ForFoxSake

Nature’s Ant Control Crew

Ants can become a nuisance when they become overpopulated, and invasive fire ants— which aren’t a natural part of our ecosystem and can carry a particularly nasty sting— are especially frustrating to deal with. Thankfully, we have lots of wild animals who help keep the populations of ant colonies in check! Native lizards, especially skinks,Continue reading “Nature’s Ant Control Crew”

Fox Screams: Just Looking for Love!

It’s mid-January and you wake up at night to the sound of a woman screaming in terror. Or… wait, that’s not a woman, is it? That’s a… bird of some kind? a Bigfoot? a mountain lion? It’s easy for our imaginations to get carried away when we hear that eerie scream in the darkness. MostContinue reading “Fox Screams: Just Looking for Love!”

How to Examine a Box Turtle

You don’t have to be a vet or wildlife rehabilitator to check an animal for signs of injury! We don’t normally ask the public to examine animals, but the increase in of eye and ear infections have us concerned, and they need your help! If you find a wild box turtle, please do NOT bringContinue reading “How to Examine a Box Turtle”

Rabies: Rare in Coyotes

A lot of people in our area are upset and concerned after a local coyote was spotted, appearing disoriented. While it’s always very important to exercise caution around an animal that seems to be sick, confused, or fearless, please be aware that the risk of rabies from coyotes is extremely small in the United States!Continue reading “Rabies: Rare in Coyotes”

It’s Not Dead Until It’s Warm and Dead: Saving Unresponsive Animals

With the kind of chill we’ve had this winter, we wanted to share an important tip about saving animals. This is one of the first things rehabilitators learn when it comes to wildlife first aid! It’s very possible that you might find a “dead” animal one day in very cold weather. This may include aContinue reading “It’s Not Dead Until It’s Warm and Dead: Saving Unresponsive Animals”

Don’t Fear Owls

It’s funny how, every few years, a different animal will become the target of panic and fear, and people will become convinced that the species is a hazard that needs to be killed or relocated. For the last few years, owls have been a surprising focus of hate and fear. As with most other panicsContinue reading “Don’t Fear Owls”

Botflies: Why Lumpy Squirrels Don’t Need Help

Rehabbers get a lot of calls about lumpy squirrels, especially in summer! There are two common causes of lumps on squirrels: squirrelpox, a viral infection we’ll discuss in a separate post, and botflies, which are insects that develop in animals’ skin in the larval stage. When people find lumpy squirrels, they almost always feel thatContinue reading “Botflies: Why Lumpy Squirrels Don’t Need Help”

Don’t Feed Corn to Wild Animals

Please be careful about where your good intentions lead! Especially around this time of year, a lot of people will feed wildlife to try to help them prepare for winter. Because corn is cheap and is readily eaten by most mammals, it’s a common choice for supplemental food. Native wild animals don’t need our helpContinue reading “Don’t Feed Corn to Wild Animals”

Rethinking Tennessee’s Prairie Wolf

We think it’s way past time to rethink how people view coyotes in the Southeast. Often maligned and viewed as an invasive nuisance, they’re actually a critical part of our ecosystem just like their closely related predecessors, the red wolves. It’s nothing new for a closely related animal to fill in the gaps left whenContinue reading “Rethinking Tennessee’s Prairie Wolf”

Why Red Foxes are Red

To human eyes, a red fox’s flame-colored fur stands out starkly against vegetation, but— believe it or not!— red foxes actually evolved their characteristic coats as camouflage. Animals aren’t capable of producing green pigment. Animals that appear green actually depend on structural coloration, or the use of microscopic physical traits to reflect green light. Scales,Continue reading “Why Red Foxes are Red”