Paws 'N Claws Newsletter, Jan. 2017

ATW Newsletter, September 2016

Paws 'N Claws
News from All Things Wild Rehabilitation, Inc.

What You Missed!

Never Never Land

Our rehabilitators are starting to get ready for baby season. They are going to need medical supplies, caging, and lots of formula! Click here to find out how you can help.

November 10: Shannon, Michael, Helen, and Elisabeth gave a presentation on squirrels and raccoons to a group of Boy Scouts.

November 12: Ed Sones, a rehabilitator with Austin Area Wildlife Rehabilitation who also works with ATW rehabilitators, gave an engaging presentation on owls. He shared his vast knowledge and introduced us to Ariel, the education screech owl.

December 2: Michael and Elisabeth brought Dawson, the education raccoon, to the Toybrary in Austin to teach a group of young children about raccoons and wildlife safety.

December 10: Anton Wroblewski gave a talk on Sasquatch, complete with footprint casts, photos, and physical demonstrations of Sasquatch movements. Spoiler Alert! Sasquatch does not poop; therefore Sasquatch does not exist.

December 11: Sarah, Helen, and Elisabeth represented ATW at the Cherrywood Art Fair in Austin.

Just when I thought I could take a sigh of relief and relax after the busy 2016 baby season, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell soared into my life during the December holidays. We never, never get southern flying squirrels close to Georgetown. In fact, getting southern flying squirrels in rehab is such a rarity that I only know of one past occurrence when orphaned flying squirrels were found near Bastrop. However, the three 3-week-old orphaned babies were found in a cavity nest of shredded palm-tree fibers and dryer lint in a fallen tree off Highway 29, east of Georgetown, near the San Gabriel River between Tollway 130 and Jonah.

Frankly, I wasn’t sure what I had when I opened the box they were in. I knew immediately they weren’t red fox squirrels, which are common in Central Texas. Red fox squirrels have black claws, these three creatures had white claws like rats and mice. But they weren’t rats or mice. Maybe they are ground squirrels, who live to our west in the Hill Country, but no, they aren’t ground squirrels because the markings are different. Then, like a bolt of lightning had struck me, I noticed the flap of skin between the front and back leg. With much excitement, I knew they were flying squirrels.

But what to do? The one person who had raised baby flying squirrels in the past was my dear friend Lily who lost her battle with ovarian cancer a year ago. I called Ed, who has been rehabilitating for over 30 years, but Ed has never rehabilitated flying squirrels. I called Nick at Fox Valley Animal Nutrition, who knows a lot about formulas for baby animals. He suggested a formula mix for the babies. I called Bonnie, who lives east of Bastrop within the range of southern flying squirrels and who helped release Lily’s two flying squirrels over a year ago. While Bonnie had never raised any babies, she did send me some information out of a book about wild baby mammals.

I learned that flying squirrels are arboreal and live almost entirely in trees. They like to be near a water source. They are born with a patagium, a skin flap from front to hind legs on both sides. They are nocturnal and omnivorous. In the wild, they eat nuts, bark, sap, bird’s eggs, insects, fruits, berries, fungus, and carrion.

Our little flyers are now over 4 weeks old. Their eyes are open, big black eyes with excellent night vision. Wendy is the largest (1.1 oz), followed by Peter Pan (1.0 oz) and little Tinkerbell (.9 oz). In a week, I will be adding more fat to their formula and eventually offering them nuts, fruits, berries, mealworms, and crickets. My guest bathroom will be draped with blankets and towels for them to practice gliding (they don’t really fly, they glide) at night while I sleep. About April, they will go to Bonnie for a soft release. This means they will be released in an area where the rehabilitator can provide the animals with back-up food and shelter while they figure out how to survive in the wild.

This is a new experience for all of us. Getting to rehabilitate Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell is like living in Never Never Land where dreams are born and time is never planned. Just think of lovely things and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land.

Click here to view a short video about flying squirrels on YouTube.

Lora carefully removes an injured
great-horned owl from a capture net.

When rehabilitators get busy caring for dozens of animals, they don't have time to pick up animals. Sometimes people finding the animals are able to bring them to the rehabilitator, but occasionally, the bird or animal presents a danger that requires a trained individual to capture. Other times, people have legitimate reasons why they are unable to drive an animal to a rehabilitator, and we have no choice but to go get the animal(s).

Capture & Transport Training will teach volunteers how to safely get birds and animals into transport kennels without being clawed by an owl, bitten by a raccoon, or stabbed by a heron, for example. The training will be taught by Karen Orth, a rehabilitator for over 20 years, who works with raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats. Ed Sones, who works with raptors and water birds, will do the bird portion of the training

All Things Wild would like to establish a roster of trained capture and transport volunteers. If you are interested in helping All Things Wild with this needed and valuable service, please plan to attend. The training will be held immediately following the program at the Lunch & Learn on February 11.

Screech Owl Nesting to
Begin in Mid-February!

ATW is selling handmade screech owl houses. The nest boxes are constructed in accordance to specifications published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There's plenty of ventilation to prevent the formation of mold in the active owl nest. The roof and back are sealed to protect the wood from rain, while the walls are natural to allow the wood to breathe for added ventilation. The side opens for annual cleaning. Houses come with instructions for hanging and cleaning. The house measures approximately 11.5" x 14.5" x 9". Each house costs $50 plus tax. Send an email to allthingswildrehab@gmail.com to order yours today!

All Things Wild has black cotton t-shirts for sale in sizes small through extra-large. T-shirts, including free home-delivery, cost $25 each. All proceeds will fund the rehabilitation of wildlife in our care.

Please send the number of t-shirts, the sizes, and your phone number to allthingswildrehab@gmail.com. We will contact you for payment and delivery information.