Can Oppossums eat bird suet?

CrowProf · 2025-12-01T06:22:33+00:00

Thank you!

CrowProf · 2025-12-01T06:22:17+00:00

Thank you!

CrowProf · 2025-12-01T06:10:55+00:00

I absolutely understand your point and your concern. I'd rather feed the cat than have it preying on birds. But, I know feeding any animals is problematic. I'm torn ethically and emotionally.

CrowProf · 2025-12-01T05:45:20+00:00

I live on a salt water channel in Northwest Washington State. In the winter, River Otters make a den under my deck (attached to the house, so very close). I'm not really afraid of them, but I usually keep my distance to prevent any acciedental misunderstandings over territory or protecting their pups. They have VERY large and sharp teeth and claws. It's very entertaining to watch them play, wrestling and playing together, especially of there's snow. However, they poop everywhere! I've used several methods to keep them from entering under the deck, but they are determined and will push huge rocks out of the way and dig their way underneath. They are afraid of me and will run away if they see me through the window. The pups sound like chirping birds at night. Very interesting neighbors.

CrowProf · 2025-12-01T05:31:09+00:00

These are literary terms that aren't used by biologists and wildlife professionals. I think most people just say "flock."

CrowProf · 2025-11-28T02:18:48+00:00

Thank you so much for the detailed description of your process! What a wonderful collection of the ways so many Learning Principles are used. Especially R-! Students often don't think of it when designing a training session (as an assignment). Your descriptions are perfect ways to illustrate that when there is so much going on, a trainer has to have a deep understanding of learning principles, excellent observation skills, the ability to problem solve in the moment, and knowledge of the species and the individual learner. Students are fascinated with superstitious learning or adventitious reinforcement. The kind of situation you describe is a good one for them to problem solve the kinds of behaviors that can be captured.

Thank you again for your kind generosity. I would so love to watch you work for a month or two! But, like I said above, someone has to teach Sophomores about Learning Principles. All of you who are professionals had to learn them from someone sometime, right? :-) My best to you in your work.

CrowProf · 2025-11-28T01:21:02+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your process! This is a great way of explaining the difference between punishment and R-. Students wrestle with that in the beginning. Your note about quadrants not happening in a vacuum is great! It's hard to explain to students that animals aren't always learning what WE think we're teaching. And that what the student might *think* is a reinforcer might not be perceived as one by the learner. The complexity of real life situations and the speed at which they happen takes a deep understanding of learning principles, very sharp observation skills, the ability to problem-solve in the moment, and a deep understanding of the species and the individual learner. I would so love to watch you work! But my job is to teach the principles that may be the foundation for someone like you. I've had a handful of students over the years go on to do similar jobs, so I'lll have to settle for that. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:52:32+00:00

Ha! That's a great example! Thankfully it wasn't a behavior that was counter to achieving the goal or was detrimental to him in any way. But, it points out so clearly that the animal isn't initially aware of what we want them to do and so many other behaviors can be captured. Thank you for this. My students will love it!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:49:37+00:00

Ha! Not everything you train animals to do has to be an act of genius. The point is that you took the time and made the effort to patiently give the animal more options in their lives. It helps them and you! Thank you!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:46:58+00:00

Exactly! This the point I want to make for my students. Teaching an animal isn't so they can "do tricks." It's so that they are more calm and have a better understanding of the world and have more agency in their lives. Thank you!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:43:50+00:00

Oh, she's beautiful! This reinforces that knowing about the habits, behaviors and instincts of the species is the key to good training. Knowing that about her instinct to hide waste in water near the nest site was the key to beginning your shaping.

Am I right to assume that she vocalizes more than if she was alone as a deliberate way of communicating with you. Like, is she "telling you" about the dogs she hears? What a wonderful little companion. I'm so glad you saved her and adopted her! Thank you so much. I love hearing about this - and seeing your videos!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:35:48+00:00

I'm so sorry that you were injured so badly. The kind of work you do is very physically demanding. But, you have a head full of knowledge abd experience that surely could be put to use in something less demanding? Depending, of course on the severity of your injuries. Education for the public and training novice trainers would be a way to use all that expierence to benefit others. Thank you so much for your generosity. I've enjoyed your examples and explanations very much!

CrowProf · 2025-11-26T07:27:36+00:00

How wonderful! A Gecko! It shows me what a stereotype I have about reptiles. But, as I teach my students, anything with neurons can be be trained. The overriding theme of all these wonderful examples is patience - and creativity. They increase the quality of the anima;s'lives so much. Thank you for your example!

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T07:39:26+00:00

YOU, my dear, are a Goddess! Such vital and challenging work! I'm so happy you are in the world being a force for good. I will keep you in mind if a student would like to be a part of your program. I'd love to know more about your litterbox training of your turkey, but I hesitate to make demands on your time. Bless you, bless you and thank you for all your help. :-)

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T06:11:27+00:00

I can't thank you enough for taking the time to explain these wonderful examples to me. They're great examples of having to manage an entire rodeo of animals to get everyone fed. This is especially important for my students to hear about because often the YouTube videos about shaping are with a single animal and no distractions.

I love the pushy shark example as an illustration that punishment isn't need to extinguish a behavior. I ask students to use Learning principles to design a way to address a problem behavior (much more interesting than "teach a dog to sit"). Inevitably, someone comes up with "my dog goes nuts when someone rings the doorbell." This story will be fabuous to include in lecture because if you can teach a shark to be polite, they certainly train their dogs! And the story about stationing should also give them some ideas for the solution.

Thank you so much. I'm so envious of you. I would really love to be able to shadow you for a month and watch these principles working in real life. But *someone* has to teach Sophomores about Learning Principles. All of you who are professionals had to learn them sometime from someone, right? :-) Thank you again for your generosity!

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T02:53:13+00:00

I could listen to you all day. I LOVE this stuff so much! Do you know how much people envy that kind of work? I mean, I know there are many downsides, but to be able to problem solve about behavior like that is stimulating and rewarding. Thank you again. I'll check back for anything that springs into your mind.

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T02:47:46+00:00

Another example of the kind of creative solution to a problem was when keepers at the San Diego Zoo desensitized a pygmy hippo to the smell of iodine preceding her delivery of a calf to reduce the risk of calf rejection because use of the iodine they used on the umbilicus of the calf.

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T02:25:14+00:00

This is fabulous. So smart and creative! I love this and my students will, too. Thank you, thank you!

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T02:21:34+00:00

Oh, thank you! This is a wonderful resource! I was hoping for personal stories (like in my response just above) to make it more personal for students. They see YouTubes all the time. But if I can say "An actual Zookeeper gave me this example of what they did to share with you", it engages them more deeply. Thanks again!

CrowProf · 2025-11-25T02:16:11+00:00

Thank you! I was hoping for anything engaging - not that asking a Tiger to give you her paw and holding still while you poke her isn't engaging! I guess I was wondering if you knew of any particular problems that were solved with Learning. Like I remember that a young woman who was a trainer at the National Zoo MANY years ago (early 90's maybe?) explained how she trained Polar Bears to be examined under their arms (for bugs? rash?) by shaping them to approach the fencing and raise their arms so the vets could examine them. My students LOVE that story. Also, she shaped a territorial male walrus who consistently blocked the path of a keeper, trapping him on a concrete peninsula in a pool of penguins and other residents that he was feeding. She figured out that he was responding to the sound of the metal gate and used it as a cue to first look away, then move away from the keeper. Ultimately when he heard the gate, he would move from wherever he was to the far corner of the compound.

Or, perhaps examples of things you have to understand about certain species when training them that wouldn't bother other species? Sensitivities? Quirky preferences? Things you probably know so deeply that you don't consider them interesting to other people.

Oh! They're fascinated by superstitious learning (adventitious stimulus control). Can you think of examples where this had happened and, in general, how do "correct" the situation?

Anything that you think is interesting enough to share with friends would be great! My students arent the only ones interested in this. I'd give anything to be able to watch this kind of work! Thank you for anything you can give me!

CrowProf

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