Backyard Critters and Projects
Now that the main source of shade in our yard, a large water oak, has died and been taken down we have a lot more sunshine hitting our back deck. The increased sunshine in a mixed blessing in that it’s going to make our deck hotter but it will allow us to play with some solar powered gadgets!
Earlier this year the large water oak in our backyard died. The tree has been terrifying me as I had visions of it crashing down on our home during a tropical storm. In fact, we rode out Hurricane Barry at my wife’s sister’s house because I was certain the storm would bring this guy down.
Thank goodness that Hurricane Barry was a dud!
Bats are and always have been a part of human existence for as long as we’ve been walking the Earth. Ever since early hunter-gatherer Man encountered bats in caves, our two species have been coexisting fairly successfully.
Every now and again, bats will establish a roost in an abandoned building, mineshaft, or some other manmade structure. When humans return to these places—whether to explore or rehabilitate them—they often find that they must contend with bats by either relocating them or eliminating them.
Because of the inevitable encounters that we’re going to have with bats, it’s important to know what the laws are regarding their federal protection status. In this article, we’re going to forego a discussion about state laws in favor of the topic of federal laws that specifically protect bats. Knowing what these laws are and where they apply will help to keep you out of hot water with the government.
It’s safe to say that bats have earned a less-than-desirable reputation. Despite being some of the oldest and most prolific species of animal on the planet, bats have become feared, stigmatized, and unjustly labeled as dangerous or invasive. In this article, we’re going to try to understand why people are afraid of bats and we’re going to clear up some of the most common misconceptions about this extraordinary mammal.
We’ll start with some historical context surrounding bats, and then we’ll transition into more modern perspectives, including those offered by biologists and zoologists.
Earlier this year we had our large back yard professionally landscaped including a complete installation of new sod. To make sure the sod got off to a great start it was important to keep it watered on a regular basis, especially during the brutal heat of our Louisiana summer. We didn’t have a decent sprinkler setup in place but with a little trial and error we ended up with something that I LOVE.
In my opinion, the best sprinkler for large yard coverage is the Orbit Impulse Tripod Lawn Sprinkler.
I ended up buying four of these and now watering my lawn is a complete joy. Before I go into why I like the Orbit Impulse Tripod sprinkler so much let me tell you about our first attempt at a sprinkler system that I ended up hating.
Have you ever stumbled across a chipmunk’s burrow system? Given how extensive these things can be, you probably assumed that chipmunks follow some kind of joint family structure where they live together in their burrows. At least that’s what I thought until a quick search on chipmunks and their living habits told me otherwise.
Some of the results of my search were ambiguous at best, but here’s what I found out when I dug into the question, “How many chipmunks live in a burrow?”
Research indicates that, except for when a mother is raising her babies, only one chipmunk lives in a burrow.
When I was growing up in Kentucky I always had a ton of fun watching the chipmunks grabbing bird seed that had spilled from the feeders. These little guys are the smallest member of the squirrel family and share a lot of behaviors with their larger cousins, the grey and red squirrels.
Tree squirrels do not hibernate to get through the winter and instead rely upon stored food to get through the winter. However, most chipmunks do hibernate which made me wonder if they go through the trouble of storing up winter food caches.
So, the question of the day is, “Do chipmunks bury nuts?”
Young cats are called kittens. And then there are young foxes, which are referred to as ‘cubs’, ‘pups’, or ‘kits’, one of which is the same term that is used to describe young bears. It’s easy to get confused when trying to keep track of all the unique names that young animals have—so let’s clear up any confusion when it comes to bats.
What exactly is a young bat called, you might wonder? The answer is pup. That’s right, a young bat is a pup immediately upon birth, and it becomes an adult when it’s able to fledge from it’s mother and hunt or forage on its own. In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the early life of bat pups, so we can better understand what happens during their youth to prepare them for a successful adult life.
[Read more…]
If you’ve ever seen any cute pictures of baby bats on the Internet you know that bats can be quite adorable. Those cute, cuddly little ears and puckered snout combine to make a downright loveable creature that some might even want to keep as a pet.
Is there anything wrong with keeping a bat as a pet? Can bats be domesticated to the point where they’ll follow an owner’s commands or pee in a small box of litter? We’re answering these questions and more in this article, where we’re going to be tackling the topic of bat-keeping.
Let’s go ahead and address the question head-on: “Are bats good pets?” The answer is clear. No, bats are not good pets.
Here are a few reasons why trying to turn a bat into a pet is a horrible idea.
The list of interesting bat facts is very long, from the fact that they are the only mammals capable of flight to the fact that their wings are made almost entirely of skin. While it’s true that bats are truly fascinating creatures, what many people find most amazing about bats is how and where they live.
Because bats and birds both fly many people assume that they share other behaviors. One such example is nesting. Birds are very well known for building nests for protecting their eggs and raising their young. It raises the question, since bats and birds both fly, do bats also make nests like birds do?
Let’s Take a Look!
