Ross Creek Cedars over 1,000 years old
Towering giants. Ancient trees. Trees growing since Columbus sailed to the New World. We have gigantic western redcedar close by–south of Troy, Montana in the…
Tag: Natural History
Stromatolites a window into Earth’s history
Fossils offer a glimpse of what organisms have lived on Earth, such as woolly mammoths and Tyrannosaurus Rex- yet most don’t exist today. Some fossils…
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…
Eurasian collared-doves a relative newcomer to Idaho
When thinking of invasive species, one often thinks of weeds. But some birds also qualify as invasive, most notably European starlings, house finches, English sparrows…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Black bear research sends biologists into bear den
“Now! Now! Now!” Tom Radandt exclaimed as he kicked his feet, which was all that could be seen poking out of the black bear den.…
Teeth tailored to animal’s diet
Moose nip the young growth from willow trees in the winter while wolves tear meat from a freshly-killed deer. Neither could eat what they do…
Only cartoon turtles can remove their shell
Burrowed in mud at the bottom of a pond are turtles waiting out winter. Come spring, they will be basking on logs and rocks soaking…
Conks begin recycling trees before they’re dead
High in a birch tree, a large conk grows on the trunk–a sure sign the birch is decaying from the inside out. Conks, also known…
Muskrats, beavers similar but not related
Muskrats and beavers are similar in many ways which is surprising since they aren’t even close relatives. Muskrats are more closely related to voles and…
Feast or famine for animals in the winter
Last weekend, the chickadees and nuthatches finally found the two bird feeders I filled several weeks ago. For birds, finding a full feeder is like…
Autumn reveals hidden hornet nests
As the yellow leaves of autumn drop from trees, they often reveal hidden treasures such as bird nests and less desirable wasp nests. The gray,…
Stromatolites a window into Earth’s history
Fossils offer a glimpse of what organisms have lived on Earth, such as woolly mammoths and Tyrannosaurus Rex- yet most don’t exist today. Some fossils…
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…
Eurasian collared-doves a relative newcomer to Idaho
When thinking of invasive species, one often thinks of weeds. But some birds also qualify as invasive, most notably European starlings, house finches, English sparrows…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Black bear research sends biologists into bear den
“Now! Now! Now!” Tom Radandt exclaimed as he kicked his feet, which was all that could be seen poking out of the black bear den.…
Teeth tailored to animal’s diet
Moose nip the young growth from willow trees in the winter while wolves tear meat from a freshly-killed deer. Neither could eat what they do…
Only cartoon turtles can remove their shell
Burrowed in mud at the bottom of a pond are turtles waiting out winter. Come spring, they will be basking on logs and rocks soaking…
Conks begin recycling trees before they’re dead
High in a birch tree, a large conk grows on the trunk–a sure sign the birch is decaying from the inside out. Conks, also known…
Muskrats, beavers similar but not related
Muskrats and beavers are similar in many ways which is surprising since they aren’t even close relatives. Muskrats are more closely related to voles and…
Feast or famine for animals in the winter
Last weekend, the chickadees and nuthatches finally found the two bird feeders I filled several weeks ago. For birds, finding a full feeder is like…
Autumn reveals hidden hornet nests
As the yellow leaves of autumn drop from trees, they often reveal hidden treasures such as bird nests and less desirable wasp nests. The gray,…