Many types of feathers make a bird
A single feather lying in the grass. The straight shaft surrounded by colorful vanes, some askew with dampness. Singly a feather doesn’t accomplish much but…
Tag: Animal Anatomy
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…
Nuthatches: The upside-down bird
While woodpeckers search for insects by spiraling up a tree, the nuthatch zig-zags down the trunk head-first. Foraging upside-down may seem unnatural to us but…
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…
Did you know? Daddy longlegs are not spiders or venomous
As a child I remember daddy longlegs in the basement bathroom, especially in the shower. Not liking spiders, I never got close and took quick…
25 turkey facts to gobble up
Thanksgiving brings turkeys into the spotlight which usually is detrimental to them. So here are 25 turkey tidbits to ponder while your turkey is cooking…
Frogs breathe through skin and swallow with their eyes!
In the spring, I’m always listening for the first robin to sing and the first frog to ribbit. But in the fall, I never know…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Chickens of the woods not always easy to tell apart
When a grouse flushes from the brush, my heart skips a beat before I scan to see who made the noise. Was it a spruce…
What’s the difference between a bug and a beetle?
Often I find myself referring to any insect as a bug unless I know specifically what it is, such as a dragonfly, butterfly or praying…
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…
Garter snakes most common snake in Idaho
Unlike southern Idaho, far north Idaho is thankfully devoid of poisonous snakes. Snakes living in the forested region of far north Idaho are harmless to…
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…
Nuthatches: The upside-down bird
While woodpeckers search for insects by spiraling up a tree, the nuthatch zig-zags down the trunk head-first. Foraging upside-down may seem unnatural to us but…
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…
Did you know? Daddy longlegs are not spiders or venomous
As a child I remember daddy longlegs in the basement bathroom, especially in the shower. Not liking spiders, I never got close and took quick…
25 turkey facts to gobble up
Thanksgiving brings turkeys into the spotlight which usually is detrimental to them. So here are 25 turkey tidbits to ponder while your turkey is cooking…
Frogs breathe through skin and swallow with their eyes!
In the spring, I’m always listening for the first robin to sing and the first frog to ribbit. But in the fall, I never know…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Chickens of the woods not always easy to tell apart
When a grouse flushes from the brush, my heart skips a beat before I scan to see who made the noise. Was it a spruce…
What’s the difference between a bug and a beetle?
Often I find myself referring to any insect as a bug unless I know specifically what it is, such as a dragonfly, butterfly or praying…
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…
Garter snakes most common snake in Idaho
Unlike southern Idaho, far north Idaho is thankfully devoid of poisonous snakes. Snakes living in the forested region of far north Idaho are harmless to…