Possum Pat

08/28/2026

Every year, we have to write another of the same post. Please do not paint turtles!
The shell of the turtle is its body. It does not leave the shell, the shell is not a house. It is actually their ribcage. The spine runs along the back. The shell contains nerves and is living tissue.
Painting a shell blocks the turtle from getting essential sunlight, it leeches chemicals into their body, it creates a seal that traps moisture and can rot the shell and create fungal infections. And it takes away their camouflage, making them a bright beacon for a hungry predator. You wouldn't want someone to paint your body, so why do it to someone else?
Meet our 71st intake of the season. This Eastern box turtle was found by a kind man in his carport. He said, "it's all covered in paint, and I know that's dangerous for them." Thankful that he called. We have a lot of work to do to remove something done so quickly.

08/25/2026

Let's chat about ChatGPT! In the past month, we've been getting more and more calls from people asking for wildlife advice who say, “Oh, but that's not what ChatGPT told me …”

While AI can be a good tool when used correctly, it is not a substitute for advice from trained wildlife professionals. Wildlife rescue and emergency situations are complex, and it can be difficult to distinguish between an animal needing help and one that should be left alone, or how best to help an animal in need. Relying on ChatGPT or other AI tools for answers can often cause more harm than good, as the information it references may be from inaccurate sources and lead to poor decisions.

If you need wildlife help, the best thing you can do is contact our Center or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator near you - that's why we're here! Our team is always happy to help navigate wildlife concerns and ensure injured and orphaned animals get the help they need.

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

I shared this last year from Secret Squirrel Wildlife Rehab & I feel it needs to be shared again:

This helps to put in perspective why so many individuals have to wait to hear back from licensed wildlife rehabilitators & facilities. Why we can not always come out to pick up every animal we are called about.

Please remember, rescues & rehabilitators are not paid & we are not funded at all. It could be 1 person taking in calls, medicating, cleaning, & feeding wildlife plus their regular paying job, their family, their pets...plus all the things in between like getting supplies, going to the vet, repairs on enclosures, & the list could go on.

From about March to September many rehabilitators may average 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night if lucky. We are yelled at by a handful of individuals that truly have no idea what we do. We see more death & suffering than any of us cares to share & more than many could deal with.

Yes there are some bad rehabilitators but most are truly wonderful & very caring individuals that put themselves dead last to care for wildlife & to help the people calling.

Please be kind & patient! 💜

08/24/2026

North America’s common box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is found throughout the eastern United States and much of Mexico. For people who do not know turtles very well, almost every North American turtle they see is likely to be erroneously labeled a “box turtle.”

The real box turtle is distinctive, with a high-domed carapace (upper shell), and a hinged plastron (lower shell) allowing the turtle to completely enclose itself within to evade predators. There are a total of seven recognized species of box turtles, with three recognized subspecies of the common box turtle.

North American box turtles are declining due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, in addition to human activity. Many die attempting to cross roads. The species has been assessed as being vulnerable to extinction. As with many reptiles, and especially turtles, box turtles are long-lived, and slow to reproduce, making any population declines that much more dire.

These charismatic turtles are omnivores, and are known to eat a wide variety of animals and plants. Their home ranges are surprisingly small, varying roughly between 0.4 and 15 acres; for better context, the lower end of that range is smaller than a football field. All of this means that these turtles cannot be moved far without causing them harm. While it can be tempting to keep a box turtle found in a roadway as a pet, removing that turtle from the wild may be detrimental to the local population. It may also be illegal due to state protections.

If you see a box turtle in the road, and can safely help it cross, move it only in the direction it was headed across that road. It has a destination in mind. It is so important that more people understand the challenges our native reptiles are facing, and help conserve them.
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The photograph used in this post shows a young eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) observed in North Carolina. The photo was taken by iNaturalist user joshl, and shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. The image was not altered for use in this post.
View license information here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

08/23/2026

We really owe a lot to social media. It’s an incredible way for people to reach out for help when they find a wild animal in need.

But it can also be dangerous.

Too often, someone “knows a person who takes wildlife,” or someone offers to “raise it themselves.” Unfortunately, good intentions don’t equal proper training, or a license.

Please, please check that someone has a valid wildlife rehabilitation license AND is licensed for that specific species before handing an animal over.

NC Wildlife has an interactive map where you can find licensed wildlife rehabilitators:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/73bc3bdec5c5477bb783baa398f8eaeb

Wildlife rehabilitation is so much more than keeping an animal warm and feeding it. The wrong food, improper handling, unnecessary transport, or delayed medical care can cause tremendous stress and suffering and can sometimes make release impossible.

Good intentions are wonderful, but wildlife deserves qualified, licensed care. ❤️

08/23/2026

They call it “development.”
Wildlife calls it eviction. 🐾🌳

When forests are cleared for roads, buildings and expansion, animals don’t simply “move somewhere else.” They lose their homes, food, nesting sites, water sources—and often their lives.

Then, when frightened wildlife enters our towns and villages, we call it human-wildlife conflict.

But who entered whose home first?

Real development should make space for people and nature—not force one to disappear for the other.

🌿 Protect habitats.
🌿 Plan wildlife corridors.
🌿 Stop unnecessary deforestation.
🌿 Build without destroying every living thing in the way.

If we destroy their home, we cannot blame them for appearing at our door.