By Cheryl Conley
Lake Creek Nature Preserve
We live in a world overflowing with information, and much of what we believe about wildlife comes from things we’ve heard repeatedly rather than things we’ve actually explored for ourselves. Over time, ideas become accepted as fact simply because they’ve been passed along enough times. Sometimes what we think we know turns out to be incorrect, misunderstood, or simply untrue. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some commonly accepted beliefs about the natural world and separate fact from fiction. You may discover that nature still has a few surprises left.
MYTH: Mother birds will abandon their babies if touched by humans.
FACT: Mother birds do not abandon their offspring simply because they have been touched by a human. Contrary to popular belief, most birds have a limited sense of smell and rely much more on sight and sound to identify and care for their young.
MYTH: If you see a raccoon out during the day, it has rabies.
FACT: Raccoons are primarily nocturnal but may be active during the day—especially in spring and summer when mothers are gathering food for young or juveniles are exploring. Daytime activity alone does not mean rabies. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator or animal control only if the animal appears sick, injured, staggering, unusually aggressive, or acting abnormally.
MYTH: Raccoons wash their food.
FACT: Raccoons do not actually wash their food. Their paws are highly sensitive, and dipping food in water may help them gather information about what they’re eating. They also use water to soften dry food.
MYTH: Live trapping and relocating wild animals is humane.
FACT: Most wild animals are highly territorial. Moving them to a new area can leave them unable to find food, shelter, or compete with resident animals.
MYTH: “Possum” and “opossum” are the same word.
FACT: Opossums and possums are different animals. Opossums live in North and South America, while possums are native to Australia and nearby regions. In casual conversation, many Americans shorten “opossum” to “possum,” but technically they are not the same animal.
MYTH: Opossums hang by their tails.
FACT: Opossums can briefly use their tails to help with balance and climbing, but their tails are not strong enough to support their body weight for long periods.
MYTH: Opossums are dirty and vicious animals.
FACT: Opossums are actually very clean animals and groom themselves frequently. They are generally shy and prefer to avoid conflict. When threatened, they may show their teeth and hiss, but this is usually a defensive behavior rather than aggression.
MYTH: If an animal is foaming at the mouth, it has rabies.
FACT: Rabies is only one possible cause of foaming at the mouth. Other causes can include distemper, toxins, choking, dental disease, seizures, dehydration, or other illnesses.
MYTH: If you find a fawn alone, it has been abandoned.
FACT: Mother deer often leave their fawns alone for hours while they feed,
returning periodically to nurse and care for them. In most cases, a fawn
found alone has not been abandoned and should be left where it is unless
it appears injured or is crying continuously.
MYTH: Bats are blind.
FACT: Bats are not blind. Most have good eyesight and use echolocation to navigate and find food.
MYTH: Owls can turn their heads all the way around.
FACT: Owls cannot rotate their heads 360 degrees, but they can turn them up to about 270 degrees.
MYTH: Touching a toad will give you warts.
FACT: Warts are caused by viruses, not toads. Some toads produce substances that can irritate skin, so wash your hands after handling.
MYTH: Porcupines can shoot their quills.
FACT: Porcupines cannot shoot their quills. The quills detach easily when touched.
Nature is full of surprises, and sometimes the things we’ve repeated for years turn out not to be true at all. That doesn’t mean anyone was wrong— it simply means there is always more to learn. The next time you hear an interesting “fact” about wildlife, take a moment to question it and dig a little deeper. You may discover that the truth is every bit as fascinating as the myth.