PURRR….

Now that it is October and fall is coming, we have new concerns regarding our wildlife . It is a similar one we all face come High School graduation time…NEW TEEN DRIVERS!  However, in the animal world it is getting ready for winter… solo!

Many animal mothers keep their young through the winter to insure their survival during the long cold months.  Many do not!  This time of year we tend to find so many dead, “teen wildlife” on the side of the road.  Some mammals, like the deer, raccoon or opossum, keep their children with them for a year but come late spring, when new litters are born, shoo their kids away.  Others, like the squirrel or fox, shoo their kids in the fall when they have to fight for food.  Either case, this makes for some silly, nutty, newly independent, teen animals loose on the roads!

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Vernal Pools

Cool, rainy spring days are perfect for the formation of vernal pools. Vernal pools are temporary pools of water that form in early spring, hence the name, and dry out during the summer.  Because of the pools’ temporary existence, fish can not take up residence which makes them appear to be lifeless.

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Bird Watch

As summer ends and the weather cools and plants are starting to die back putting their remaining energy towards producing seeds, animals are also getting prepared for the change of seasons. Birds and insects that migrate to warmer regions for winter are eating as much as possible to gain the weight needed to fuel their travels. Monarch butterflies migrate as far as the mountains in central Mexico. Some birds migrate farther; some like the Arctic Tern travel from above the Arctic Circle in Canada to winter in Antarctica.

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Squirrels

Summer is coming, and so are baby animals. It is human nature to want to help baby animals, whether they need it or not.

The third part of this series discusses what to do if you find a baby squirrel.

Cute and playful, squirrels are the darlings of the backyard and woods. As such, it may be tempting to take in and care for an orphaned baby squirrel. Squirrels can be “orphaned“ in many ways: falling from their nest, having their tree cut down or wandering too far away from their family. But mother squirrels don’t watch their babies 24 hours a day. A baby squirrel that wanders away from the nest will probably return to it when its mother returns. But a baby squirrel that is on the ground, listless or skinny may be a true orphan.

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Baby Birds

Spring is coming, and so are baby animals.  It is human nature to want to help baby animals, whether they need it or not.

Baby birds that fall from the nest just need to be placed back into their nest.  It is an old wives’ tale that the parents won’t help a baby that smells like people.  Birds, especially song birds, have no sense of smell.  If it is impossible for the baby bird to get back into its nest, get it as close as possible to the nest.

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Purrrr

Have you noticed that there are more bugs this summer?? There is a sad reason for that... 95% of the north east bat population have died!!!

WHY are they dying?? White nose syndrome. This is a horrible disease, a fungus, believed to have been tracked into caves by hikers. This terrible syndrome grows on the face and body of the bats, stopping its natural hibernation and starving the bats; causing them into a forced re-entry looking for food…but in January there are no insects so they die from cold and starvation.

Now why do we need bats? Well for starters, 1000 insects, gnats, moths and other bugs are eaten an hour per bat each night. Without them, we are inundated and overloaded with bugs. One farmer in Pennsylvania called it “apocalyptic” he said that he had only 2-3 years left before he would not be able to farm. Bugs are eating crops at such an alarming rate that using organic/natural pesticides are no longer possible. Harsher and more toxic chemicals are now needed.

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Winter Wildlife will seek Shelter

As winter approaches, certain wildlife start to look toward our warm houses for shelter. These animals include squirrels, raccoons, bats and mice which tend to move into attics, basements or crawl spaces, warm but not visited often by the house’s occupants. Their presence may cause problems – from innocuous scurrying sounds in the walls and ceilings when we are trying to sleep, to chewed electrical, phone and cable wires.

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Coyote myths and facts!

In the news, TV and media in general, there have been a lot of stories about the dreaded coyote . I  wanted to set the record straight about coyote.

First of all: Coyote do not  randomly attack people. In fact quite the opposite is true. They are TERRIFIED of people. The only time most wild animals attack are for 3 reasons. 1: They are scared or they have been cornered. Also, they may be  frightened out of their hiding place by a loud noise, or machines coming too close. 2: They are sick..which is very VERY rare! Only 2 skunk and 3 bats have been found to have rabies in all of Westchester county in 2010 and   NO  fox, or “other wildlife” have been found to have the illness.( according to the NY state dept. of health). And # 3 the main reason. The wildlife have babies near by. You may not see them ( because their parents are experts at hiding them) but you have come too close. They do not hunt little children for food, they will not stalk you.

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Baby Deer

Spring is coming, and so are baby animals.  It is human nature to want to help baby animals, whether they need it or not.  The second part of this series discusses what to do if you find a baby deer.

Due to the burgeoning deer population, many fawns are spotted in people’s yards in the spring.  Curled up against a fence or under a bush, fawns are protected from predators by their stillness and lack of natural odor.  The mother deer knows this and stays away from her fawn except to feed it and move it.  So, if you spot a fawn lying in your yard, keep you, your kids and your dog away from it and it should be moved by its mom by the next morning.

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