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Tail Talk
Let The Adventure Begin!
by Kristi Ontiveros
Welcome One and All to the Debut of “Tail Talk ”! |
Tail Talk is the newest addition to our quarterly newsletter “Wildlife Tails”.
In addition to all of our other very cool articles written by some of my favorite (and very creative) people here at The DFW Wildlife Coalition, Tail Talk will cover a variety of topics and commentaries related to all things WILD!
You already know what a terrific source of information our newsletter is, and this will be yet another fun way to learn about wildlife and the wild people who love them-hmmm that sounds like it could be a topic in itself!
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Kristi Ontiveros |
Some fun, some serious, and some peppered with just a bit of wild ramblings to keep you entertained!
So take a walk with me on the wild side of learning about our native wildlife and enjoy!
Let the adventure begin!
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| Spring Is In the Air!! |
O.k. so it’s only the first week of February, but here in north Texas spring is just around the corner!
With that in mind, it’s a great time to prepare ourselves for what is coming up (and I don’t mean just the tulips!)
If you are one of our hotline volunteers you can sit there all smug because you know where I’m going with this!
In the ordinary world spring brings to mind things like green grass awakening your lawn, putting away that horrid wool sweater and mittens from Aunt Edna, and ducks.
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Ducks?
Yes, I said ducks.
Trust me there is a tie-in here.
In springtime, ducks and their sweet little ducklings often end up in our backyard pools because mom chose what she thought was a suitable watery habitat to hatch her ducklings. The problem is that usually the water level is down far enough that they can plop right in but can’t get back out. That’s where the hotline volunteer becomes ever so aware of what season it is….
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Welcome To Baby Season!!!!
We all love baby animals, and in spring there are plenty of them to love.
If you are new to the hotline and have yet to experience baby season, or you just want to know what it all means, here’s a quick rundown of springtime’s newest arrivals and the babies we most often encounter here in the Metroplex.
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It all begins in February:
Squirrels usually have 2 litters per year, with the first babies being born between February and April. The second litter arrives in late summer around August and September.
Baby squirrels and baby opossums can be easily confused when they are young. Remember, the easiest giveaway that a baby is a squirrel and not an opossum is the toenails. Squirrel toenails are black!
Cottontails breed beginning in February as well, and continue through late summer. Remember that a cottontail is independent when it is only the size of a tennis ball, or for those non-tennis pros, that’s also the size of a woman’s fist! Easy enough since we all know at least one woman!
Coyotes have their litters in April and May. They are on their own at only nine months old! These guys are really neat, and being a “canid” person myself I could go on and on about how unique and beautiful these animals are. Both parents take part in raising the young. Way to go dad!
Fox kits are born in March or April and are able to hunt with their parents at the ripe old age of 9 weeks-don’t you wish your kids were too! Even though they are able to hunt, they are not independent until six months of age. One really cool thing about the fox family is that, like the coyote, both parents raise the kits. That’s the spirit!
Opossums breed twice a year, and spring is no exception. A mother opossum has a litter of up to 13 babies! They move to her pouch to nurse for about 50 days, then cling to her fur until about 3 months of age when they become independent.
Remember, another way to tell the difference between a baby opossum and a baby squirrel at the “pinkie” stage is that the opossum has a “thumb” on his back paw. This looks almost like an opposable thumb or big toe but it does not have a toenail.
The number and location the babies were found is also an indication of the species.
Opossum babies are usually found near their mother or still in her pouch if she met with some sad fate, or sometimes they are found all alone if they just dropped off of her too soon.
Birds….well there are just so many species to talk about here, but the bottom line is birds have babies in the spring just like everybody else.
Remember the difference between a nestling and fledgling.
A nestling is still in the nest, dependent on the parents to bring food. A fledgling has flown or dropped from the nest and is still being watched by the parents nearby. They may flap around and appear in need of help, but not to worry-those flapping wings are usually just practice for flight! They are very susceptible to predators at this stage, so if you find one, leave it alone, but keep an eye out for cats, dogs, kids etc. He’ll have flown soon enough!
Skunks get in on the act around May or June. I know not everybody likes these guys, but I just think they are way cool! They wean and leave their burrow at around 2 months old but hang out with mom to forage for a while longer. She actually has more than one den site for her family and is prepared to move her litter if she feels they are threatened in any way. They disperse and find a home of their own in the fall. |
Last but not least everyone’s favorite critter….the happy and inquisitive Raccoon!
Friendly little critters they are, and we just love ‘em! Those eyes, those hands! They just make ya smile don’t they?
They have their babies in early spring, with the exception of those who bred late with babies coming along in late summer. The litter is usually 3-5 and they wean at about three months. They are still dependent on mom for at least six months while she teaches them the survival skills they need to survive in the wild, which includes how to hunt for food and find shelter. They stay with her until she breeds again in winter. |
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Of course this is just a crash course in Baby Season, but I thought everyone would like to know what’s coming up and what to expect on the hotline. Remember that sometimes the babies seem too young to be on their own, but they may still be under the very watchful eye of a parent. Wild babies stay with their parents much longer than say a kitten or puppy, but that’s because they have lots to learn from their parents to survive in the wild. Unless they are in danger or injured, it’s best to leave them alone to let them learn to be a wild animal.
I hope this nifty quick guide will come in handy for you. Basically everybody who’s anybody has spring babies!
By the way, if you don’t want momma duck to choose your pool as a nursery, remember you can put mylar balloons in the water or anything that sways in the spring breeze or floats in the pool to gently remind her this prime locale is not acceptable. A dog in the yard works just as well, though he may cost a bit more to feed!
Well that’s it for our premier issue of Tail Talk!
I hope you enjoyed your visit, and I’ll see you on the wild side again soon.
Until then….Adventure on!!!
Kristi Ontiveros is a DFW Wildlife Coalition hotline volunteer as well as a member of the
WildSpeak! committee. Look for her column "Tail Talk" in every new issue of Wildlife Tails.
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In This Issue
