Week Seven: Wildlife Rehabilitation

Question 1

What is wildlife rehabilitation?

Answer 1

Rescuing, raising, and treating orphaned, diseased, displaced, and injured animals

Question 2

What is required to keep or possess in captivity any sick, orphaned, or injured mirgratory birds?

Answer 2

Wildlife rehabilitation permit (federal permit)

Question 3

What is the difference between stabilization and rehabilitation?

Answer 3

Stabilization: you stabilize them until rehab
Rehab: this is rehabilitation

YES these are my definitions :)

Question 4

Baby birds

GO!

Answer 4

Place birds back in nest if possible, use a surrogate nest if not possible

Question 5

Baby squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and fawns

GO!

Answer 5

Do not move them unless you can confirm that the mother is not returning over night

Question 6

Baby opossums

GO!

Answer 6

If they fall off/out of the pouch they may be abandoned and are worth calling in about
Mom is horrible at being a mother and is a little flaky

Question 7

Release criteria

GO

Answer 7

If injury or disease is one that means animal would not be able to function in wild after release, it is likely euthanized

Question 8

Who are the rules and guidelines for the release criteria in wildlife set by?

Answer 8

USFWS Rehabilitation Regulations

Question 9

What are some examples of situations where euthanasia is very likely in wildlife animals?

Answer 9

Injuries that mean limited mobility, complete loss of sight or hearing, impared vision OU, amputation of wings/legs, imprinting, animal is a rabies vector species, animals with skull/jaw injury that causes malocclusions

Question 10

What is imprinting?

Answer 10

How an animal learns to identify its own species, not reversible

Question 11

What is taming?

Answer 11

Animal becoming socialized to humans over time, lose fear of humans (traps and food), it is imprinted to its own species, may still be releasable

Question 12

What are some considerations for transporting wild animals?

Answer 12

Injury, stress, sights, smells, transporter safety, clean-up

Question 13

Transporting birds

GO

Answer 13

Adult birds: pet carriers for larger birds, no wire cages, boxes appropriate for smaller birds, tape boxes closed!

Baby birds: heat source, nesting materials, security

Question 14

Transporting mammals

GO

Answer 14

Adults: Wire cages or live traps
Babies: Pet carriers, boxes for smaller animals, heat source

Question 15

Transporting reptiles

GO

Answer 15

Legless: pillowcase, lidded container
Legged: Boxes or buckets, no water for aquatic turtles

Question 16

What is the order of raptors defenses

Answer 16

Talons, wings, beak

Question 17

Handling raptors

GO

Answer 17

Block visual escape routes, control the talons first, then the wings and head,

Question 18

Basics of raptor care

GO

Answer 18

Caging: Solid sides, perching, protect feathers
Feeding: Natural prey, prepared prey for less able birds

Question 19

Stages of songbird development (stage, age, characteristics)

Answer 19

Hatchling: 0-4 days, eyes closed, naked, needs 80-90F
Nestling: 5-10 days, eyes open, partially feathered, vocalize for feeding, needs 80-85F
Fledgling: 11-14 days, most feathers are in, able to thermoregulate, attempts to fly and can leave nest
Juvenile: Full grown, defensive
Adult: Sexually mature

Question 20

How are some ways to identify what wildlife bird you have?

Answer 20

Mouth color, gape flange color, beak, skin and down color, vocalizations, location found, body size

Question 21

Basics of baby songbird care

GO

Answer 21

Hatchlings: q 10-20 min from 6 am-10 pm
Nestlings: q 20-30 min from 6am-10pm
Fledglings: q 20-30 min from 7am-10 pm
Juveniles: q2h from 7am-9pm
Remove spilled food from skin or feathers right away

Question 22

Order of needs in mammals

Answer 22

Warmth, hydration, food