This orphan was found by a dog and is 4-5 weeks old. He nurses 6-8 times per day on formula. He is expected to open his eyes in the next few days, often one before the other.
Squirrels also have an incredible sense of smell that is demonstrated by their ability to smell parasites inside an acorn. They do not bury acorns with insects inside, rejecting them with their amazing sniffing ability.
Both red squirrels and fox squirrels live in this area. The fox squirrels get considerably larger than the red.
Squirrels eat mostly plant material but occasionally feed on an egg or nestling. On rare occasions they will attack and eat a bird. In the spring they eat berries and fruit. They bury tremendous numbers of acorns as a winter food source locating them with their keen sense of smell. They will also eat buds and tender tree parts.
The squirrels bushy tail serves several functions. Its large surface area breaks high falls, it serves as an umbrella when curled above the body and it helps maintain balance.
Although squirrels are cute and playful they do not make good house pets. They can be very destructive to curtains and furniture. Their teeth grow constantly so they must continually gnaw. Although they are unlikely to carry rabies, they can inflict a serious bite if scared.
These little darlings were rescued at Withrow Springs State Park in Arkansas. They were found at the side of the road clinging to the carcass of their mother. At the time they were admitted they were infested with maggots, two even had them living in their rectal canal. They are doing quite well now having been cleaned up and given antibiotics for two weeks. They eat solid food and are quite self sufficient.
Opossum are the oldest surviving mammal, virtually unchanged for over 75 million years. They are the only mammals in North America other than humans that have opposing thumbs although theirs are located on their rear legs. Contrary to common opinion they are very intelligent, smarter than dogs, more the intellect of pigs. They are known for playing dead as a defense but in reality this is an involuntary action. They actually faint if they get scared or startled. This passing out occurs as a result of an underdeveloped nervous system.
Because their body temperature is considerably lower than most other warm blooded animals it is almost impossible to get rabies as their temperature is too low to support the disease. They are also largely immune to poisonous snake bites. They have more than 50 teeth, more than any other land mammal.
Opossums are marsupials, meaning they give birth to their young in a pouch like a kangaroo. As if that was not enough they only mate once to give birth to two litters about six month apart. Since this is a family website I’ll spare you the details, but trust me it happens.
Being a wildlife rehabilitator is not exactly glamorous. We have to take the place of the mother in more ways than simple feeding by teaching the babies when and where to relieve themselves. They have a natural instinct not to go in the nest. Unless stimulated to relieve themselves they become constipated and deathly ill. The mother would normally take them outside the nest and lick their privates to stimulate the elimination activities. We prefer to utilize a warm wet towel in lieu of a tongue. After a gentle massage they usually take care of business. If they do not, a warm bath will trigger the desired response.
Similar to the other 5 opossums, this crew was found at the side of a road with their dead mother. All 11 have survived despite the fact they where quite dehydrated at the time they were rescued.
They are starting to eat solid food (mostly fruit and baby food) but also get formula twice a day along with oral antibiotics.
This guy survived a dog attack. He is currently on antibiotics and Dexamethosone (to reduce swelling). He does not appear to have life threatening injuries and is expected to be released in a few weeks
Two Fawns“Bamboo” the smaller female fawn without many spots is actually older than “Franco” the male. Both are orphans and have been raised since they were only a few days old.
Many people assume that a fawn alone is abandoned or orphaned. This is rarely the case since the mother deer (doe) intentionally leave their babies alone during daylight hiding them in tall grass or thickets. It is much easier to conceal a 4 pound infant from predators without a huge mother standing beside it to attract attention. Nursing occurs about once every 4-6 hours in quick visits from Mom. After dark the doe will generally stay with the fawn to guard it against the wild night life of the great outdoors after hours.
The fawn will not move from the spot Mom places them unless you practically step on them. The best thing to do if you discover a lone fawn is to leave it where you find it unless it is injured or in immediate danger. The mother is almost always a short distance from the baby keeping a watchful eye.
Many fawns are discovered by farmers mowing hay fields hidden in the tall grass. By simply leaving the fawn in the mowed field the mother will move it to a new concealed location as soon as she feels nothing is watching. A fawn mistakenly taken by well meaning people can be returned to the place it was found for up to 48 hours with every likelihood the mother will reclaim it. A Doe will look for a displaced young'un for days before leaving the area. Contrary to popular belief human scent on the fawn will not prevent the mother from rescuing her baby anymore than a deer scent on a human baby would cause us to write off our kids.
Taking care of a fawn is a difficult and delicate process. They must be fed every 4 hours for up to 8 weeks. Their privates must be stimulated to make them relieve themselves. As if that was not fun enough they also need to be wiped and washed without getting kicked by their very sharp little hooves. They must be kept away from loud noises and fed the right formula or they will get diarrhea and dehydrated. Goat milk is the best substitute but unpasteurized milk can kill a deer if the goat has Cocidia, a common bacteria carried by many goats. Fawns also need to be in contact with the ground to lick up minerals and salts found in soil. Ideally a fawn to be released back to the wild should be raised with other deer and fed by only one person to prevent it from becoming unafraid of other people.
Up to a million deer a year are involved in traffic accidents, most are fatal to the deer and many to the human drivers. Deer very often travel in groups. If you see a deer cross the highway ahead of you, slow down and assume more are right behind it. It could save your life.
Young Raccoon MaleThis guy is one of three that came to us before their eyes opened. One died, one has already been released and “Larry” pictured is about ready to go.
Raccoons eat almost anything. They are not very good hunters eating mostly insects, earthworms, crawfish and minnows as a live food source. They eat fruit, corn, acorns, trash, just about anything else they can find. They do not truly hibernate but will spend days at a time in a stupor-like, semi-hibernation state in winter. As much as 30% of their weight can be added by gorging themselves before winter.
Litter sizes can range from one to seven. They breed primarily in Spring but occasionally have Fall litters.
Playing and feeding wild raccoons is not encouraged. They are very intelligent and once you form a dependent relationship with them they are unlikely to forget.
I had a call from a lady in Eureka Springs asking if I could relocate some raccoons. “How many are we talking about?” I asked. She explained that there were 10 to 12 coming to her home every night looking for food. She had started out feeding a couple and before long she had a dozen.
I told her to simply quit putting food out and they would learn to look elsewhere. “We tried that , but they show up with rocks and knock on the windows,” she said. I tried not to laugh as I pictured a gang of raccoons surrounding her house and rapping on windows. I reaffirmed that eventually they would go elsewhere if the food was withheld to which she replied: “I know, we try but by 4 in the morning we are so tired we give up and feed them so we can get some sleep.”
All animals, like people learn to recognize patterned behavior. If you give in to them even one out of 10 times they learn it takes 10 nights of banging to get fed. If you feed wildlife it is best to do it away from the house and not let them associate you with their food or you too might have delinquents banging on your window for a midnight snack.