Which Female Butterfly has Two Forms?
This week’s creature feature is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, one of the most commonly seen butterflies in the eastern US and Canada. With a 4-5 inch wingspan and beautiful
Which Snake Resembles a King Cobra?
Years ago I worked at a wonderful nature center in eastern New York state as a Naturalist and assistant to the curator. We often got calls from local folks about
What is a Fairy Shrimp?
Last week’s weekly puzzler was an animal called a Fairy Shrimp. I know plenty of people who would say, “what the heck is a fairy shrimp?” I was once in
Weekly Puzzler Answer #6
This indeed is a fascinating creature, but likely not one most people have ever seen or heard about. That’s because in addition to being tiny–1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long,
Does Touching a Toad Give you Warts?
I’m not sure where the idea began that touching a toad could give you warts, but like many of the things we think we know about nature, it is just
Do Male Praying Mantises get Eaten after Mating?
Last week’s Puzzler was an egg case (called an ootheca) from a Praying Mantis. A cool thing that I learned about an ootheca is that the female will produce one
Do Raccoons Really Wash Their Food?
A pair of raccoons has been showing up in our yard each evening just before sunset. They dig around in the ground under the feeder, likely looking for seeds missed