On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:31:12 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

Bob wrote in
:

I just mentioned WNS in another post, but obviously you already
know about it. Yeah, it's tough to stir up sympathy for bats
(squirrels are tough enough, and they're cute and fuzzy). I
hear lots of "let 'em die" from the usual crowd, until they're
informed of the possible consequences. For some, it depends on
which animal you hate worse, so mentioning West Nile/Mosquitos
usually elicits some sympathy for bats. g

well, the "squirrels are cute" line doesn't really work so well
when they're mauling my garden & making off with my hickory nut
crop

Even worse when they have their incisors buried in yer bloody thumb.
There have been many moments when I said "This is it...I'm done", but
I really can't blame them for defense against the big creature with
the syringe. Probably like an alien abduction for them.

i do like squirrels though, mostly because of their most
annoying trait: figuring things out. how *do* you keep a squirrel
in a pen?

Can't turn your back for a microsecond, that's for sure. I had one
that did some kind of amazing contortion...I looked over and he's
standing calmly -in front- of his cage door. I thought I had lapsed,
but the door was locked. Put him back in and watched closely--he did
this amazing twist that somehow got his skull through through a space
just over an inch wide. That was a full-grown adult, too. I had to
thread wire through all the wider gaps in the cages.

and bats are cute and fuzzy too!

Never had a chance to spend much time with one. Seems like fun. They
do have their own type of charm.

it's surprising how many people *hate* possums, i guess because
they look like rats.

First time I saw a big one lumbering through a city park at 2 am, I
admit that he gave me a jolt. You're expecting that movement to be a
rat, so the size is startling.

i wouldn't mess with an adult if i didn't need
to, because they can be pretty nasty, but they don't go out of
their way to attack.

I've rarely seen them any time but very late. I suppose someone could
try to mess with one and pay for his ignorance, but I never saw them
as a problem. Raccoons, maybe a bit more. I assume that you've heard
about increased incidence of Baylisascaris procyon (a nematode). It's
been killing off more small mammals lately. Exotics vets are seeing
more of it.

The damn eggs are so durable and resistant that we were instructed to
use propane torches to disinfect cages.

i have barn cats, who have a heated bed in the winter. one night i
went out to shut the chickens in (they free range) & feed the cats,
and there was a possum curled up in the cat's bed sound asleep. not
exactly what i want in my chicken barn... it was persuaded to
leave, & hasn't returned, but that was weird.
i also have a couple skunks that eat with the cats. they don't
bother the chickens, but they do get a few eggs. shrug they eat
ground nesting yellow jackets, so i'll let them have a couple eggs.
it's a good tradeoff.

Brave little guys, eh. There's a Baylisascaris species that affects
skunks too. It's not procyon...I don't remember the species. Lower
incidence, so probably not as much a threat.

Since you're up on WNS, do you happen to know if there's been
any news re profiling it or its spread?

this is the latest:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html
lee

Thanks, Lee. Doesn't look good for immediate improvement. I don't
see how it can be contained, so the only short term hope may be
temperature.

There's a video at Cave Biota that may be useful to people who ask
about Bats or WNS:
http://www.cavebiota.com/media/wnsex...cavebiota2.wmv