Creature Comforts book review

Creature Comforts, a new book self-published by Erie County SPCA vet tech and naturalist, Joel Thomas, discusses nuisance wildlife and what we perceive to be nuisance wildlife. According to Thomas, behaviors we see as a nuisance are actually normal behavior for wildlife. In the book, Thomas, an East Amherst, NY native, offers some suggestions on how to remove some of these creatures from your property using natural animal behaviors, without having to call a trapper. He cites real life situations that he has actually experienced in his line of work. In addition, his tales are often told with a touch of humor.

For example, he writes about removing a family of raccoons from a picnic shelter by leaving on bright lights and a loud radio station on all night. By morning, the raccoons were gone, as they didn’t like these conditions. He also talked about getting a mother squirrel to move her babies by exposing them to the elements; she came back to move them to a place more sheltered.

There is a whole chapter on deer, as well as one on birds, which covers hawks, raptors, and even wild turkeys. In the chapter on opossums, he gives an example of playin’ possum that he experienced when he was a lad. Opossums are actually North America’s only marsupial.

If bunnies munching on your plants have gotten you down, mix up a batch of all natural and safe, “Bunny Stay Away” which is described in the chapter on rabbits. Rodents, raccoons, squirrels, and skunks are also discussed in the book. He also has a recipe for getting rid of skunk odors if your dog happens to tangle with a skunk.

In the chapter on snakes, Thomas describes the time when he was a youth and his black rat snake went missing in this house. After the family turned in for the night, he knew the snake had been found when the silence was pierced by this mother screaming his first and middle names. The reptile was located in her closet.

The book can be found on http://www.amazon.com/ and will also be carried at USA Bird Supply’s retail store, located at 11163 Main Street in Clarence. The retail price of the book is $14.95 For more information, see his website http://www.creaturecomfortsbook.com/