ForFoxSake

Don’t Relocate Skunks!

Well-meaning home owners often relocate skunks because they’re bothered by occasional whiffs of musk. It may seem like relocating an animal is a humane form of pest control, but it’s unfortunately not. Every year, thousands of mother skunks are taken away from their babies, who are left to die brutal, painful deaths by starvation. SkunksContinue reading “Don’t Relocate Skunks!”

Tennessee’s Slender Glass Snake

Only a lucky few will see one of these rare creatures within our beautiful state— and most will mistake them for snakes! Slender glass lizards are endangered within the state of Tennessee due to human disturbance of their habitat and the introduction of unnatural predators like outdoor cats. They usually live in open grasslands andContinue reading “Tennessee’s Slender Glass Snake”

Cottontail Mothers Feed Young Twice Daily

Cottontails don’t generally nest in burrows or dens, but in shallow depressions right in the middle of a forest of lawn. Predators are everywhere, but these babies stay safe while hidden in plain sight! That’s because mother cottontails have an impressive technique for keeping their babies hidden. Unlike other mammals that lie with their youngContinue reading “Cottontail Mothers Feed Young Twice Daily”

Dreys: Those Leafy Squirrel Nests

Have you spotted these nests in your neighborhood? These are called dreys. Tree squirrels and flying squirrels build them out of leaves, grass, bark, and twigs in the forked branches of trees, when cavity nests aren’t available. A pair of male and female squirrels will often share a drey until the female becomes pregnant, butContinue reading “Dreys: Those Leafy Squirrel Nests”

The Domesticated Raccoons of Cuba

Early invaders from Spain described a strange animal, farmed and raised by the Taíno people of Cuba. These “mute dogs,” as they were described, were friendly creatures that were small, agile, and extremely intelligent, but didn’t look like normal dogs and didn’t bark or howl. The indigenous people of Cuba raised them as pets andContinue reading “The Domesticated Raccoons of Cuba”

Tennessee’s Snowshoe Hares

Yesterday, Chattanooga— where For Fox Sake is based— did the most stereotypically Southern thing possible. In anticipation of less than half an inch of snow, we cleared out all the milk sandwich ingedients from our local grocery stores, closed schools and businesses, and huddled into our homes expecting the worst. The few flurries that fellContinue reading “Tennessee’s Snowshoe Hares”

Hawks are Exterminators: Don’t Poison Their Food!

Native hawks are part of nature’s most powerful pest control crew! A single red-tail hawk can eat dozens of rats, mice, and other potential pests in a single week. This benefits humans by reducing the spread of disease and keeping crops and homes safe from damage. Like most predators, hawks will often target prey thatContinue reading “Hawks are Exterminators: Don’t Poison Their Food!”

How Big Are Coyotes? Smaller Than You Think!

Many people who have seen coyotes estimate that they’re at least the size of German shepherds, but coyotes are actually pretty small, weak animals. Out West, a typical coyote weighs a puny 16-18 pounds. Here in Tennessee, where they owe much of their ancestry to red wolves and feral dogs, coyotes are larger, but stillContinue reading “How Big Are Coyotes? Smaller Than You Think!”

Firefighters Rescue “Puppies” That Are Actually Foxes

Animal mix-ups are a strange– and sometimes hilarious– part of wildlife rehabilitation. Here in Chattanooga, we’ve had calls about foxes that turned out to be coyotes, squirrels that were actually raccoons, and my personal favorite: a hawk that couldn’t fly, which was actually somebody’s pet chicken. Colorado Springs rehabilitators got to deal with a similarContinue reading “Firefighters Rescue “Puppies” That Are Actually Foxes”

Disturbing Video Shows Children Feeding Bucks

This is a still from a viral video that has been making the rounds on social media today. The video shows children in a suburban neighborhood feeding bread to adult bucks. Although people shared the video saying that it was beautiful and inspiring— and although the children certainly look happy— this is disturbing for aContinue reading “Disturbing Video Shows Children Feeding Bucks”