ForFoxSake

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”

Tennessee Cave Salamanders

Wouldn’t it be great if every little-known or underappreciated species could have its own fifteen minutes of fame? In the last year, axolotls— endangered salamanders native to Mexico— have had their time in the spotlight, and it’s no doubt done wonders to focus attention on protecting and conserving them. But did you know that weContinue reading “Tennessee Cave Salamanders”

Variations in Striped Skunks

“What kind of skunk is this? Isn’t this one different?” “Isn’t it supposed to have more black?” “Is it going to get more white when it gets older?” We see these questions a lot about our striped skunk patients! Skunks have highly variable markings, and we routinely see patients who are nearly all-black or nearlyContinue reading “Variations in Striped Skunks”

Amazing Newborn Opossum Development

Believe it or not, this isn’t a human embryo. Or a dog embryo. Or a giraffe embryo. It’s not an embryo at all, but a newborn animal already out of the womb and in the world! This is a real photo of an opossum joey, taken moments after birth. At a glance, newborn opossums lookContinue reading “Amazing Newborn Opossum Development”

Smiling Opossums: Scared, Not Happy

You know all those adorable memes, showing opossums “smiling” while being handled? It’s common for people who find orphaned or injured opossums to project that the animal knows it’s being helped or is happy to be cuddled and pet. Some unethical exhibitors will even distribute photos of smiling opossums as evidence that they love toContinue reading “Smiling Opossums: Scared, Not Happy”

Don’t Leave Medicine for Sick Wildlife

Have you ever heard of a doctor treating disease this way? When a doctor is in the mall and sees somebody coughing and sneezing, they don’t come back and leave a bowl of candy laced with Tamiflu. That would be a bad idea for a number of reasons. The doctor can’t make a diagnosis fromContinue reading “Don’t Leave Medicine for Sick Wildlife”

Don’t Hatch an Egg Found on the Ground!

This is one of the more common and frustrating calls we receive: “I found an egg and I’m going to hatch it!” This usually happens when someone finds an egg on the ground and determines— often incorrectly— that it fell or blew out of a nest. Taking an egg out of nature and trying toContinue reading “Don’t Hatch an Egg Found on the Ground!”

Don’t Rescue Native Prey from Native Predators

We were on the fence about sharing this story, because we know there are people who will be offended and upset by our advice to sometimes let nature be nature. But we feel we have an obligation to advocate for wildlife even when our advice is upsetting or unpopular. So here’s a true story thatContinue reading “Don’t Rescue Native Prey from Native Predators”

Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife

Whenever a coyote or fox is admitted to For Fox Sake, the very first thing we do is treat them for sarcoptic mange. The few who come to us without symptoms invariably have the mites in their skin and, without treatment, will develop symptoms within a few days. No matter what part of the stateContinue reading “Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife”

Use AHnow, Not 911, for Wildlife Emergencies

We know that wildlife emergencies can be scary, and we all learned as children that the best thing to do in an emergency is to call 911! But unfortunately, calling 911 for an orphaned or injured wild animal is not helpful. It could delay assistance for the animal, tie up resources needed for human emergencies,Continue reading “Use AHnow, Not 911, for Wildlife Emergencies”