Whiskers a sixth sense for mammals
How do seals hunt in murky water? How do cats prowl on moonless nights without bumping into everything? They can’t extend their legs like we…
Category: Mammals
When camouflage doesn’t work
While out hiking last week, we spotted this snowshoe hare. With a lack of snow at lower elevations, the snowshoe hare’s white pelage didn’t provide…
Bobcats: Often all you see are tracks
Snowshoeing near McArthur Lake, I crossed the usual coyote, snowshoe hare and small rodent tracks in the fresh snow. Then as I slowed to navigate…
How do deer survive winter eating twigs?
A deer munches on the tips of young trees, ripping the leafless twigs from the plants. Surviving the winter on twigs isn’t very nutritious but…
Pronghorn fastest land mammal in North America
Capable of bursts of speed greater than 60 miles per hour and sustained speeds of 45 mph, the pronghorn gracefully speeds across the American Plains…
Calf survival dependent on hiding or following
On wobbly legs, newborn deer, moose and elk are a precious sight to us but a tasty sight for predators such as wolves, bears and…
Shrews may resemble mice but they are different
Shrews are one of the smallest mammals in North America and the smallest one resides in North Idaho–the pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew weighs between…
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Molt, snowfall don’t always coincide for snowshoe hares
A flash of white darts across the road into a brown thicket of leafless vegetation. The snowshoe hare typically blends into its surroundings but with…
Animals prepare for winter by caching nature’s bounty
As gardeners were harvesting the bounty of their summer’s garden before the first frost, animals were harvesting nature’s bounty. Stockpiling food for winter is important…
When camouflage doesn’t work
While out hiking last week, we spotted this snowshoe hare. With a lack of snow at lower elevations, the snowshoe hare’s white pelage didn’t provide…
Bobcats: Often all you see are tracks
Snowshoeing near McArthur Lake, I crossed the usual coyote, snowshoe hare and small rodent tracks in the fresh snow. Then as I slowed to navigate…
How do deer survive winter eating twigs?
A deer munches on the tips of young trees, ripping the leafless twigs from the plants. Surviving the winter on twigs isn’t very nutritious but…
Pronghorn fastest land mammal in North America
Capable of bursts of speed greater than 60 miles per hour and sustained speeds of 45 mph, the pronghorn gracefully speeds across the American Plains…
Calf survival dependent on hiding or following
On wobbly legs, newborn deer, moose and elk are a precious sight to us but a tasty sight for predators such as wolves, bears and…
Shrews may resemble mice but they are different
Shrews are one of the smallest mammals in North America and the smallest one resides in North Idaho–the pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew weighs between…
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Molt, snowfall don’t always coincide for snowshoe hares
A flash of white darts across the road into a brown thicket of leafless vegetation. The snowshoe hare typically blends into its surroundings but with…
Animals prepare for winter by caching nature’s bounty
As gardeners were harvesting the bounty of their summer’s garden before the first frost, animals were harvesting nature’s bounty. Stockpiling food for winter is important…