Invertebrates–animals without backbones. That covers a lot of species from butterflies to spiders to slugs and earthworms. I could have divided this category into more specific categories like spiders, insects or mollusks, but often I don’t even know where to start looking when trying to identify an invertebrate. Did you know ticks are arachnids not insects?
Who pollinates flowers in high mountain meadows? Who might be the first to visit your flowers in the morning? Who might be pollinating flowers when…
Spring is full of firsts—first robin, first flower and first butterfly. Not necessarily in that order though. The first butterfly is often fluttering around before…
As I walked through my garden I noticed a curled leaf on the plum tree. I turned the leaf over and found it covered in…
Finding one caterpillar on a hike is exciting but finding 13 caterpillars is extremely exciting–especially for kids. In early May, the kids and I went…
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement of something on the ground. I slowly turned and saw a mouse. Most mice I…
Earthworms don’t have wings like a bird, scaly skin like a reptile or six legs like an insect. They are not mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds…
Gliding around on a sheet of mucus doesn’t sound appealing but that is exactly how snails move. Snails lubricate their muscular foot with mucus which…
The transformation from a caterpillar to butterfly is incredible but caterpillars are pretty amazing too! 1. Caterpillars only have six true legs. Caterpillars appear to…
Of all the flowering plants in the world, three-fourths depend on animal pollinators. Bees may be the first to come to mind for pollinators but…
There in the grass were big snail shells, medium snail shells and itty bitty snails in tiny shells. I’d only ever seen big snail shells…
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
Butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and bees all look different when they are young. From caterpillars to grubs and maggots, these young undergo a major transformation…