Wildlife

Never underestimate the mysterious wonders of outdoor surprises steps away from home. We live a few miles from Asheville, North Carolina, in a house with frequent wildlife passersby visitors. There are so many roaming deer, wandering tortoises, slithering snakes, and  frequent flier birds and insects that they no longer make it into our phone photo …

I sometimes teach creative writing classes, and one of my students included chipmunks in his descriptive paragraph about the woods. I was a little surprised, though, as his chipmunks were climbing trees. I made a note on his paper that they didn’t really do that, but he assured me that they did. It was time …

When my children were younger, we spent an afternoon building forts in the woods. My oldest daughter, who was about eight years old, suddenly shouted that she saw a cobra! I was fairly confident she had seen something else, but I rushed over anyway and saw a black snake on the ground nearby. It wasn’t …

During the spring and summer, the population of a wasp colony continues to grow. It reaches it’s height in late summer and early fall. It’s no wonder we often see more of them. Here are a few things to know about the wasps you may come across:  1. Wasps are actually very beneficial. They are …

Every fall, North America’s monarch butterflies travel hundreds of miles to migrate to warmer areas.  Making the migration even more amazing, the butterflies return in the spring. They are the only butterfly species known to make this two-way migration like birds do.  Where Do They Go? Some butterflies go through the winter as larvae, pupa, …

To me, one of the most interesting mammals in the entire world is the naked mole-rat. The animal gets its name because of its hairless appearance and large incisors. The naked mole-rat makes its home under the ground within burrows found in East Africa. With its pink skin and teeth, the naked mole-rat reminds me …

I think one of nature’s finest art pieces are spider webs. When I’m outdoors, I’ve made it a habit to go on a scavenger hunt to see how many webs I can spot in a day. Until recently, I thought all webs had the same pattern; they actually vary depending on the spider spinning the …

Here in the southeastern United States, we know it’s summer when the cicadas start to hum. Hot humid evenings with the loud buzzing take many people back to childhood summers swimming at the pool and evening dog walks. In my own life, I never realized that the sounds of cicadas meant summer to me until …

In August, many families are getting in their last vacation trips of the season and starting to think about shopping for school supplies. Fresh garden produce and ice-cold watermelons still grace many a picnic. But have you ever wondered what wildlife is up to this month? For many animals, spring and summer are times to …

When I was in elementary school, I read the book Rascal and fell in love with raccoons. These clever animals are not only at home in the woods, but they are so adaptable they often take up residence in neighborhoods and cities too.  Raccoons are medium-sized mammals that are easily recognized by their black masks …

We have a small terrier mix that we adopted from our local humane society about seven years ago. “Max” loves to be outdoors and often follows my son around the backyard or through a nearby field. Several times my son has commented how Max has actually made a trail through the yard, where the grass …

Summer is a time for fun but also a time of heat. Humans have their own strategies to beat the heat such as houses, air conditioning, fans, and ice cream. What about animals? Below are a few strategies that animals use to cool down. Estivation Although estivation is similar to hibernation, it is strictly a …

White-tailed deer are common in North America, making their home from Southern Canada all across the continental U.S. except for the Southwest. They are easy to recognize with their brown or greyish coat with white around the eyes and nose and on the throat, stomach, and underside of the tail. But there are some things …

 If you like to take photos, you’ve probably got a growing collection of pictures of friends, family, events, and selfies. But have you ever thought of capturing wildlife with your camera, too? You’d be surprised what you can find when you’re on the lookout for wildlife. Here are a few examples of what I’ve captured: …

When we were growing up, my brother, sister, and I used to go outside on summer nights and try to catch fireflies. Today, watching them flash in the evening is still one of my favorite things about summer. Not long ago, while we were camping in a valley, the fireflies flashed in the trees all …

Every once in a while, a huge flock of crows comes our way. They fill up the yard or the tree branches, making quite a racket. They are gathering together to sleep, and their big group is called a “roost”. No one is sure why these birds do this, though it may be for protection …

You can color this picture of an Eastern Box Turtle! Download and print it HERE.   Find out more about box turtles here.

Writing spiders are large black and yellow spiders often found in backyard gardens. Some legends say that if you speak someone’s name to a writing spider, the spider will write that name when it weaves its web. Other stories say that if you disturb or damage the web, the spider will write your name. Although …

When I see a small animal that seems to be in distress, my first reaction is to catch it, take it in, and try to help it. But over the years, I’ve learned that’s not always the best thing to do. When I was about 10 years old, I came across three baby squirrels at …

Canada geese are one of the best-known types of water birds. Their long black necks with black and white markings on their heads make them easy to recognize, even from far away. But although many geese still live in wilderness areas, others have moved into the cities. They take up residence in neighborhoods, parks, and …