My neighbor recently asked me if opossums were dangerous as he noticed his cat was hissing at one in his garden. Opossums look fearsome, and I always see them in my garden, so I told him the truth. Opossums are not aggressive or vicious but will defend themselves against pets. Opossums may fight back if …

Prairie dogs were once more prevalent in North America, with one area in Texas housing an incredible 400 million of these small animals. Although their numbers have dwindled, prairie dogs still build amazing underground homes. Prairie dogs live in colonies of up to 1000 animals. They have large burrows, which each house a coterie. Many …

Hearing a wolf howl is one of nature’s most incredible sounds, but you may not know its reasons. In this article, we look at how wolves communicate with each other. Wolves howl to communicate with other wolves. Wolves howl to assemble pack members, protect their territory from other packs, and communicate their location to pack …

If you have seen birds digging up your lawn, you may have wondered why. In this article, we look at why they do this and how to stop them from destroying your lawn. Birds will dig up your lawn to feed on grubs. The most effective method is to reduce the number of grubs on …

If you have seen magpies digging up your lawn, you may have wondered why. In this article, we look at why they do this and how to stop them from destroying your lawn. Magpies will dig up your lawn to feed on grubs. The most effective method is to reduce the number of grubs in …

For the animal kingdom, communication is vital to surviving. Animals do not have a complex vocal communication repertoire as humans do, so they must find other ways to interact with one another. Opossums use a small number of body signals. However, the majority of their communication is through vocalizations. The North American opossum makes a …

Moose are the largest of the deer family and are one of the largest mammals in North America. They have the largest antlers of all deer species. Moose antlers are huge, weighing up to 30 pounds and 60 inches wide. Moose use their antlers during the rut to compete for mating rights. Males will scare …

The opossum is the only pouched animal (marsupial) native to North America. These are nocturnal species that are primarily active at night. Opossums are excellent climbers and capable swimmers, allowing them to avoid predators. These nocturnal animals are famous for faking death, which is another way to outwit their enemies.  Opossums are good in your …

Unless you are an avid reptile keeper, you likely don’t know about reptiles beyond the basics taught in schools. One of the most common questions people have is how they breathe? Let’s find out. Reptiles, including snakes, turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, alligators, and lizards, breathe air using their lungs. Reptiles use their lungs to take in …

AK AL CO CT HI IA IL IN MA MD MI MN MO NC NH OH PA TN UT WI New Hampshire has many habitats, and these are home to many animals, both on land and in the sea. With forests, mountains, coastal islands, grasslands, marsh, and shrub wetlands, these habitats are essential for the …

AK AL CO CT HI IA IL IN MA MD MI MN MO NC NH OH PA TN UT WI Iowa has a range of habitats home to many types of small and large mammals. In this article, we look at which mammals live in Iowa?Iowa is full of prairies, grasslands, and savanna, which are …

Cougars were once widespread throughout North America, but two-thirds of their original range has now been lost to humans. However, they can still be found as far north as Canada.   Cougars live in the U.S. and Canada and are found mainly in the west. There is also a small population that can be found in …