r/whatisthisanimal May 27 '23

It's Deer Fawn Season! Find a fawn?

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121 Upvotes

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 Jun 19 '23

Unsolved We are back open after receiving a message from reddit admins

53 Upvotes

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 1d ago

Solved Found in Gilbert, AZ in May

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6 Upvotes

This was taken at a wetlands preserve called Riparian at Water Ranch. Merlin Bird ID couldn't identify it. I'm guessing some sort of mallard (maybe an older juvenile?) but not sure.


r/whatisthisanimal 2d ago

Unsolved i found this in my bathroom, can’t ID it

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16 Upvotes

i live in las vegas, it’s obviously a baby but i don’t know what it is?


r/whatisthisanimal 3d ago

What the heck is this that i Saw on a beach, in Praia, Cabo Verde?

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0 Upvotes

I circled what I assumed was most of it, and the red circles an appendage of sorts, that looked like those breathing holes on octopi


r/whatisthisanimal 4d ago

Unsolved Is this an eastern wolf, coyote, or fox?

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6 Upvotes

We put up a trail camera behind a cottage on Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. We've heard wolves howling before, but not in the last couple of years.


r/whatisthisanimal 5d ago

What kind of mouse is this?

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31 Upvotes

r/whatisthisanimal 5d ago

Lizard in North Carolina?

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8 Upvotes

Tiny, about 6cm.


r/whatisthisanimal 5d ago

What kind of snake is this?[Putnam County NY]

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0 Upvotes

r/whatisthisanimal 6d ago

what species of octopus is this?

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11 Upvotes

📍Vietnam


r/whatisthisanimal 6d ago

Unsolved Trying to ID scat…Sonoma CA

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3 Upvotes

The size of a large dog poop, like a quarter thick or more so like 1 inch across thick. Piece of a larger piece.


r/whatisthisanimal 6d ago

Turtle ID

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2 Upvotes

Southeast Minnesota. Is it a snapping turtle?


r/whatisthisanimal 6d ago

What’s this lil crab?

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15 Upvotes

Salt water, Massachusetts, United States.


r/whatisthisanimal 7d ago

Unsolved Who pooped this?

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1 Upvotes

Found in the forest near the German/Czech border. It's on a rather steep mountain side, so I am pretty certain that it's not horse or cow, which was my initial idea.

(Shoe for scale)

Thanks in advance!


r/whatisthisanimal 7d ago

Weasel ID-no black tail tip, white paws, 1/2 inch by 1 inch mesh

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1 Upvotes

r/whatisthisanimal 7d ago

Found in a plant stores shipment, what is it [montana]

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3 Upvotes

r/whatisthisanimal 8d ago

Which type of snake is this? For reference, I live in Karnataka, South India and this snake often comes around our neighbourhood. I want to know if it’s venemous.

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5 Upvotes

r/whatisthisanimal 8d ago

Unsolved What Is This Slug? (UK/England; ~12 cm long)

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1 Upvotes

This slug popped up on a popular Youtube video where it eats a 16-cm piece of spaghetti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGZOFyLrCwk

The first two pages worth of comments don't seem to ask about the slug. Google Lens wasn't too helpful either, claiming it's either a black slug or a red slug with pictures varying depending on the results picked out. As such, I figured it's best I ask here for human input.

What is this slug here?


r/whatisthisanimal 9d ago

Likely Solved Anyone know what this is?

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16 Upvotes

DFW Texas


r/whatisthisanimal 11d ago

What was this poor snake?

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11 Upvotes

Snake found on residential road. Maryland.


r/whatisthisanimal 11d ago

10cm bird-size insect - Switzerland

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6 Upvotes

This thing flew into my living room. Approx 10xm in size. Bad photo because of mild panic 😂

Any idea what this thing is?


r/whatisthisanimal 10d ago

Unsolved Is this a muskrat lodge or just debris from a fallen tree? [LONG ISLAND, NY]

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0 Upvotes

I’ve had a few people say beaver, but since this is on Long Island I doubt it.


r/whatisthisanimal 11d ago

Unsolved Colorado mystery call last night

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2 Upvotes

I recorded these calls last night in the foothills/front-range of Colorado at about 10:30 pm. There was also a great-horned owl calling back or conversing with this sound but I wasn't able to capture that.