Who was that masked man?

The other night Amy noticed and took a couple of snapshots of this obviously well-fed raccoon (Procyon lotor) in our backyard. Proof that nature can exist wherever the conditions are right. These creatures are omnivores, quite intelligent, and have adapted well to living in close proximity to humans. Meats (such as small rodents and fish), insects, fruits, nuts and grains are all potential sources of food for this opportunistic feeder. That means that fish ponds, bird feeders, pet food/water, those apples on the tree, your auntie's vegetable garden, and even your garbage can leftovers are all on the menu. And they’re just as at home in an attic as a rotted out log. If you'd like to learn more about raccoons, head on over to National Geographic's website or do a search on the Web.

Now, as much as I like wildlife, the thought of another fish poacher at my pond is enough to make me consider trapping/relocating this little scamp should we see him again. Speaking of wildlife removal, do us and yourself a favor and never use poisons to rid yourself of any pests. A good way to be rid of most unwanted guests (under 2 foot tall, that is), is to contact your city animal shelter and see if they offer live animal traps. If they do, they can educate you on its proper use. They'll even come and haul your catch to the nearest relocation park. Isn't that nice? If you can't or don't want to trap intruders, there are several basic rules to discouraging undesirables from sticking around your yard. They are:

• remove any food supply
• remove any water supply
• remove potential shelter

These might be your best options in the long run because if you don't change the environment, more animals are likely to come around and take up the spot you just created by evicting the last renter. I personally don't mind them most of the time.

Time to go count my fish....

The toads are waiting for Spring

Toads burrow into holes and other spaces during the winter to hibernate. I found these two fellows, a large one and a small one, in this access point to our in-ground sprinkler system.

There is a medium-sized crack in the cover to the access point, so I figure they crawled in earlier this winter and are waiting out the remainer of the cool weather. However, the big one I don't think would be able to hop back out, so I opened the cover one evening and waited for him to hop out. At the same time, I actually extracted the small one and placed him in the grass next to the hole. A week later and the large one is still in there. Obviously he knows more about when it's time to leave than I do, so I'll leave him alone for now. I hope I didn't do the small one a disservice by moving him from his temporary abode. By the way, can you spot the smaller of the two toads? He's pretty well hidden.