News From The Mews

While the birds are ramping up their food intake for the winter, the amphibians are cutting back. A few weeks ago, the tree frog would dive for a mealworm inches away. Now, I tickle his mouth with the worm and he might take one after a few seconds. Or not. The salamander in July would tackle five or six little red worms. Our November salamander might take one or two, then settle back into his burrow to rest. The salamander considers taking a red worm. 

Every fall, Carson's weight skyrockets along with her appetite. Though our Red-tailed Hawk doesn't need migration reserves stored away like some of her wild relatives, Carson still has the instinct to bulk up for winter.  Carson eagerly awaits her next rat tidbit while standing on the scale. We bumped up Carson's daily food amount in September as she started acting more and more desperate for her meals. Her weight climbed steadily. She reached over 1,500g (3.3lbs) and I began decreasing her food gradually, trying to keep her within her healthy weight range. But it always amazes me how her weight continues to increase even with less food. How does her body do it?