The Cougar has been one of my favorite animals for many years, and I realized there wasn’t much information on how the cougar evolved and adapted to their environment. Cougars evolved as part of the feline family approximately 11 million years ago. They originated in Asia and crossed to America 8.5 million years ago using …

Belonging to the Canidae family, including dogs, coyotes, wolves, and jackals, the fox has a legendary reputation. Known for being sneaky, cunning, mean, and intelligent, the fox learns from an early age. While they can be found in every continent except Antarctica, foxes are common in North America. The red fox can be found almost …

I was lucky to see some bear cubs playing recently in the wild, and they were having so much fun. I could tell that playing was a great way of learning for them. Bears play for many reasons, including fun, sport, and recreation. Play is essential for young cubs to teach them how to survive …

Many assume that all mammals were warm-blooded, and while the majority are, there are some that are heterothermic. Most mammals are endothermic, which means they can regulate their body temperature. Some mammals, such as the Arctic ground squirrel, are classed as heterothermic, allowing their surrounding environments to affect their body temperature. Please read on if …

All mammals must drink water, and whales are no exception. You might wonder how they drink without so much salt in the water without getting ill. Whales cannot drink fresh water, as they are surrounded by water with a high salt concentration. Whales get most of the water their bodies need from fish but can …

The other day I watched two squirrels chasing each other around a tree. I knew why they were doing this but could overhear the people next to me asking each other the question. If a squirrel is chasing another squirrel, it is usually a male showing dominance to another male. Once they have chased them …

Many see beavers as a nuisance, but they are great for the environment. In this article, I wanted to explore some of the reasons and give tips on protecting trees in your area. Beavers are essential in establishing and maintaining biodiversity in wetlands and providing new habitats for other plants, animals, and insects. Beavers have …

Last year, when I was backpacking across the United States, I had a chance to visit Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana. I had many opportunities to view black bears and other wildlife. American black bears are known by their species name Ursus americanus.  Black bears are medium-sized bears who live throughout most of …

Bighorn sheep are one of my favorite mammals in North America, but the bighorn sheep population was once in decline.  Due to reintroduction by many states, the bighorn is now found in quite a few areas in North America. The Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are found in the cooler mountainous ranges from …

On a recent whale-watching trip, I talked to the guide about why whales migrate, and he gave me some good insights. This article examines why they move from one area and their motives for migrating every season.   Whale migration is the seasonal movement from one place to another. Whales migrate for two reasons; to find …

An animal screaming at night might sound like a real horror movie is being filmed outside your house. It may be a fox, and I wanted to explain some of the reasons for the noise in this article. Foxes can typically be heard screaming at night. A female fox will scream to attract a mate …

On a recent whale-watching trip, I asked one of the guides about how whales breastfeed underwater. His answer intrigued me, so I conducted further research on this when I returned to shore. Whales have inverted nipples inside mammary slits. When the calf is ready to feed, they dive underneath the mother and nudge the mammary …