A Perilous Journey Every year thousands of turtles cross our roads for various reasons. As the weather warms up, many turtles search for new territories, breeding grounds, or food. Year after year in late spring, female turtles begin their voyage to find a nesting site on land. Aquatic species haul themselves out of their beloved […]
Happy New Year! Wildlife Medical Clinic has successfully closed our 2024 chapter and opened our door to 2025. We are grateful for the support from our community, professional colleagues, fellow wildlife rehabilitators, student volunteers, and generous donors. With the collective force from everyone, we were able to provide the best possible care to the injured […]
What is Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (NHSP)? Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSHP) is unfortunately a common type of metabolic bone disease that can occur in any animal but is most often seen in reptiles and amphibians. This condition most often occurs in captivity when an animal is not receiving the proper husbandry. NSHP can occur when the […]
The Ambassador Team held their second annual pumpkin carving event last month. Since the ambassador volunteers primarily do their shifts individually or in pairs, social events are a great way to bond as a team and have fun outside of studying. Our volunteers listened to a Halloween playlist, talked about our favorite Halloween movies, and […]
Enrichment, What is it? In addition to the daily husbandry of our resident ambassador animals, we also provide training and enrichment. The goal of enrichment is to provide mental (and sometimes physically involved) stimulation while encouraging species specific behaviors. With our program, just like in all other managed care settings, we provide enrichment to our […]
Have you ever been walking along on a sunny day in the spring, going to visit your family, perhaps, when suddenly, you find yourself ankle deep in cement? Or quicksand? Maybe molasses? If you answered “yes” to any of these scenarios, then you will be able to empathize very well with what animals experience when […]
Want to test your skills and see how much you know about our ambassador animals? Try out this cool crosswords puzzle and put your knowledge to the test! Feel free to go on our Facebook page and tell us which question was your favorite! Answer Key:
At the end of August, an adult male Midland Painted Turtle presented to the Wildlife Medical Clinic from a rehabilitator after it was suspected to have been hit by a car. This patient had a fairly severe fracture of his carapace (top of shell) and required extensive treatment to repair it. While receiving these treatments, […]
The Wildlife Medical Clinic commonly receives turtles in need of shell repairs. Recently, an injured adult Midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) was admitted to the clinic for “having a cracked shell.” Chrysemys picta are the most widespread native turtles of North America. They are normally found in slow moving freshwater. These turtles do not migrate […]
What should you do if you come across a venomous snake? If you are out for a hike and come across a venomous snake, it is best to just leave it alone and give it space. As you have probably heard several times since childhood, the animal is more afraid of you than you are […]