Shrews may resemble mice but they are different
Shrews are one of the smallest mammals in North America and the smallest one resides in North Idaho–the pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew weighs between…
Tag: Animal Anatomy
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Life under an icy ceiling
Winter brings hardships for many animals–lack of food, deep snow and cold temperatures. For fish sealed from the winter landscape by a ceiling of ice,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Chickadees utilize various tactics to survive
One of the most loyal visitors to bird feeders are chickadees. No matter what the weather, chickadees quickly dart to a feeder, grab a seed…
Molt, snowfall don’t always coincide for snowshoe hares
A flash of white darts across the road into a brown thicket of leafless vegetation. The snowshoe hare typically blends into its surroundings but with…
Nocturnal animals specially adapted to life in the dark
Walking in the dark heightens our senses and imagination. The rustle of leaves at the edge of the clearing sounds like a bear or moose…
Can woolly bear caterpillars predict winter weather?
What will winter be like? Many look to the woolly (wooly) bear caterpillar for a prediction. The black and orangish-brown banded caterpillars may be the…
Blue jays expanding their range into the northwest
A piercing “jay jay jay” call came from the yard. Could it be? Not hearing the familiar bird call since growing up in Minnesota, I…
An insect’s view of the world
Motionless, a dragonfly perches on a twig seemingly watching every movement I make without a twist of its head. No pupils follow my movement, no…
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Life under an icy ceiling
Winter brings hardships for many animals–lack of food, deep snow and cold temperatures. For fish sealed from the winter landscape by a ceiling of ice,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Chickadees utilize various tactics to survive
One of the most loyal visitors to bird feeders are chickadees. No matter what the weather, chickadees quickly dart to a feeder, grab a seed…
Molt, snowfall don’t always coincide for snowshoe hares
A flash of white darts across the road into a brown thicket of leafless vegetation. The snowshoe hare typically blends into its surroundings but with…
Nocturnal animals specially adapted to life in the dark
Walking in the dark heightens our senses and imagination. The rustle of leaves at the edge of the clearing sounds like a bear or moose…
Can woolly bear caterpillars predict winter weather?
What will winter be like? Many look to the woolly (wooly) bear caterpillar for a prediction. The black and orangish-brown banded caterpillars may be the…
Blue jays expanding their range into the northwest
A piercing “jay jay jay” call came from the yard. Could it be? Not hearing the familiar bird call since growing up in Minnesota, I…
An insect’s view of the world
Motionless, a dragonfly perches on a twig seemingly watching every movement I make without a twist of its head. No pupils follow my movement, no…