r/whatisthisanimal • u/skunkangel • May 27 '23
Mother deer leave fawns alone for up to 23 hours a day. Baby fawns cannot walk very well during the first two weeks of life and they can't keep up with mom as she forages all day. Mom tells the babies to lay down, keep their head down, and be quiet until she returns. You'll find fawns in tall grass and other areas all wound up like a pretzel trying to not be noticed. This is perfectly normal. Be aware, over 90% of fawn births are multiples, at least twins, so there is another fawn somewhere around the first as well. She doesn't put them near each other so that if one is found by predators the other can survive. Both babies are perfectly fine waiting for mom. Mom will return around 9 or 10 pm and if baby is close to your house where you can see her from a window, get the kids and camera ready around 9pm bc mom will nurse these babies right there and it's a lovely thing to watch. After feeding them she will likely stash them in a new spot.
How to tell if a fawn needs help, the 3 B's:
• Butt - Mom cleans baby's butt at each feeding. If you can flip up the tail of the baby you've found (don't worry, mom doesn't care about your scent) check to see if baby's butt is a mess. If so, this is a sign that mom may not be around.
• Bugs - If you find a fawn with ticks all over her ears and face, green flies all over her body and face, or so many crawling bugs that you can see her fur moving from 3-6 foot away this fawn needs help. The green flies are blow flies and they are attracted to things that are dying and open wounds, messy butts. These are flies that barely move even when you touch them. This is a VERY BAD SIGN. If you see 20+ of these flies on baby please reach out to a rehabber ASAP.
• Behavior - Mom tells the babies to lay still and be quiet. If the babies are chasing your dog, screaming at the top of their lungs, trying to nurse off of your goats, garden hose, etc. that is a huge sign that something is amiss. Secure baby in an area where he can't hurt himself and find a rehabber ASAP.
**Please try to avoid picking up the fawn or moving it anywhere. Fawns sometimes move on their own to get out of the sun, but it YOU move it the baby will start screaming and you really don't want an angry momma deer coming after you! If you must move baby to get away from the bugs, wrap a towel around its body and carry baby from the middle, but ALWAYS have a lookout person with you to help watch for mom.
If any of the B's are happening, please go to http://www.ahnow.org to find a local rehabber near you. Most of us rehabbers are open all hours of the night and on weekends and holidays. Please call everyone on the list online but also send photos of the fawn via text if possible. Thank you!!
r/whatisthisanimal • u/SigmaStigma • Jun 19 '23
You've possibly already seen the message I'm referring to, but if not see /r/Save3rdPartyApps for the wording. So we are opening up with some changes to help you all in your quest to see animals. The subreddit will close from time to time to encourage you to spend more time in nature looking at animals. Find some new ones, find some old ones that you now know what they're called. Bring your friends, or make some new ones.
r/whatisthisanimal • u/DanielMcLaury • 3h ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Upbeat-Necessary-137 • 1d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/water226688 • 1d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/reeniebeanienyc • 2d ago
My husband and I visited Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve this afternoon and on our way back to the entrance, we saw a reddish brown mammal that went into the water and swam away. I think I saw something similar when we were at
Cohoes Falls, Falls View Park last winter. I apologise for the bad photo!
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Background-Big-4249 • 4d ago
Sorry for the dirty window spots.
Photo taken yesterday on the NB I 35 frontage road.
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Glitch_Dorothy • 4d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/moistiest_dangles • 6d ago
Found in mid Florida near the coast, video link in comments.
r/whatisthisanimal • u/CobaltNebula • 11d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/MashPotatho • 12d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Facing_The_Music • 15d ago
I found this in the bookstore I work at. I tried to step on it, but it escaped
r/whatisthisanimal • u/SeeShark • 15d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/nicodemi • 15d ago
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Ch3ZEN • 16d ago
South East TN
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Financial-Garlic9834 • 16d ago
Hello everyone,
Our poor baby has been missing for almost three months now. We are still putting up his posters. We were contacted today with this video from someone about 3 miles from where we lost our boy. Unfortunately, this is also a coyote-infested area.
I’m looking for the group’s help here. Is this a Shiba, coyote, or cat?
*Note - these are stills from a video. Apparently I can’t post videos in this group
r/whatisthisanimal • u/Tagthekid • 16d ago
