Cross foxes and grey foxes are easily confused! The description of “grey with a red outline” applies to both, but they’re actually completely different species (both of which occur naturally here in Southeast Tennessee). The cross fox is actually a red fox, the species most people are familiar with. When a red fox carries genesContinue reading “Cross Fox or Red Fox? How to Tell”
Author Archives: ForFoxSake
Canine Distemper in Raccoons: What You Need to Know
Yikes, the zombie apocalypse is upon us! Humans aren’t the only animals who experience pandemics. In recent decades, racccoons and many other wild animals have been massively afflicted with canine distemper, an extremely contagious virus that passed to wildlife through unvaccinated dogs. We saw lower-than-average rates of canine distemper in wild raccoons this year, butContinue reading “Canine Distemper in Raccoons: What You Need to Know”
That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One
Ok here’s what I wrote and it will go live tomorrow. Thank you guys! The world works in mysterious ways, and people can find messages hidden in anything. Grief is painful, and it’s only human nature to look for signs that our loved ones are still with us. Sometimes we come across animals in ourContinue reading “That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One”
How to Tell A Bobcat from a House Cat
Mistaken identity seems to be a recurrent theme in our phone calls and messages. Many of you likely recall the viral story about our bobcat patient Arwen, whose finder mistook her for a stray domestic kitten and made an unintentionally hilarious post attempting to rehome her. In much more frustrating cases, we’ve had people cussContinue reading “How to Tell A Bobcat from a House Cat”
Baby Opossums Left Alone Need Help!
Nearly any time you find a baby animal by itself, the correct thing to do is to leave it exactly where you found it. Most animals leave their young for long periods of time while they find food. Rabbits, for example, only feed their young once at dawn and dusk, and deer usually leave theirContinue reading “Baby Opossums Left Alone Need Help!”
Do Raccoons Hibernate?
Raccoons right now are going through many changes to prepare for winter. They’re becoming much more crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) rather than strictly nocturnal and are developing a strong instinct to forage on high-fat foods and seek shelters. All these changes prepare them “Diet Hibernation,” known more scientifically as torpor. Torpor differs fromContinue reading “Do Raccoons Hibernate?”
Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!
One of our most important goals as an organization is to promote peaceful coexistence with wild animals. We strive to make sure that owners of livestock seek effective, nonlethal methods of protecting their herds. Instead of killing native predators— a futile, cruel, ineffective approach— many ranchers make the excellent decision to employ livestock guardian dogs.Continue reading “Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!”
Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?
We humans have a strange urge to create monsters. For many, it’s not enough for believe in predators that hunt prey. We have to also project strange, sinister, and even supernatural forces onto the creatures who share our planet. Since the beginning of time, we’ve created and exaggerated stories of dragons that abduct maidens, giantContinue reading “Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?”
Raccoons Don’t Wash Their Food. Here’s What They’re Really Doing!
Raccoons are famous for their tendency to “wash” their food, but they’re not washing anything at all! Raccoons aren’t exactly the most hygienic animals; they’ll often dip their food into the same body of water they use as a latrine (communal toilet). Ick! The reason for this behavior is actually much more interesting than youContinue reading “Raccoons Don’t Wash Their Food. Here’s What They’re Really Doing!”
Keep Owlets Safe: Don’t Use Rodent Poison
Baby owls, called owlets, just might be the cutest and strangest-looking creatures on Earth. They look like Mother Nature collected a year’s worth of dryer lint and then got creative with googly eyes and acrylic, possibly after having a couple of drinks. As much as we humans love owlets, no one loves them as muchContinue reading “Keep Owlets Safe: Don’t Use Rodent Poison”
