Spring has sprung, and all sorts of creatures are coming out of the woodwork…literally. 😆 One of those critters arrived as a patient earlier this month and inspired March’s Critter Corner. Meet the elusive and oh-so-charming Allegheny Woodrat! It began how most stories from the Sanctuary do: with a call to our wildlife hotline. ☎️ That […]

Ah, February—the season of love!
Chocolates, roses, romantic dinners… and the unmistakable scent of skunk? 👃

We tend to hear the most about wild animals that get the heck out of Dodge (migrate) or get the heck…under Dodge (hiberate). What about the many species that don’t do either to survive the winter?

Meet our newest education ambassador: all two inches of her! This charming Eastern Mud Turtle joined the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary team in the most unusual way. 

Gobble, gobble, gobble,Snood, caruncle, and wattle!No idea what we just said? Keep reading this month’s Critter Corner. ⬇️ As Thanksgiving approaches, turkeys take center stage in our minds and on some of our tables.  But Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)  have been strutting through North America’s landscapes for millennia—long before they became cultural icons. This month, we’re talkin’ turkeys! […]

It’s the most magical day of the year: National Opossum Day! 🎉 You might be thinking, “A whole day dedicated to opossums? Really?!” In honor of our most marvelous marsupial neighbors, we’re shining this month’s Critter Corner spotlight on the fascinating Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) so you can learn about just how much these eco-superheroes do. […]

This month’s star critter is a bit different than the furry, scaly, and feathery species we’ve featured before. This particular critter is bipedal, speaks French, and greets everyone with a smile and her trademark: “Hey, buddy!” Meet our founder, Nathou Attinger. Nathou announced her retirement from RWS earlier this past spring, and we interviewed her as […]

We’re getting squirrelly at RWS this month as we feature one of Virginia’s most nimble and entertaining residents: the Eastern Gray Squirrel. 🐿* * There is sadly no gray squirrel emoji (yet!), so we’ll settle for a chipmunk for now. Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are tree squirrels and a common sight in our forests […]

We’ve got an extra cool Critter Corner for you this month to round out June! The sun is shining, the days are warmer, and the reptiles are out. This includes copperhead snakes! We know copperhead snakes can bring out strong feelings for many people. Respect is all we ask for at RWS. You don’t need to […]