Spiny Softshell Basics Spiny Softshell Turtles are considered one of the largest freshwater turtle species within the United States. Their unique appearance makes them stand out among other turtle species. As their name suggests, their carapace, or top shell, is flat, flexible, and has spines along the front surface. Their webbed feet and long nose […]
Wildlife Medical Clinic Overview Each year, the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois provides care to around 2,300 wildlife patients and about 120 different species. We take all native Illinois wildlife, excluding skunks and bats. While these animals arrive for a variety of reasons including injury, illness, and being orphaned as youngsters, the […]
As spooky season approaches, we want to talk about a few animals that get a bad rap for being scarier than they truly are. Owls Owls are often associated with death and bad luck and were once thought to be messengers of witches. One owl in particular, the barn owl, takes the brunt of some […]
General Information and Characteristics Considered to be one of the fastest flying shorebirds, reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, the American Golden Plover is a common migratory bird species found traversing the state of Illinois, as well as throughout the Midwest region. Each year, hailing from the Arctic Tundra, these elusive migratory […]
Avian Migration Whether you’re an avid bird-watcher or a person who avoids parking under trees so that you don’t have to wash the droppings off of your car for the nth time this week, you’re bound to have noticed that bird populations seem to ebb and flow with the seasons. You might be wondering, “where […]
Sydney Oliveira, WMC Program Coordinator, and Roxanne Lisowsky, Wildlife Ambassador Care Coordinator and DVM candidate 2027 talk about scavengers. They also introduce us to the Wildlife Medical Clinic’s newest ambassador animal, a young male Virginia Opossum.
Sydney Oliveira, WMC Program Coordinator, had the pleasure of chatting with Illinois Extension educators on their podcast, Everyday Environment. Some topics that were discussed include the following: To listen to the podcast or read the blog, check out the links below.
We recently made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Petunia, our resident Virginia opossum. Petunia was a huge part of our ambassador program at the Wildlife Medical Clinic, and she will be greatly missed. Petunia’s journey with us started when she arrived at the Wildlife Medical Clinic from Champaign, Illinois, on May 18, 2022, as […]
Several weeks ago, we made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize our resident barred owl, Vara. This decision came about due to an overall decline in her quality of life. Although Vara did not travel for ambassador programs, she could be seen outside during cool summer evenings, her favorite time of day. She was loved […]
Sydney Oliveira, WMC Program Coordinator, brought Onslo (Blue Tongued Skink), a Wildlife Medical Clinic animal ambassador along on her visit to CiLiving. He is one of eleven ambassador animals that individuals may have the pleasure of meeting and learning about at the upcoming Vet Med Open House. The open house will take place Sunday, October […]