TAPM WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
RVS- RABIES
VECTOR SPECIES
What is rabies, and how is it spread? TAKEN FROM THE NYSDEC
WEBSITE@: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/index.html
Rabies is a deadly virus that infects the central nervous system of
mammals, including humans. It's most common in bats, raccoons, foxes,
and skunks. Although rabies is primarily transmitted by a bite, there is
some risk of infection if saliva or nerve tissue from a rabid animal gets
into someone's eyes, nose, or mouth, or into an open wound. Rabies
can only be positively diagnosed by testing tissue from the suspected
animal, but it's usually characterized by changes in behavior.
How a rabid animal MAY behave:
Unusual aggressiveness or tameness.
Excessive drooling, "foaming at the mouth."
Dragging the hind legs, mobility problems.
When to call the Health Department:
CONTACT US AT:
(716) 373-6449
E-MAIL AT:
trapper@princessdoves.com
Wildlife had contact with a person or pet.
Human contact with pet after pet/wildlife fight.
Bat found in the living space of your home.
Region 8 Area
Health Department Telephone Numbers
County Business Hours After Hours
Chemung 607-737-2019 607-737-2044
Genesee 585-344-8506 585-343-5000
Livingston 585-243-7280 585-243-7100
Monroe 585-274-6864 585-338-1200
Ontario 585-396-4590 585-394-4560
Orleans 585-589-7004 585-589-5528
Schuyler 607-535-8140 607-535-8222
Seneca 315-539-1945 315-539-9241
Steuben 607-664-2438 800-836-4444
Wayne 315-946-5749 315-946-9711
Yates 315-536-5160 315-536-4438
If I see a nocturnal animal out during the day, does that mean it has rabies?
Nocturnal animals DO come out during the day. Often. This, alone, is not a
sign of illness. Pet food, bird seed, and garbage can be powerful
attractants. Weather changes also affect wildlife.
What should I do if I see an animal that appears to be rabid?
Stay away from any animal that's acting strangely, and let your neighbors
know about its presence in the area. Sometimes your local police will come
out and shoot the animal; however, even a sick animal will often wander off
by the time outside help can get there. We do not recommend approaching
the animal with a baseball bat or other club because that would require
close contact. Crazy as this sounds, a vehicle can be used to run over the
animal in some instances. The advantage? No contact.
If an animal does have rabies, how long will it take to die?
The infected animal usually dies within seven days of becoming sick. This
seems like a long time to be on guard, but you also have to consider that
the infected animal may have bitten other animals in the area. Not to alarm
you, but it's a good idea to stay on guard.
How long will the rabies virus remain alive in the body of a dead animal?
The length of time that rabies remains alive in a dead animal depends
primarily on the outside temperature. The virus could die within a few hours
in warm weather and could stay alive for months in freezing temperatures.
Could my dog or cat get rabies from a dead animal that had rabies?
Yes, through an open wound or by chewing on the carcass. Have your vet
administer a booster shot within five days. If your pet is unvaccinated, it
must be confined for four months, or euthanized. You're not always going
to know what your pet has been up to while outside, so the best protection
for both your pet and your family is for you to keep your pet current with its
rabies shots.
How do I safely dispose of a dead animal?
Use care when disposing of any dead animal. Wear gloves. Pick up the
animal with a shovel. Then bury it (deep) or double-bag it and put it in the
garbage. To kill the virus, sprinkle the ground and wash the shovel/gloves
with a 10% solution of bleach in water (9 parts water, 1 part bleach).
Description:
Raccoons are "well-rounded," often plump, with reddish brown to grey fur. Adults weigh an average of 15 pounds, and are
readily identified by alternating rings on the tail and characteristic black "mask."
Raccoons are important furbearers, providing income and recreation to hunters and trappers in New York State. Many
people enjoy watching or photographing raccoons. Some people feed them, but this is unnecessary and unwise. Keeping
raccoons as pets may be harmful to both humans and raccoons, and is illegal.
Distribution and Habitat:
Raccoons are among the most widespread mammals in New York State. The adaptable raccoon can be found everywhere,
from the most remote forest to the crowded inner city. Raccoon populations often are more dense in large cities than in the
wild, but abundancevaries widely in different types of habitat and different parts of the State.
Behavior:
Raccoons feed mainly at night. They eat fruit, nuts, berries, small animals and insects, and also will feed on pet food,
garbage, and garden crops.
Female raccoons look for den sites in late winter. Litters of one to seven young are born in April and May. Young raccoons
open their eyes about three weeks after birth, and often announce their presence with mewing, twittering or crying sounds.
They nurse for about six weeks, then leave the den to follow the mother until September or early October when they
disperse and establish their own territories.
Mortality and Disease Factors:
Canine Distemper. Canine distemper is a common disease and is usually fatal. Raccoons with distemper act tame or
confused, and eventually lose coordination, become unconscious and die. Distemper cannot be transmitted to humans or
immunized pets.
Raccoon Rabies. Raccoon rabies reached New York in 1990 and has become widespread. Rabies is a viral disease with
symptoms similar to distemper. Rabid raccoons may behave aggressively, salivate heavily, or have paralyzed hind legs.
Rabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected animal. If you suspect a raccoon is rabid,
avoid or destroy the animal and contact local health officials.
Roundworm. Roundworm infects most raccoons in New York at some time in their lives. The roundworm rarely causes the
raccoon any problems, but the animals pass large numbers of eggs to the environment. Eggs ingested by another animal
may hatch and cause nerve damage. Cases of human infection have been documented, including two fatal cases caused
by accidental infections from captive raccoons.
They are also thought by some ecologists to be ecologically important as carriers of diseases like canine and feline
distemper, which can impact populations of other valuable furbearer species.
Management:
Raccoons are protected by law. No one may possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for pet
wildlife. Hunting or trapping raccoons requires a license. The law allows unlicensed homeowners and farmers to destroy
raccoons that damage property. However, property owners should try eliminating food and shelter before killing the animal.
Except where temporarily reduced by rabies or distemper, raccoon numbers may be very high. While densities in rural areas
may be 20 - 40 raccoons per square mile, raccoon densities in some developed parts of the State (e.g. Long Island) may
exceed 100 per square mile.
Raccoons can become a nuisance if people unknowingly supply food or shelter for them. They can be attracted by food
available in gardens, fish ponds, pet feeders or garbage, or by cavities that might offer shelter.
Here are some ways to prevent raccoons from becoming a nuisance:
Do not leave pet food outside. Feed pets only as much as they will eat at once, and remove all leftovers. If necessary, place
pet feeders in an enclosed area such as a porch, garage, or barn.
Keep garbage bags in an entry-way or garage, and in a metal can. Run a rubber strap, rope or soft wire through the lid and
attach to the can handles. To make it hard for raccoons to remove lids, hang the can one foot above the ground, or use a
rack and secure the cans upright.
Surround gardens with an electric fence made up of two wires attached to an insulated post, one wire four inches and the
other eight inches above the ground. Install the fence before vegetables ripen.
Block the openings raccoons are using to get into your attic, porch or other location. Place a temporary cover when the
raccoons leave on their nightly search for food, and make a permanent seal later. To check if the raccoons have really left,
sprinkle twigs, grass or flour in the opening and watch for tracks. Caution: do not permanently seal entrances without first
verifying that all animals are out of the den. Especially in the spring, look and listen for animal noises.
Nuisance wildlife control persons licensed by New York State can be hired to deal with problem raccoons. Injured and
"orphaned" raccoons should be left alone. Animals actually in need of assistance may be cared for by licensed wildlife
rehabilitators. The DEC regional office can refer you to these individuals.
SKUNKS,
This delicate member of the weasel family has a potent musk that often
overshadows the beauty of its glossy and durable fur.
Description:
The striped skunk is an interesting component of New York's wildlife
assortment. It is a house cat-sized member of the weasel family. Like the
more glamorous members of the weasel family (mink, otter, fisher and
marten), the skunk also has glossy and durable fur that can be dyed
uniformly black for exquisite garment trimming.
The skunk's best known feature is its ability to squirt an extremely potent
and disagreeable secretion at potential attackers. The Latin name for
skunk, Mephitis mephitis, means "double foul odor." This does not begin to
describe the true nature of the acid that is the active ingredient of skunk
musk. Far more serious than its smell, skunk musk causes an intense,
uncontrollable fear in the victim that receives a dose in the eyes or mouth.
A dose in the eyes not only produces intense pain and immediate
paranoia, but it also causes a hidden fear that can be triggered years later
by a musk odor.
Distribution and Habitat:
The skunk lives in a variety of habitats but prefers open areas. Its numbers
usually decline as abandoned fields and pastures become forested.
However, roadside and lawn mowing, or any maintenance practice which
prevents the development of a forest canopy, favors the continued
existence of skunks. Residential areas that have both lawns and large,
mast producing shade trees often provide optimal habitat for skunks.
Biology and Behavior:
Striped skunks mate in February and early March. Females give birth in
May, often in woodchuck burrows, to an average litter of six. It is not
unusual to see a female skunk with a line of little black and white copies
following her across a damp pasture or lawn on an early July morning.
Skunks forage at night or at dawn for a variety of foods including berries,
grasses, nuts and other vegetable material, as well as worms, insects,
grubs and the nestlings of birds, mice and cottontail rabbits. They also
prey on woodchucks and other young animals in burrows. Skunks often
leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart
ground nests of small animals.
Although skunks in New York retreat to winter dens and remain inactive for
extended periods, they do not hibernate. Males in particular are likely to be
active aboveground periodically. They may be active even during cold
weather, especially during the breeding season.
Skunks are vulnerable to a variety of internal and external parasites. They
also can get and spread rabies and other wildlife diseases. Skunks have
been the most commonly confirmed rabies species, other than raccoons,
during the spread of raccoon rabies throughout Southern New York.
Coyotes, foxes, owls, bobcat and fisher will prey on skunks, and collisions
with cars are a common cause of skunk deaths.
Preventing Conflicts:
The striped skunk can be a difficult neighbor because of its fearlessness
and effective weaponry. One of the most common skunk complaints, a
strong odor of skunk essence during the nights of early fall, often is the
result of inadequate home maintenance and of allowing dogs to roam free
at night.
This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend
the winter. Damaged building foundations and spaces underneath porches
serve this purpose well. A free roaming dog often aggravates the situation
by chasing the prowling skunk. The resultant "dog training lesson" can
offend a whole neighborhood. The remedy is to close or screen all holes
and crawl spaces, and to keep dogs confined.
An interesting side note is that house cats tolerate the presence of skunks.
In the days of small dairy farms, several dozen barn cats often ate from the
same pan of milk after each milking. Many a farmer arrived to pour the
dregs of the milk strainer into the cat dish and found that one of the cats
had a broad tail and a characteristic white "V" across its back. For this
reason, it is not wise to feed a house cat outside your home after dark.
Handling Trapped Skunks:
A beginning fox and raccoon trapper may be dismayed upon finding a
skunk in a trap set in a pasture or meadow. Likewise for a homeowner or
nuisance wildlife control agent who finds a skunk in the box trap set in the
backyard. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold
or box trap. Moving a skunk in a box trap is easy if you cover the trap with
a dark blanket so the animal can't see you. Transport the covered trap
without too much jostling, and the animal will not spray.
Management:
The striped skunk has been protected under the Environmental
Conservation Law since the late 1800s. Perhaps the value of skunk musk
to the perfume industry, combined with the commercial use of their pelts,
caused early legislators to give skunks special consideration.
You may have heard that pelts of the striped skunk once were more
valuable than they are in the current fur market. A strong market for
fur-trimmed cloth coats developed in the late 1930s as our country
recovered from the Great Depression. Striped skunk is ideally suited for
this purpose because the white hairs of the pelt become a uniform, glossy
black when dyed. Skunk pelt prices may have doubled from about 1939
through the early 1940s, but they were never as valuable as red fox.
Although a market still exists, it is not as vigorous as it once was.
Protection and promoting general public awareness of a species is a good
way to secure its status. Each year the New York State hunting and
trapping regulation guides remind hunters and trappers that the striped
skunk is a valuable furbearing resource. The regulations allow only a
limited, open harvest season. This type of regulatory protection has been
successful. The striped skunk is abundant in New York and its populations
are secure.
Why should I learn about bats and rabies?
Most of the recent human rabies cases in the United States have been
caused by rabies virus from bats. Awareness of the facts about bats and
rabies can help people protect themselves, their families, and their pets.
This information may also help clear up misunderstandings about bats.
When people think about bats, they often imagine things that are not true.
Bats are not blind. They are neither rodents nor birds. They will not suck
your blood -- and most do not have rabies. Bats play key roles in
ecosystems around the globe, from rain forests to deserts, especially by
eating insects, including agricultural pests. The best protection we can
offer these unique mammals is to learn more about their habits and
recognize the value of living safely with them.
How can I tell if a bat has rabies?
Rabies can be confirmed only in a laboratory. However, any bat that is
active by day, is found in a place where bats are not usually seen (for
example, in a room in your home or on the lawn), or is unable to fly, is far
more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats are often the most easily
approached. Therefore, it is best never to handle any bat.
What should I do if I come in contact with a bat?
If you are bitten by a bat -- or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a
bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound -- wash the affected area
thoroughly and get medical advice immediately. Whenever possible, the
bat should be captured and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing (see:
How can I safely capture a bat in my home?).
People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat. However,
because bats have small teeth which may leave marks that are not easily
seen, there are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in
the absence of an obvious bite wound. For example, if you awaken and
find a bat in your room, see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or
see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, seek medical
advice and have the bat tested.
People cannot get rabies just from seeing a bat in an attic, in a cave, or at
a distance. In addition, people cannot get rabies from having contact with
bat guano (feces), blood, or urine, or from touching a bat on its fur (even
though bats should never be handled!).
