Bob, the eastern male box turtle +

• Sponsor Bob!

• Why is Bob at PWC?

  Bob was originally found in Maryland when he was trying to cross the road. He was taken out of the wild and brought to North Carolina. In North Carolina, Bob lived in someone's bathtub, but box turtles are not good swimmers and their shells could deteriorate from spending too much time in the water. His previous owners called PWC where we discovered that they did not remember where they found Bob. Because we are unsure of Bob's homerange, we cannot put Bob back in the wild.

• What do he eat?

  Leaves, fruits, vegetables, insects

• How old will he get?

  In the wild they live for about 25 to 30 years, however in captivity they can live over 80.

• How do you tell boys and girls apart?

  Boys tend to have bright orange or red eyes, bright red or orange on their skin and shell, and have an indentation of the bottom of their shell. Girls tend to be brown and have less bright shells and eyes.

• Can they come out of their shell?

  No, a turtle’s shell is attached to its spine.

• What are predators of box turtles?

  Raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes, snakes, and owls.

Maple, the red-shouldered hawk +

• Sponsor Maple!

• Why is Maple at PWC?

  We adopted Maple in October of 2022 from a rehabilitation facility in Virginia. Maple was found on the ground after having fallen from the nest. Someone noticed that he remained on the ground for days and became concerned since he was not old enough to fledge. He was rescued by a rehabilitation facility in Virgnia who noticed he had eye damage possibly caused by his fall. Because of his injuries, his vision is impaired and he is unable to hunt well enough to survive in the wild.

• What does Maple eat?

  In the wild, Maple would eat small mammals, frogs, snakes, and small birds.

• What is his wingspan?

  It will be 3.5 feet once he's full grown.

• How big are his talons?

  1.2 inches

• How can you tell a red-tailed hawk from a red-shouldered hawk?

  Red-shouldered hawks are smaller than their red-tailed cousins. From below, red-shoulders have reddish and white barring across their chests and more prominent white and black striping on their tails, while red-tails have whiter chests without the horizontal barring and little to no black on their tails. Another difference is their calls. Red-shoulders call frequently and sound similar to gulls, while red-tails are less vocal and give out the loud, strong single note call that is used for eagles in movies.

Pumpkin, the Virginia Opossum +

• Sponsor Pumpkin!

• What do opossums eat?

  Opossums are omnivores. They rely on their nose and ears to find food. Their nose can track the smells of fruit, mushrooms, carrion, and unfortunately litter. Opossums are often hit by cars because the smell of litter draws them to the side of roads. Their ears are sensitive enough to hear crawling insects in bark. Through their diet, they help us control tick and venomous snake populations.

• Do opossums dangle from their tails?

  Virginia opossums do not spend long periods dangling from their tails. A full-grown opossum can weigh between 7-10 pounds which is too much weight for their tails to reliably support. However, their tails are semi-prehensile.

• When are opossums active?

  Opossums are nocturnal. Their pupils are permanently dilated. So, they have excellent vision at night, but poor vision during the day. However, female opossums can have upwards of 12 joeys! So, it is not uncommon to see female opossums active during the day in search of food.

• Do opossums carry rabies?

  It is very unlikely that an opossum can carry rabies. Since rabies is a virus, it requires a warm host to reproduce. Opossums only have body temperatures of 94 degrees Farhenheit and therefore cases of rabies are rare.

• Are opossums and possums different?

  Opossums are the species of marsupials native to North and South America. They are larger mammals with pointed noses and bald tails. Possums are marsupials native to Australia and other contries such as New Guinea. They are smaller, tend to have rounder faces and have fur on their tails. Sugar gliders are an example of opossums.

Garnet, the corn snake +

• Sponsor Garnet!

• What do snakes eat?

  Rodents, eggs, young birds, and potentially young rabbits.

• How big can snakes get?

  Depending on the species, snakes can get to 5 feet.

• Can they smell without their tongues?

  Yes, snakes have nostrils. However, snakes also have a special smelling organ on the roof of their mouth and that is more sensitive than their nose. By using their tongue, the snake sends signals through this organ which allows the brain to not only identify prey, but also which direction the snake should go to follow their prey.

• Are they deaf?

  Snakes do not hear sounds like we do, because they do not have ears like we do. However, they are tuned to vibrations and can feel of the vibrations of low-frequency sounds.

• How old can they get?

  They can live an average of 13 years in the wild, but have been known to reach 20 in captivity.

• How often do they shed?

  The frequency of snake shedding depends on its age. Young snakes may shed once every two weeks, while older snakes may shed once every couple of months.

• What are their predators?

  Foxes, owls, hawks, raccoons, opossums, and other snakes

Juniper, the great horned owl +

• Sponsor Juniper!

• What does Juniper eat?

  As an apex predator, great horned owls can eat rodents, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, snakes, turtles and other birds.

• When are owls like Juniper most active?

  In the middle and late portions of the night.

• What are her ear tufts for??

  The ear tufts (also called plumicorns)are not the location of her ears, but rather an added form of camouflage that she can raise or lower to help her blend into the thick branches of trees.

• How large are her talons?

  Great horned owls have talons with diameters ranging from 4 to 8 inches and have a grip force equal to that of a german shepherd's bite.

• **Do you have to trim her nails and beak? **

  Yes, in the wild, Juniper's beak and talons would be trimmed down by the wear and tear of hunting and survival. Since she does not have to do this in human care, it becomes our responsibility to file them down.

• **Why does Juniper have her mouth open? **

  Birds, like most animals, do not sweat. Panting is a way of cooling down and in Juniper's case, we believe that it is also a habit carried over from when she was in rehab.