I watched Fievel for a night while Christina was outta town, he was a little shy at first but ate well for me.

Merry Christmas from the naturalists! We celebrated the holidays (and a couple of birthdays) at Dave & Buster's in Jacksonville on Sunday. We exchanged mostly animal-themed gifts - go figure - then had a blast playing games.

Buster was caught here at Amelia Island Plantation. He had been roaming around and wasn't fixed. So I we trapped him and have had him here at the nature center ever since. He's been neutered and had all his shots. He is soo sweet! It takes him about a minute to warm up to you, but then he loves pets and to play. His purr motor doesn't stop! We love having him here, but he needs a home where he can get more attention! If you would like to give him a loving home (indoors) or know someone that needs a great cat, let us know!

Fievel eating out of a syringe. Christina is acting as his surrogate mamma for now. He's getting more active everyday. Flying squirrels are actually noctornal animals, he'll have to learn that before we can release him!

Fievel

This is Fievel, a baby flying squirrel that was found after he fell outta his nest. They don't actually fly but glide from tree to tree, and this little guy may have spread out his legs and the flaps between his wrists and ankles helped him land without getting hurt

Skippy the squirrel rescue

Skippy, my baby squirrel. He's about 3 and a half months old and still growin! I plan to release him in my backyard in another month. His eyes were still closed when we got him, he opened them about a week later.

Jacksonville Pack Prowl Tour

Last year's Pack Prowl tour to the Jacksonville Zoo. We are doing another tour on December 29.

Rat snake

During my first week of working at the nature center I went to get a book from the bookcase and glanced over to the mouse's tank...and there was a yellow rat snake on top of it, sizing up its next meal. I called Chris and Windy, (worked in the store) and we tried to catch it, unsuccessfully. It ended up crawling through a crack in the door. We see it periodically outside the nature center, catching rays and protecting the nature center (haha).

what's in the log?

Amanda Hardy dared me to look inside this hollow log, and we were glad I did! These five baby raccoons were inside, waiting for their mom, who we had seen on the way.

Releasing our babies into the wild on Amelia Island Plantation property, where they were born. We miss them so much!

Simon and Rascal sharing a dish of possum formula. They were so cute!

baby possums

Our favorite animal rescues were two baby possums that came in last summer. Their mom (and them) were hit by a car nearby and unfortunately mom did not make it. They had just gotten big enough to leave mom's pouch and were found climbing around. We named them Simon and Rascal. Their first night they got a bath to get rid of fleas, and this photo was taken afterwards. (note*possums do NOT like to take baths).