Animals & Science

Water turtles can be found all over the world--excluding Antarctica and the Arctic--and make up a diverse group of reptiles. Water turtles live in a variety of habitats, ranging from oceans to...

Moles are small mammals of the Talpidae family; voles are small rodents of the Cricetidae family. They have little in common, albeit a rhyming name. They are different in appearance, habitat,...

There are a couple of reasons why one would want to fatten up compost worms. Fattened worms can be resold as breeders to other composters, or as bait for fishermen. Fattening them up simply means...

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are large aquatic mammals found in every ocean on the planet. Immortalized as the "white whale" in Hermann Melville's "Moby Dick," sperm whales have come to...

According to the Center for Disease Control, rabid squirrels are extremely rare. (See References 1.) Although any mammal can contract rabies, rodents and rabbits are not considered animals of...

Endangered sea turtles, just like all endangered animals, need our help to ensure their survival. See the steps below for many ideas for how you can help endangered sea turtles.

Brisling (also known as bristling) sardines are small fish that inhabit the North Atlantic. According to International Fish Canners, gourmets around the world consider brislings the tastiest,...

The appendicular skeleton is the part of the skeleton that consists of the appendages. It contains 128 bones and combined with the axial skeleton (which consists of the trunk and the head), it...

An amateur paleontologist found Tyrannosaurus Sue---the largest tyrannosaur skull on record. As adventurous as it looks in movies, finds like those are rare. Even where fossils are plentiful, like...

Mexican long-eared bats (Myotis auriculus), commonly referred to as Southwestern bats, are small, nocturnal brown bats native to Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. The colloquial name refers to the...

Iron oxide, commonly known as rust, may seem like an odd ingredient for bird food. In fact, this chemical compound is used in a wide range of products--from cosmetics to animal feed.

The correct way to maintain a purple martin house depends on the type of house you have and the type of pole you use to raise the house. There are martin houses made of aluminum, foam, gourds,...

The red wiggler commonly used in home and commercial worm farming readily chows down on a range of kitchen scraps. Scientists categorize red wigglers as a manure worm. While that means they will...

Hummingbirds are frequently admired and sought after for their enchanting colors as well as the charming way they dart about. They prefer to feed from certain types of flowers such as such as...

Black algae can clog and choke the life out of a fish pond if left unchecked. The algae grows rapidly when exposed to direct sunlight so good preventive measures include the installation of shade...

Protecting purple martins from owls can be accomplished by first understanding the owls' habitual ways of attacking martins: owls attack at night. They usually reach in a bird house with their...

Have you ever wondered why people are so fascinated with Eeyore or “Donkey” from the Shrek movies? I absolutely love those guys. Aren’t they the cutest characters ever? If you look at a donkey,...

Bison and domestic cattle both belong to the family Bovidae and are genetically similar enough to permit interbreeding. On a more aesthetic level, the skull of either can symbolize the American...

Sea stars are beautiful sea creatures that live in shallow water. They have five arms that are used to attach the animal to the substrate. The animals are resilient, and their arms regrow if severed.

Mice can get into homes easily and destroy belongings and food. If uncontrolled poisons are used to get rid of them, mouse carcasses may become inaccessible within walls and cause horrible odors...

Seals and sea lions are the two categories of pinnipeds, fin-footed marine mammals. While they look very similar to the untrained observer, there are several differences that can easily be checked...

Finches and sparrows are small, perching songbirds found throughout the world. North American sparrows are members of the Emberezidae family, while finches belong to the Fringillidae family....

Making a chicken incubator with junk found around the house is easier than you would think. You can successfully build one and hatch chicks in your home so that the kids or even adults can enjoy...

Rodents comprise the biggest subfamily within the mammal classification. The name rodent comes from rodentia, which means "to gnaw." Rodent fecal matter can be very dangerous, especially in large...

Fleas and ticks are a menace to nearly everyone who has pets that go outside. Ticks can latch onto your animal from the grass, and fleas can come from long distances. They are able to jump...

There are more than 35,000 endangered plant and animal species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as of 2009. "Around the world, many species of plants and animals have become...

You might not think humans have anything in common with fish, reptiles or birds. Yet all are vertebrates with immune systems that include white blood cells. Immune systems are developed best in...

The genus ascaris belongs to the phylum nematoda; the ascaris is the longest type of intestinal roundworm. There are two species of ascaris. One, the ascaris lumbricoides, infects humans.

Thousands of animal species are endangered throughout the world. The sheer number of animals that are in trouble can seem overwhelming. Learn about endangered animal conservation and ways that you...

Mosquitoes can be nuisances in the spring and summer. Bats are their natural enemy and help to control the pesky bugs in your back yard. Building a bat box can help conserve the bat population.

Spread leg syndrome, also called spraddle or splay leg, occurs in newly hatched chicks. Though splay leg affects other animals, it is primarily a problem among domesticated poultry. The chick's...

Elephants are the largest land animals in existence. There are three species: African bush, African forest and Asian elephants. Elephant live for up to 70 years in a structured social society. The...

If a flock of cat birds has settled in your neighborhood, they won't waste any time in making their presence known. Cat birds greet the dawn with a chorus of chirping interspersed with raspy...

A bird spends a lot of energy flying, molting, breeding, rearing young and defending its territory. It actively searches out foods that can help it meet these needs. Birds eat more than one type...

Located in the Indian Ocean in Southern Asia, Sri Lanka is a land faced with many environmental challenges, including deforestation and the erosion of coasts due to mining. In addition to these...

Cats are very clean animals and enjoy a clean environment. A dirty litter box is unappealing to your pet and creates an unpleasant environment for your family. Cat box odor can be very strong and...

An incubator is an apparatus that facilitates the artificial hatching of eggs and serves as temporary housing for newborn chicks before they're moved to a brooder. Maintaining the right...

Stem cells are a special type of cell that can transform, or differentiate, into many types of cells. Stem cell research is being actively pursued in order to understand basic scientific...

Parrots are more sensitive to harmful things in the air than people are. When a person decides to keep a pet bird, she needs to know alternative and safer ways in doing everyday things, including...

Alligator lizards are found in the Pacific and Rocky Mountain regions of North America. They are abundant in areas of California, Oregon, Washington and the Rocky Mountain states. If you live in...

Geese are among the largest birds in the wild and often can be seen migrating overhead in large groups. In addition to their unique migration methods, geese are notable for living considerably...

The range of ring neck snakes stretches from Canada to the United States to parts of Mexico. California ring neck snakes inhabit eastern and central states and some western ones. As their name...

Frogs are one of Mother Nature's most amazing creations. Highly skilled and specialized hunters, frogs are able to jump long distances and capture prey from afar with their long tongues. Frogs...

You can easily make a simple bird call using items found around the house or in the woods. This toy has been around since the 1800s at the latest, and can be used to imitate the call of many...

Garden frogs are wonderful amphibians that live in and around ponds, streams and lakes. The best way to appreciate their presence is to know how they have adapted to life around the garden pond.

The Mexican long-nosed bat is a very restricted visitor to the U.S. Its range extends into extreme southern New Mexico and Texas, and it's only there for a few months in the summer.

Lizards are reptiles that are closely related to snakes and range in size from the half- inch members of the gecko family to the 10 foot-long Komodo dragons. Nearly 5,000 species of lizards...

Cookiecutter sharks, so named for their uniform circular "cookie cutter" bite, are not especially dangerous to humans because of their small size. Considered a parasite, these sharks eat pieces of...

The subject of rattlesnakes can be a very sensitive or a fascinating matter, depending on the person talking about them. There are over 15 different varieties of rattlesnakes, and there are...

Anyone who has ever owned a fish tank knows just how stressful it can be when water changes and gravel siphoning must be done. The python “No Spill Clean and Fill” system can cut that stress in...