Creature Comforts

With the change of every season nature brings us new sights and sounds. This summer do you know what birds are nesting in your neighborhood? Are you doing the right thing to attract these birds to your yard? Today our friend Joe Magee is back on the program to talk about nesting birds and answer some of your birding questions. Also, we discuss how you should deal with finding an animal that is far from home.

______________________________________________________

The kitten that Java found in the middle of the street on his way to work.

Dr. Brent Hendrixson, professor of biology at Milsaps College, spends a lot of his time with some of the spiders and scorpions of the state. He is also an advocate for these creatures that play wonderful part in our ecosystem. Through out the program he answers listener questions about the spiders they have encountered and gives advice when dealing with a sting or bite. Also Dr. Majure shares his thoughts about the declawing of house cats.

Adam Butler from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks joins this edition of Creature Comforts to chat about the wild turkeys of the state. As the turkey program coordinator, Adam works closely with conservation efforts for wild turkey habitats and the management of wild turkey hunting season. We talk about the health of the Mississippi turkey population and answer listener questions about their recent turkey experiences. Also Dr. Majure answers a few pet questions about keeping pets cool and excessive scratching.

Terry Vandeventer is not afraid of snakes and does not want you to be afraid of them either. Serving as one of Mississippi's most passionate snake advocates, Terry has visited Creature Comforts before and always shares his wisdom about the snakes of Mississippi. Snake Day is coming up soon at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and Terry is bringing his own brand of fun to the event and today's show. Also, Dr. Majure talks about keeping pets safe and healthy as the weather warms up.

Unless you are a super fan of Mississippi wildlife, you might not know the state is home to fifteen different species of bats. These winged mammals are a essential part of the Mississippi ecosystem and Kathy Shelton from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks joins the show to tell us about the role of the bat in Mississippi. Also through the show Dr. Majure answers pet questions and takes a look at the different ways pet owners tackle pet anxiety.