1st Response Wildlife - Tucson's Humane Animal Trapping & Removal Services

Saguaro Cactus Boot

Here in the Sonoran Desert, we are blessed to be the home of the Saguaro Cactus.  They are seemingly everywhere.  Animals and especially birds love Saguaros for a whole list of reasons.  When the Saguaro bloom, the white winged dove can be seen sitting on them helping pollinate them as they sip the flower’s nectar.  As a perch and lookout point, all manner of hawks, wrens, quail, and even bobcats find the top of a Saguaro an excellent vantage point from which to survey the area, as a place of rest, or even a platform from which to hunt.

Inside the Saguaro cactus, however, is a place that birds discovered, centuries ago, is a haven from the desert heat and a safe place to build a nest.  High off the ground, a hole drilled into a Saguaro by a Gila Woodpecker or Gilded Flicker provides safety from predators.  More importantly, creating a nesting place inside a Saguaro, where the resulting temperature is several degrees lower than the intense desert heat, is a major plus.

Creating a nesting home or hideout inside a Saguaro, however, is not an overnight job.  First, a hole is created by one of the birds mentioned above or others, which creates a hole that continues inside to become a cavity large enough to accommodate a nest.  The Saguaro, in response to this invasion or injury, responds in order to defend itself and reduce water loss, by secreting a protective substance to “patch,” itself-almost like first aid, called a Saguaro Boot.  This can take a year.  (It should be noted that insects also burrow into and create homes in the Saguaro.  The Saguaro also creates a protective “Boot,” around these invasions, but they are much smaller and are not large enough to be used by birds.)

When a bird compromises the outer skin of the Saguaro, creates a hole and then drills in and downward, the Saguaro responds, by depositing a hard substance, called callus tissue that contains a woody substance, lignin, which surrounds the hole made for a nest.  This response is good for the cactus, because it prevents the loss of water and, it is great for the animals because of the safety it affords, its lower temperatures and, because it is waterproof, it ensures the young will be safe and dry.  The result is a lined cavity which is then used by several different kinds of birds as a hiding place, a place to build a nest, or a respite from the heat of the afternoon sun.

Called a Saguaro Boot, these internal chambers can be expanded, over the years, if additional carve-outs and expansions are made by subsequent nesting birds that take advantage of the initial wound.  To protect itself, the Saguaro continues to deposit the resinous protective shield.  In the life of a Saguaro, the Saguaro Boot retains its structure.  Even after the Saguaro dies and the external skin decays, you may see, internal to a Saguaro “skeleton,” a boot that remains fairly intact.

The Saguaro Boot then, becomes a destination for a variety of bird families as a place to raise their young.  Some species will use a specific Saguaro Boot just once, and others, will return.  In a previous post, I mentioned that small owls, such as Screech Owls, Elf Owls and the like will use the Saguaro Boot as a nesting place.  In addition any number of finches, sparrows, purple martins and others also find the Boot, a great nesting option.

If you find a cute furry family of owls or the like using one of these in your backyard, enjoy them and leave them alone.  If however, your dogs or, maybe even neighborhood children are disturbing them, call me at 1st Response Wildlife 520-260-9517 so that I can move them into a safer place in the wild.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Arizona Game and Fish Urban Wildlife & 1st Response Wildlife

AZ Game and Fish Urban Wildlife

I believe one of the most important parts of my responsibilities as a licensed humane trapper and relocation expert of animals, reptiles and birds of the Sonoran Desert, is helping my customers understand the rich mix of animals, reptiles and birds we enjoy.  I do not automatically hurry to capture and remove animals that are not injured or sick without talking to my clients about their individual situation and what they are experiencing with some animal that is found in and around their business or home.

Working closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, I carefully consider and discuss what is occurring and then, with my clients discuss the principles that the state of Arizona has in place to deal with an animal or reptile.  In many cases, a business owner or home owner can, with a little education, learn how to either live with, accommodate, or discourage an animal from being a nuisance and, one of the best resources I use is to refer them to the Arizona Game and Fish Urban Wildlife web pages, where there are extensive videos, discussions and suggestions concerning the wildlife in Arizona. 

This website, http://www.azgfd.com/w_c/urban_wildlife.shtml represents a great compendium of information and also represents the commitment that Arizona has to helping you co-exist with the animals we find here.  Along with my blog, I find that my clients are more comfortable with my approach, suggestions and, if I really do need to remove, relocate, or capture and take an animal or reptile to a rehabilitation center, everyone involved, including the critters, have a better outcome.

I communicate with Arizona Game and Fish on a regular basis and, in fact, their regulations in managing wildlife require that I keep them informed about my work as well as report and seek counsel on an ongoing basis so they can better understand what I see happening with wildlife, where it is happening, and how our wildlife management can be improved.

For more information about my approach to helping you with your wildlife questions, nuisance animals, or injured or sick critters, rattlesnakes, and bats, feel free to contact 1^st Response Wildlife, www.1stResponseWildlife.com, or my cell at 520-260-9517.  If you want to read more in-depth explanations and descriptions of our extensive animal and reptile population and find ideas on how you can co-exist with them, you will find that the Urban Wildlife section of the Arizona Game and Fish website, above, is an excellent resource.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Barn Owls Removal and Relocation ~ To Rehabilitation

Barn Owls are somewhat unique in that they are distinctive in appearance and coloration. These owls have a pale-to-almost-white coloration, are a medium sized owl with no ear-tufts, and a heart-shaped face.  They are primarily nocturnal hunters but you may see them at dusk or dawn. Unless a family has taken up residence in your immediate area, you may never see them anywhere but at the Desert Museum or you may inadvertently discover young, as those pictured here were found, in a nest built in hay.  (As their name suggests, Barn Owls are found to frequent hay barns, church steeples and places that offer good protection.)

The Barn Owls you are seeing here were found as juveniles in a load of hay that was delivered to a local feed store and, needless to say, as the hay was being unloaded, the feed store staff was quite surprised.

The Barn Owls were fairly young and unable to survive on their own but were safe and protected where the nest was built. However, when the hay was moved, they were exposed to a life without adequate feeding or a chance, on their own, to survive.

In this instance, their survival is a great success story.  They were taken to a rehab center where these pictures were taken.  While they have been raised from juveniles to almost adults, the process of humanely caring for them has prepared them for release back into a life on their own without domesticating them.  I have been following their growth and maturation process for weeks and I can tell you this is a good example of animals becoming orphans, through a fluke in their normal habitat being moved during their time in their nest, but being rescued and carefully nursed correctly.  Volunteering at a rehabber's facility and helping care for these Barn Owls and the rest of the animals, is but one example of  why 1^st Response Wildlife does what we do and also highlights why, as a standard business practice, I feel so strongly that understanding the animals we have, here in the Sonoran Desert, and helping, when we can, give back to the community by bringing hurt or orphaned animals to and also volunteering, as often as I can is a fundamental part of what 1^st Response Wildlife 520-260-9517 is all about.

(As a side note, rehabbers, in general, are 100% non-profit organizations which serves the greater Tucson area by accepting and rehabbing sick, hurt, and orphaned animals.   Any donations contributed to this important work goes directly to the care, feeding, and rehab of animals.  If you would like to contribute monetarily, you can do this on line at their web page or in person.  From time to time, The Desert Museum will also accept orphaned animals, as will a few rehabbers up in Phoenix.) 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

 

Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad ~ Poisoning

The Colorado River Toad aka The Sonoran Desert Toad is found extensively across the southwest and particularly in Tucson and the surrounding areas. It is extremely dangerous due to the poison it expresses from glands behind its eyes.

This poison has been developed to protect these toads from predators and is fatal to small animals and reptiles, with very negative effects on bigger animals. These toads also can deliver their poison when they bite their intended prey, you or your pet, but this happens less often to humans and pets because neither tend to play or tease them long enough to get bitten. In fact the Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad has two kinds of very toxic poisons which, once they are expressed from its glands, have a potentially lethal effect on any animal that comes in contact with it, especially pets.

If you pick up a Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad and get some of the liquid on your hands and then rub your face, you will have an unpleasant reaction of burning, stinging and extreme discomfort. These poisons, 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin are some of the most powerful hallucinogens found in the animal world and certainly are nothing to be taken lightly. Since these are so powerful, great care must be taken to learn what these Colorado River Toads look like, protect and keep your pets, children, and yourself from contacting them directly and, if you believe they are too many of them or it is not possible to remove them yourself, consider calling 1st Response Wildlife at 520-260-9517. These Colorado River Toads are most often seen right after a monsoon when they come out from their burrows they have dug or from ground squirrel holes they have taken over. They are often seen, by the dozen after a strong monsoon, all around Tucson and areas to the north and south on the road, in open areas, back yards, and along washes and desert trails. This is the time that it is the most dangerous for your pets and children because they are, it seems, everywhere.

Less seen, but more subtle and often more dangerous are the individual Colorado River Toads that find their way into your back yard and burrow in and under places where they can find moisture. These are the ones your children and pets find and, when you least expect it, you will be called upon to act quickly in order to avoid a fatality for your pet and a lot of discomfort for your own or your neighbor’s children.

I have first-hand experience with a family dog that found a single Colorado River Toad and tried to pick it up in his mouth. I immediately observed the effect of the 5-MeO-DMT. The dog, immediately started frothing at the mouth, could not walk, had his eyes rolled back and I was convinced that he was going to die. Since time was of the essence and I knew there was no time to take him to an emergency pet clinic, I got a hose and began hosing out his mouth in an attempt to wash out as much of the poison as possible. The key to my pet’s survival was that I just didn’t put the hose in his mouth for a few seconds but kept up washing his mouth for 10 to 15 minutes. The outcome of the Colorado River Toad encounter, is that the dog lived and, after 20 minutes he was fully recovered. The lessons I learned from this are as follows: First, keep your eyes open, not only after a monsoon for the Colorado River Toad, but also routinely check around your home or business in areas that are conducive for the singular toad which may be hiding in plain sight. (See my picture above of a Colorado River Toad that had taken up residence by the dripping outlet for an air conditioner. Also note that I am handling the toad with rubber gloves.) Secondly, keep your animals and pets away from these toads-especially if you are walking your pet outside of your residence and encounter one on the sidewalk or in the desert. Thirdly, if you or your child comes in contact with one of a Colorado River Toad, keep your hands away from your face and eyes and thoroughly wash the body parts that have come in contact with the toad.

Fourth, if your pet plays with, tries to pick up, or paws at one of these toads, immediately isolate the animal and move it to a location where you can get a hose and wash off the area that has contacted the toad. If your pet has “mouthed,” the toad, then wash their mouth out for at least 10 or more minutes. (It is highly possible that you do not have time to get them to an animal emergency room before the result of “mouthing,” one of these Colorado River Toad, is fatal.) If you have any questions or do not feel comfortable removing one of these Colorado River Toads you find on your property, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Mojave Rattlesnake Removal & Relocation in Tucson, Arizona

Mojave rattlesnakes are dangerous.  Most homeowners and hikers classify rattlesnakes as dangerous but, knowing just how dangerous and why one is more dangerous than another is beyond their depth of knowledge.

In my business, I find it is better to treat all rattlesnakes as dangerous and, if one is encountered around your home, business, or in a place where children or pets could be threatened, it is best to stay away from them, not bother them, and consider calling me, Josh, 520-260-9517 to deal with them.

This Mojave rattlesnake, for example, was captured in a garage southwest of Tucson.  It probably came in overnight looking for a warm and dark place to spend a few days hunting for mice in a location where the homeowner too often left the garage door open.  One call to 1st Response Wildlife, resulted in my capturing and relocating it to a location where it will not bother anyone-nor will they bother it.

Mojave Rattlesnakes can easily be confused with a Western Diamond Back Rattler because their markings are similar.  There are three things I always remember about Mojave Rattlers that distinguish them from Western Diamond Backs or other Rattlers.  

The first is the fact that Diamond Back Rattlers grow to be larger, while Mojave rattlesnakes rarely exceed 4’.  Secondly, I have observed that Mojave rattlesnakes, although similar in coloration to Western Diamond Backs, have markings that become whiter as you get closer to their tail and, their rattles often are whiter than the Western Diamond Back-which often has almost a tiger type stripe appearance of black-white-black-white.  The third and most significant difference the Mojave rattlesnakes have from the Western Diamond Backs and other rattlers is that they have two types of venom.  This is very significant because if a person is bit by a Mojave rattlesnake and gets to a hospital ER for treatment with Anti-venom, if the ER physician does not know they are dealing with a Mojave rattlesnake bite, they will probably only administer Anti-venom to treat a hemotoxin bite (venom that destroys your red blood cells-delivered by Western Diamond Backs and most other rattlers), rather than also administering a neurotoxin anti-venom as well. There is a good reason for this because one dose of Anti-Venom can cost as much as $80,000 or more!

Since a Mojave Rattlesnake carries both types of venom, its bite is especially dangerous and, because of this, a Mojave rattlesnake bite is considered 10 times more dangerous than bites by other rattlers.  Yet another reason to call 1st Response Wildlife to deal with any rattlesnake you may find in your yard, shed, business, or home.

My motto in handling any type of snake is, “Make no mistakes with snakes.” - Josh

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Pack Rat Removal ~ Common Nuisance Wildlife

The pack rat is one of the most common calls 1st Response Wildlife gets due to several factors. First, they tend to take up living in your attic space and can possibly start chewing on your electrical wires and creating a fire hazard. Second, their feces can be harmful to humans if they happen to nest in your air ducts. Third, if they take up residence in your yard, they can eat all of your beautiful vegetation.  Even if they do not chew up your vegetation, strip bark off of young trees-essentially girdling the tree, they are, after all, as their name implies, pack rats.  To build their nests, they gather cholla, debris, twigs, and anything they can to fill the area around where they live.  This can be around the base of cactus, in your grill, your car engine, and, as mentioned above, your attic.

The pack rat female can have up to four babies per pregnancy and she breeds all year long with about 5 litters, so that is a lot of pack rats! Along with the number of babies, it goes without saying that having pack rats around your property is a magnet for snakes.  While king snakes, bull/gopher snakes, and other non venomous snakes, love to catch pack rats, rattlesnakes are also fond of pack rats.  Bear in mind, then, that the fewer pack rats, the lower the potential of unwanted rattlers.

After they get out on their own, pack rats tend to live by themselves in their own nest.  The challenge you have if you just trap a pack rat without cleaning out and disposing of all the collection of plant material in and around their nest is that, with a week or so, another pack rat will happily move into the now abandoned nest of the one you killed. (I had one customer who had kept track of the pack rats he had caught from 5 nests in the desert around his home.  He had not removed the nesting material, he just kept setting traps. At the time he called me, he had killed over 80 of them over a three year period!  Removing the nesting and treating the area discouraged newcomers.  So, don't let them get settled in or around your home, give 1st Response Wildlife a call at 520-260-9517, and Josh can remove them for you along with the nesting material.

Here's a photo sequence of Josh setting traps and releasing a pack rat:

 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Related articles

Sumatran Blood Python ~ One of the Meanest Snakes on the Planet

This beautiful snake, aSumatran Blood Python which is known to be one of the meanest snakes on the planet and a very difficult snake to raise due to their aggressive nature, has over the last 8 years, grown from this size to over 15'.  It currently resides at Tropical Kingdom Animal, fish, bird, and reptile store on Prince and Campbell here in Tucson.  So far, with the help of an albino python, this girl has laid over 100 eggs which have hatched over 95 live pythons.

If you are in need of removing an exotic snake or lizard or any domestic animal, give Josh a call at 1st Response Wildlife at 520-260-9517 (Hours of Operation 24/7) and he will find a forever home for your reptiles and pets that you can no longer care for and be completely compassionate and understanding.

 

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Gila Monster Removal, Rescue & Relocation

Gila Monster rescued and ready for relocation

Josh removed this Gila Monster from a client's home to be relocated no more than 25 feet in any direction from their property due to the Arizona Game and Fish law that protects Gila Monsters from being moved away from their dens. Gila Monsters only come out during the monsoon season and also during the Spring. They spend 90% of their lives in their dens. 

If you see a Gila Monster, keep a safe distance and call Josh at 1st Response Wildlife at 520-260-9517 right away and do not attempt to approach it or touch it as they are venomous wildlife. Josh will respond promptly and professionally 24/7 to relocate this special desert creature to a safer place.

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Raccoon Babies ~ Removal & Relocation ~ 1st Response Wildlife

1st Response Wildlife received a call awhile back to remove some raccoons from a client's attic (although they probably just heard the sounds and scratching). When they got up there they actually found 3 orphaned baby raccoons and they were moved to a Rehab Center until the reach full size.  At that time they will be released back into the wild. Here is a photo of them...they are obviously just a tad bit camera shy! ;)

Be Sure to give 1st Response Wildlife a call if you hear noises in your attic or crawl space!

Cell: 520-260-9517 (Hours 24/7)

 

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!