Unusual Encounters
Recently, we encountered some wildlife interactions we’d never before observed, although they likely happen daily. Raven on Redtail We’ve often witnessed blackbirds diving at and attacking ravens and hawks in flight to remove them from their territories or nest. In these instances, the larger birds…
Lovable Badgers?
I’ve always thought of badgers as crabby, ill-tempered little creatures willing to consume anything in sight, including snakes. They are pugnacious little beasts, I assumed after observing a few of them in the wild. They have their place in nature, of course, but are devoid…
Invasive Species
“A bunny just hopped by outside my window,” I told my friend during our periodic phone conversation. Since I was in Phoenix and she was in Miami, phone conversations had to suffice until we could visit in person. “Lucky you,” she said. “The pythons have…
R.I.P. Spike
“He’s never been on the ground before, has he?” I asked Chuck as he lay our 26-year-old California Kingsnake, Spike, on the floor of our patio. “No, he hasn’t,” said Chuck. “I thought he might like a little vitamin D.” For an animal that might…
Bitten!
“There are usually only two reasons a snake will bite,” Chuck tells people. “They bite to protect themselves or to get food.” A visitor to a regional park near us was recently bitten for one of those reasons, even though he likely thought he was…
Feeding Time
“Everything has to eat,” we tell kids who express concern watching a snake eat a mouse or a rabbit. “It’s part of nature.” Most of us can relate to cute fuzzy mice or rabbits more than we can relate to slithering reptiles, but it’s important…
Dangerous Territory
“Keep your bear spray in your hands!” This warning from the biologist was meant to protect us as we meander through the wetlands inhabited by many moose on the National Elk Refuge. As we advise visitors, moose are the most dangerous animals in the area….