Otterly Adorable at Cape Wildlife Center

They were meant for each otter… This baby season we have the opportunity to care for two orphaned North American river otters. Special permission by Mass Wildlife is required to rehabilitate this species and Cape Wildlife is currently the only facility permitted to...

Fishers on Cape Cod

Fishers, mistakenly called Fisher Cats, are probably the most misunderstood, maligned species in New England.  They are not related to felines in any way, and are the second largest member of the weasel family found in Massachusetts.  The largest is the...

What to do when you find wildlife

People and wildlife live side by side throughout Cape Cod. It is not unusual to find some species of wildlife that may be injured, sick or orphaned.  Your course of action can make a huge difference in the outcome for the animal.  Cape Wildlife Center is...

Bird Migration

The birds returning to Cape Cod right now are breaking all the travel and social distancing rules.  They are flying great distances, landing in various locations, and congregating in groups of hundreds or thousands.  The birds may be the only ones traveling...

Pelagic Birds

Northern Gannet photo by Susanne Jutzeler courtesy Pexels.com Pelagic birds are birds that spend a large portion of their lives on the open ocean.  They can be found thousands of miles offshore, but can get blown on to land during high winds and storms.  The only...

Snakes on Cape Cod

At the center we receive a number of calls every year from  frightened, curious or excited people who have a found a snake.  The questions always focus around:  Is it venomous?  Can it bite? How do I get rid of it? Can I keep it?  The answers...

Bats: More than Halloween Decorations

As Halloween approaches, and decorations start appearing, bats of all kinds begin to be prominently displayed as part of the spooky scenes.  Bats first became representative of Halloween when it was noticed that some bats were feeding on the blood of cattle in...

Wildlife need very specific nutrition

There is nothing cuter than wild animal babies, and nothing more tempting than to want to cuddle them, raise them and feed them.  They bring out the mothering instinct in us because they look so vulnerable.  Many people think “how hard can it be?” ...

Amphibians as indicator species

One week we had a surprise patient arrive.  A woman in the community brought in a tiny Spring Peeper with an interesting story.  She had an orange tree in a pot that she had brought inside for the winter two months ago.  Three days ago, a Spring Peeper appeared. He...

What do animals do in the winter?

Winters on Cape Cod vary quite a bit from year to year. They can begin in October or maybe in December. They can end in April or stay mild all season. The animals respond to both the decreasing temperatures and the decreasing light. In 2018, for example, it stayed...