Critters of the Week

Where Spotted: Dutch Gap
Common Name: American Coot
Scientific Name: Fulica americana
Length: 15.5-16.9 in (39.4-42.9 cm)
Weight: 21.2-24.7 oz (600-700 g)
Wingspan: 23.0-25.0 in (58.4-63.5 cm)

Quick Facts Courtesy of Cornell Labs

• Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground.
• American Coots in the winter can be found in rafts of mixed waterfowl and in groups numbering up to several thousand individuals.
• The ecological impact of common animals, like this ubiquitous waterbird, can be impressive when you add it all up. One estimate from Back Bay, Virginia, suggested that the local coot population ate 216 tons (in dry weight) of vegetation per winter.
• The oldest known American Coot lived to be at least 22 years 4 months old.

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Phantom at Richmond SPCA

Phantom is a recent RVA transplant all the way from Kentucky. The Richmond SPCA worked with Florida Urgent Rescue (FUR) in December to relieve crowding at two Kentucky shelters.

Age: 7 years,
Gender: Neutered Male
Color: Grey / White
ID: 49337693

Adopt Phantom at Richmond SPCA

Learn more about their adoption process.