Category Archives: General Info

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”

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”

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”

Should We Kill Foxes to Prevent Rabies?

Do you kill random humans, just in case they have ebola? Foxes, skunks, and raccoons are routinely killed because of their reputation as rabies vectors. While rabies is a problem, destroying healthy animals does absolutely nothing to control the spread of disease. It just causes unnecessary death and suffering. You can prevent rabies by havingContinue reading “Should We Kill Foxes to Prevent Rabies?”

Pet Body Armor Protects Against Wildlife

Hawks, coyotes, bobcats— and in some areas, wolves and bears— can be scary for owners of pets and working animals. But killing wildlife is inhumane, ineffective, and often illegal as a method of protecting pets. So what’s a pet owner to do? The best way to protect pets is to keep them either indoors orContinue reading “Pet Body Armor Protects Against Wildlife”

How I Got Banned From Facebook for Reporting Animal Abuse, and the Animal Abuser Did Not

(Update: As of 12:00 pm on January 6, the video depicting the torture and death of the puppy is still on Facebook. The abuser is still actively posting on Facebook, including a video where he is playing with a new puppy to prove that he is “not a bad guy.”) Dear Fellow Animal Lovers, TheContinue reading “How I Got Banned From Facebook for Reporting Animal Abuse, and the Animal Abuser Did Not”