only social but they are actually pretty smart. Female turkeys lay 4 to 17 eggs which hatch after a month. The hen cares for her young poults for an entire year and will roost on the ground with them until they can fly. Wild turkeys feed on acorns, berries, spring onions, insects and even reptiles.

Believe it or not, these birds are pretty accomplished athletes running at speeds of 25 mph and flying at speeds up to 55 mph! These big birds can live up to 12 years in the wild (far longer than their unlucky domestic counterparts) and have full color vision. Wild turkeys weigh between 5-18 pounds- about half of the weight of the enormous domestic turkeys raised for Thanksgiving. Domestic turkeys, as you might guess cannot fly because they are just too heavy. Wild turkeys live in every state except Alaska. By the 1930's this interesting bird was nearly extinct but thanks to wildlife conservation programs there are over 7 million roaming North America today. Happy Thanksgiving!