Virginia Opossums are interesting creatures. They are the only marsupial native to North America. The gestation period for the Virginia Opossum is 13 days which means they are very “premature” when born. At birth, they crawl up into the mothers pouch, attach themselves to one of her 13 nipples, and continue to grow and develop for another 2 months. When they are about 2 months old, they begin to leave the mom’s pouch for short periods of time. They will stay with mom—first in her pouch, then riding on her back and finally running along side her—for approximately 5 months when they are fully weaned and able to live independently.

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Rabbit nests are often very shallow and about the size of a pie pan. Unfortunately, mama rabbits will choose inconvenient spots, like your yard, for a nesting spot. If you or your pet destroy a rabbit’s nest, return as much of the bedding material as possible back inside the shallow hole that is the nesting spot. If the babies are not injured, place them on the nest and cover them the best you can. Mother rabbits do not stay with the babies as a way to keep preditors from finding the babies. She will visit the nest 2 or 3 times a day to feed and care for the babies. If you are uncertain as to whether the mother is returning to her babies, you can drape a string or small sticks in an “X” or tic-tac-toe pattern on top of the nest. If the pattern has been disturbed, mom is returning. Keep all pets away from the area for several weeks and allow the babies time to grow. If the string is undisturbed, then the mother did not return. Call a rehabber for further instructions. If the bunny has been injured, including one that has been in contact with a cat, call a rehabber immediately. Be sure to place the baby in a towel lined box, add a source of heat to keep it warm and do not give any food or fluids.

Fall is typically the biggest baby season for squirrels. Squirrels can have 2 breeding season, spring and fall, but the largest number of squirrels will have liters in the fall. If you find a baby squirrel on the ground always look around for the siblings. Typically, a squirrel will have between 3-5 babies. Babies fall from nests for several reasons. A new squirrel mom may not be proficient at building a nest or a squirrel may use an old nest and both of these may have holes that babies can fall through. Severe weather can blow a nest from a tree or blow a baby out of the nest. If the squirrel’s nest is raided by a preditory bird, the baby may fall out or be dropped.

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If you find a baby bird that has fallen from a nest, you can simply put it back into the nest if you are able to reach it safely. The bird's parents will continue caring for the baby bird even if a person has touched it. If the bird is unfeathered and you are not able to put it back into the nest, bring the baby inside and place it in a box (with airholes already cut into the box) and keep the bird warm by using a hot water battle, warm water in a Ziploc bag that is double bagged to prevent water leaking or a heating pad set on low. Be sure to check often to make sure the heat source is not too hot or getting cold. Close the box and place it (with the heat source) in a dark, quiet area away from children and pets. Do not give the bird anything to eat or drink. Call a local rehabilitator as soon as possible.

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