Did you take our trivia quiz in your local newspaper? How did you do? Below you’ll find the questions, answers, and more information. For even more about local wildlife issues, explore our whole site. There’s a kids’ page, information about bringing our nature education programs to your school, scout meeting, or group, and an entry for our monthly prize drawing. Have a wild time!

Q1: Which of the following statements is TRUE?

1. Mother animals will not take their babies back after they have been handled by humans.
2. If a squirrel’s nest is destroyed, the mother squirrel will move her babies to a second “emergency” nest she has built.
3. Ducks always build their nests within one mile of a water source.

Correct answer: 2. Mother squirrels will build a second, and sometimes a third, nest in another location. If you find uninjured baby squirrels on the ground following a storm or as the result of tree trimming, you should leave them at the base of the tree where they were found, even if you have already handled them. (It’s a myth that mother animals won’t take their babies back if they have been touched by humans.) The mother will return within a couple of hours and move them to her secondary nest. If you want to watch, please do so from indoors, as she will not return while there are humans present. If you have questions, or if the babies you find are injured, please call Nature’s Nursery at 419-877-0060. You can reach us during normal business hours, seven days a week.

About the other answers: It’s a myth that mother animals won’t take their babies back if they have been touched by humans. And ducks sometimes build two miles from the nearest water source! When the baby ducks hatch, their mother walks them to the water, even across busy streets or in heavily populated urban areas.

Q2. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

1. If you find a healthy baby bird on the ground, you can put it back in its nest, even if you have handled it.
2. It is against federal law to interfere with a duck’s nest, even if you are moving it to a “safer” place.
3. The Bald Eagle is an endangered species.

Correct answer: 3. The Bald Eagle population, once considered endangered has recovered and been removed from the Federal Endangered Species list, thanks to conservation efforts. It is still, of course, a federally protected species.

About the other answers: Most people don’t realize that disturbing a waterfowl nest is against state and federal law, even in the case of a nest being in an “inappropriate” or dangerous place. The best thing to do is just leave the nest alone. If the mother needs to cross a street when she walks the babies to water, it’s OK if a human follows from a safe distance and stops traffic. But even then, you run the risk of spooking the mother, and she may fly away. As for the baby birds (Option #1), see Question 4 below.

Q3. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

1. If a rabbit nests in your yard and you have outdoor pets, it is best to move the nest to a safer location.
2. Raccoons can carry a roundworm that can be fatal to humans and domestic animals.
3. Fawns are left alone most of the day, so their mothers do not draw attention to them.

Correct answer: 1. Never move a rabbit’s nest! Many people are surprised to learn that a mother rabbit has nested in their yards, especially when they have dogs or cats. Rabbits often nest near homes or in yards with pets, but that does not automatically mean intervention is necessary. If your pet discovers a nest, you can place a sturdy laundry basket upside-down over the nest and weigh it down with a book, while your pet uses the yard. Remove the basket when your pet is indoors. As with birds, you can return bunnies to the nest, even after they have been handled by humans. Baby rabbits are old enough to survive on their own when their eyes are open and they’re as big as the palm of your hand. If you have questions, please call Nature’s Nursery at 419-877-0060. You can reach us during normal business hours, seven days a week.

About the other answers: Raccoon roundworm is a zoonotic parasite, that is, one that can be transmitted from an animal to a human, or even to pets. This generally isn't an issue in a normal wild situation. But bringing a raccoon into your home or handling one can greatly increase the chances of exposing your family to the parasite. For more on roundworm, click here.
Mother deer leave their babies alone, usually in a wooded area, for most of the day, so as not to draw the attention of predators. So finding a lone fawn curled up in the leaves does not necessarily mean it is an orphan. Mothers return at dusk and dawn to nurse their young. However, fawns found wandering alone and crying may be orphaned. If you have questions, please call Nature’s Nursery at 419-877-0060. You can reach us during normal business hours, seven days a week.

 Q4. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

1. A single bat can eat up to 10,000 mosquitoes in 24 hours.
2. Baby rabbits are big enough to survive on their own if their eyes are open and they’re as big as the palm of your hand.
3. Once a baby bird is out of the nest, its parents will no longer take care of it.

Correct answer: 3. A baby bird’s parents will care for it on the ground until it is old enough to fend for itself. If you find a baby bird on the ground that has feathers, you are probably witnessing its early attempts to learn to fly. Many times this results in the fledgling bird not being able to return to the nest. But its parents will continue to care for it on the ground, until it is old enough to care for itself.

If you find a baby bird that does not yet have feathers, and may have fallen from the nest, you can return it to the nest, even if you have touched it. It’s a myth that a mother animal will not take its baby back after humans have handled it. If the nest is too high to safely reach, you can assemble a makeshift nest out of a plastic hanging plant container, or a plastic margarine container with drainage holes cut in the bottom. Fill the container with dry materials, such as grass or leaves, up to about 2 inches from the top, and place the baby bird inside. Then hang or attach your nest to a lower branch in the tree where the bird’s original nest was. The parents will return to care for the baby after they’re sure the humans have left the area. If you want to watch, please do so from indoors.

It is against state and federal law to raise a baby bird yourself. If you have questions, please call Nature’s Nursery at 419-877-0060. You can reach us during normal business hours, seven days a week.

About the other answers: For information on baby rabbits (Option #2), see Question 3 above. Bats are actually good to have around, as they dine on mosquitoes and other insects. To learn how to attract bats to your yard, click here. And you may not know that it’s a myth that most bats carry rabies. In fact, rabies occurs in less than 1% of bats. However, if you find a bat on the ground, you should not touch it. Call Nature’s Nursery at 419-877-0060. You can reach us during normal business hours, seven days a week.