cyndi

Home Sweet Home

The three armadillo brothers that were raised at the Wildlife Center since they were a couple of days old were taken to a remote site that already has armadillo on it for release. It was wonderful to witness these unusual mammals grow, change and learn. Watching their instinctual behavior emerge gave us confidence that these boys would have the tools they needed to survive at release. The landowner dug a trench to create an artificial den. At the uphill end of the trench, he placed a five-gallon bucket. To the cap of the bucket, he connected a “tunnel” of metal dryer vent. Then everything except the entrance was buried. A low fence was erected to guide the armadillo to the nearby pond. Back-up food was provided. The armadillo had been busy digging around the enclosure, so the fence was removed. The landowner dug up the den one week later check on the health and well-being of the brothers. He discovered that two of the three armadillo was still calling it home. It is thought that the largest of the three was probably foraging nearby or had struck out on his own. It is expected that the remaining two will eventually abandon the artificial den, but it will be there in case they need a place to hide. What a perfect release! It makes all of the work worthwhile.

By cyndi|June 22nd, 2010|Categories: Armadillo, Educational Articles, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Armadillo, artifical den, den, Galveston, Galveston County, hard release, Harris County, Houston, mammal, rehabilitation, release, soft release, Volunteer, wildlife, Wildlife Center, Wildlife Rehab & Education Center, WR&E Center, WR&E Wildlife Center|0 Comments

Under Their Wing

The Wildlife Center of Texas has ongoing relationships with homeowners that have the same issue year after year with nesting birds on their property. Usually the birds in question are those with strong site fidelity such as hawks, owls and herons. One family has taken Red-Shouldered Hawks “under their wing”. Each year nestlings and fledglings get blown or shoved out of the nest. After the Wildlife Center of Texas checks them out and provides several good meals, the babies are renested. The first permutation was the animal kennel strapped to the tree. (Don’t forget drain holes or a heavy rain will drown the very animals you are trying to save) It isn’t beautiful, but the parents faithfully raised their babies. When predators became a problem, another kennel was placed on top of a shed. This kennel had holes in the sides that were big enough for the parent to stick in their head to feed, but too small for the predator. The parents adapted beautifully and continued to feed their offspring. Once the chicks were large enough to fend off the predator, they were moved to an open airline kennel. So intrigued about the behavior of the hawks and to check up on the parents to make sure they were caring for their offspring, they mounted webcams. Family and friends delighted in watching the parents bring food to their chicks. They aren’t the only people we have heard of doing this. One raccoon lover set up webcams so he could keep track of his charges. Concerned that the parents were having difficulty feeding themselves and their offspring, the family began providing supplemental food if one or more babies was in the original nest and others [...]

By cyndi|June 12th, 2010|Categories: Red Shouldered Hawk, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: renesting|0 Comments

Two for Tea

Young mammals may appear lost and alone while they explore or wait for parents to return from foraging for food nearby. This is especially true for deer and rabbits who intentionally do not remain with their baby(ies) during the day. Every year the Wildlife Center receives hundreds of babies that were kidnapped from their parents by well-meaning rescuers. You need to know the behavior of the animal in question and some things to look for to make an informed decision about whether or not the baby(ies) need to be rescued. Each time the mom deer or rabbit returns from foraging, she leaves another scent trail that could potentially lead a predator to the nest. While she is in the nest, her scent is a big neon sign pointing not only to her, but to her baby(ies). So, as the baby gets older and can go longer between nursing, she spends more and more time nearby, but not with her offspring. Deer further confuse predators my moving their fawn(s) from one location to another. In fact, prey animals often build their burrows and park their babies near human buildings because they know predators like coyote are less likely to approach. They are much less afraid of us and our domestic animals than they are of coyotes, feral dogs, raccoon and raptors. Every golf course has a story of mother deer parking the fawns against the clubhouse during the day. So what to do when a rabbit’s den is found or a fawn is seen? Usually the babies are just fine where they are, but you should conduct a quick inspection. It is an old wives’ tale that the parent will reject babies that have been touched. [...]

By cyndi|June 5th, 2010|Categories: Deer, Rabbit, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Deer, Rabbits|0 Comments

Mountains out of Molehills

The Wildlife Center had a first this week – Moles! Volunteers were shocked at what beautiful fur they had. The person who rescued them was performing excavation work when they inadvertently dug into their den. Moles have unusual fur in that it doesn’t have a nap. In other words, the fur doesn’t lay in one direction like cats and dogs. Chinchilla come to mind when observing the moles. The other physical attribute that jumped out at volunteers was the size and orientation of the front legs. Place the top of each hand against the other – that’s the permanent orientation of the mole’s front legs. This is great for digging laterally, but not that great for walking. In addition, the front paws are two to three times larger than the back and are tipped in humongous (a very technical term!) claws. Each paw looks like a little excavator bucket. Yet, the skin on the pads is as moist and soft as a baby’s. The volunteer that held the moles for a couple of quick pictures and a brief health exam noted that they constantly nibbled her skin, tasting as much as smelling as they quickly moved back and forth. The claws felt sharp, but didn’t prick like arboreal species like squirrels which have claws that are tipped with tiny barbs. Most moles live underground, but some feed above ground and others are semi-aquatic. The favorite meals are invertebrates, especially earthworms. Moles have a paralyzing or sedating component in their saliva that immobilizes earthworms which they can store in a “larder” for future consumption. There is usually no external indication of ears and the eyes are very small and often covered in skin or fur. For [...]

By cyndi|June 3rd, 2010|Categories: Mole, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Mole|0 Comments

Just Slithering Past

The Garter Snake has a distribution that is the largest of any reptile in North America. They range from Canada to Central America. There are so many sub-species and color variations within species that it would be difficult to describe, except that they all have 3 racing stripes that run from the neck to the tail. The body runs the gamut of colors from almost black through tan and olive through bright green. Some have spots between the stripes and others look like checkerboards. The racing stripes are usually a shade of yellow, but others have orange or red stripes. They are a wonderful addition to any yard or garden. Originally thought to be non-venomous, it turns out that Garter Snakes do in fact possess this chemical weapon. The venom is very weak and not toxic unless you are toad or lizard. The reason they were thought to be non-venomous is that they don’t have fangs and the reaction of humans or their companion animals to a bite is mild redness and maybe an itching sensation. The venom is delivered by two “teeth” located in the very back of the mouth. Garter Snakes don’t strike prey; they have to “chew” on it to deliver the venom. Again this is not an issue if you aren’t a toad or lizard. Garter Snakes communicate with each other via pheromones. They lay down a scent trail wherever they go – which is helpful if you are a male snake looking for a mate. But some males have an interesting adaptation – they possess both male and female pheromones. This causes other males to waste energy chasing a “she-male” instead of successfully mating with a female. What a dirty trick!

By cyndi|May 30th, 2010|Categories: Snake, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: garter snake, Snake|0 Comments

Mommy, What's that Pink Bird?

The Roseate Spoonbill is relatively common in the Gulf Coast area, but only a few per year wind up at the Wildlife Center. This magnificent bird is in full breeding plumage; note brilliant pink patch on the breast and the overall vibrant coloration. A relatively large wading bird, they can stand almost three feet tall and have a wingspan of about 50 inches. Besides the eye-popping color, the Roseate Spoonbill is characterized by its long white neck and spatulate bill. They filter feed as they swing their unique bill side to side as they slowly walk through the wetlands. Unlike other birds like herons with this general build, Spoonbills fly with their neck outstretched. A gregarious bird, it can often be found in the company of other large wading or water birds such as Great Egrets, Tricolored Herons and Pelicans. Haven't seen one in the wild yet? Go to places where you've seen large wading birds before.

By cyndi|May 25th, 2010|Categories: Roseate Spoonbill, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Roseate Spoonbill, water bird|0 Comments

Lovey Dovey

Injured adult doves and young are quite plentiful right now at the Wildlife Center. Most folks are familiar with the haunting call of the Mourning Dove and can pick it out at (under) the birdfeeder. But the Houston area is home to a total of four different species. All doves start life as “ugly ducklings” covered in dingy white down and a disproportionately large beak. Pigeons belong to the same family as the dove and are sometimes called Rock Doves. The most common dove in the greater Houston is the Mourning Dove, but the White Wing Dove is quickly becoming a fixture in our backyards. Rare until 5 -7 years ago, they were usually seen only when migrating to or from breeding grounds in Mexico and Central America. These days they are frequent year-round visitors. They look very similar to Mourning Doves, but they are much bigger and at rest, you can see the white band that outlines the leading edge of the wing. (Note the white feathers are already emerging on the nestling below) Eurasian Collared Doves can be distinguished from Mourning Doves because they have a thin black collar or necklace at the base of the neck. Inca Doves are the smaller of the species that make Houston home, in the bright sun there are some iridescent feathers, but the “tiled” appearance of the feathers is the most distinguishing characteristic. Doves make sloppy haphazard nests that often fall apart before the babies have fully fledged. Therefore, baby doves are one of the most common species seen at the Wildlife Center. Every effort should be make to encourage [...]

By cyndi|May 23rd, 2010|Categories: Songbirds, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Bird, Dove|1 Comment

Who is that Masked Bird?

Novice bird watchers often get Loggerhead Shrikes confused with Mockingbirds. They are close enough in looks that a quick glance misidentification is understandable. On second glance, even a novice will know that there is something different here – the bird looks like a Mockingbird on steroids! While they are about the same size and both have gray, black and white coloration, the similarities stop there. Shrikes are North America’s only predatory songbird. The beak is hooked like a raptor’s, but they don’t have talons for holding prey. To compensate for this lack, the Shrike family impales prey on thorns, barb wire fences etc. This practice has earned them the nickname “Butcher Bird”. They will readily eat insects, small snakes, lizards and even small birds. Insect eating Shrikes even cast a pellet when their stomachs are full of hard exoskeletons.

By cyndi|May 17th, 2010|Categories: Educational Articles, Songbirds, Wildlife Rescue|0 Comments

Bad Hair Day

"Fish and visitors smell in three days" (Benjamin Franklin)...but so do Yellow-crowned Night Herons. The annual flood of herons has begun at the Wildlife Center. Herons are one of the few BIG EXCEPTIONS to the “place the baby bird back in the nest or in a substitute nest and see if the parents come to feed it” rule. Herons NEVER attend to a baby that has fallen from the nest. Every year the Wildlife Center receives over one hundred of these prehistoric looking creatures. In the Houston area these birds nest at the tops of old oak or pine trees 70 feet in the air. In other biospheres, herons don't nest so high, some even nest on the ground. Their nests are big messy affairs that sometimes fall apart. Should this happen, the fall usually injures the babies. Once on the ground their body temperature plummets and the nestlings rapidly become hypothermic. These compromised babies are good candidates for maggots that hatch from fly eggs. A baby that could have been saved sometimes has to be euthanized because of the tissue damage done by the maggots. It is important to keep these babies warm and get them to the Wildlife Center ASAP. Night Herons really eat at night! Seriously unusual behavior for waterbirds. During breeding season when dietary requirements are much higher they are frequently are seen during the day. They are often seen in flooded plains, suburban drainage ditches and around water detention ponds. They exhibit strong nesting site fidelity which means they return to the exact same nest year after year. Young inexperienced birds do their best, but the nests are usually flimsy and small. Each year the nest is improved. This leads to huge [...]

By cyndi|May 10th, 2010|Categories: International Bird Treaty, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: Egret, Heron, International Bird Treaty|0 Comments

Get Quacking!

The Wildlife Center receives many more Wood Ducks and Black Bellied Whistling Ducks than their populations in the wild would imply. Speculation about this phenomenon centers around the fact that both species perch in trees and prefer to nest in tree cavities. All ducks nest near a water source or wetland, but perching ducks have a "bird’s eye view" of water sources that ground nesting ducks wouldn’t normally notice. The problem is that the parent ducks don’t take into account that there are fences or roads between their tree and the water source. Babies sometimes slip under a fence or into a pool where parents cannot retrieve them. What to do if you find unchaperoned ducklings. First, look to see if you can spot a parent and the other ducklings. If so, scoop up the wayward duckling(s) and release them near their siblings. If it is early in the day and there are no nearby predators – give the parents a few hours to reunite. If it is late in the day or the ducklings are threatened place them in a box and bring them to the Wildlife Center. What can you do to help this situation? Both species of duck will use nest boxes. The nest box should be placed in a location that has an unimpeded path to the water. If you are interested in building a nest box, click here. Both species of duck are territorial and a touch lazy. If there are too many nest boxes, a female will "dump" her eggs into someone else's nest box. She may think she's done her duty without having to sit on the eggs, but in nest boxes with two or more clutches none [...]

By cyndi|May 6th, 2010|Categories: Duck, Wildlife Rescue|Tags: black bellied whistling duck, Duck, wood duck|0 Comments

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