Animals & Science

Parents often choose a hamster for their child's first pet. Hamsters are small, cute and entertaining, but some breeds make better pets than others.

Many people enjoy watching the numerous species of birds that frequent their yards in the warm spring months. Some individuals put up bird houses to draw in beautiful native species like the...

The Hocking Hills area of south-central Ohio contains a diverse range of wildlife, including several species of snakes. Many reptile enthusiasts and nature lovers enjoy seeking out snakes (a...

Macaws are colorful New World parrots that inhabit a range spanning from Mexico to South America. Macaws are often sold for pets, and illegal trapping and trading of the birds has led to several...

Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus ) are small songbirds of the bunting family, and derive their name from their elongated hind claw. Lapland longspurs flock together in large groups, some of...

The now-extinct elephant bird (Aepyornis maximus), or vorompatra, was the largest bird that ever lived, measuring 10 feet in height and weighing half a ton. The elephant bird has several living...

Generally, wildlife avoids conflict. Conflict takes energy. When food resources are limited, it's a gamble. Factoring into this is the animal's perception of danger, whether it be to themselves or...

Bats stay in dark and enclosed areas that can protect them from predators and bad weather. They can be found in caves, but with the increase of homes being built they turn to chimneys, attics and...

There are many different species of Colobus, which is a group of Old World monkeys. All variations of Colobus monkeys are native to the forests of Africa. They are well-adapted for arboreal life...

Polyglutamic acid is technically a polymer of a polymer. It is made up of a polymerized form of amino acid found in most proteins, which is then combined with an ionized form of glutamate, another...

The little black ant, or Monomorium minimum, is native to the United States and widely distributed throughout the country. As the name implies, this ant is very small, and either dark brown, black...

Composting with worms, or vermicomposting, converts food waste to worm manure. Its benefits to home gardeners include its simplicity, low cost and ability to compost indoors year round. For...

Carolus Linnaeus (Carol Linne) Latinized his own name in an effort to make it conform to his new system of naming organisms and classifying all life on earth. Scientific naming had many...

Ponds and other small, stagnant bodies of water require just the right balance of plant and animal life to thrive. They are miniature ecosystems, containing a whole food chain of organisms from...

Old or damaged soft plastic fishing lures can be melted down and poured into worm molds to create brand new lures. You can melt the worms in a microwave until they have reached a liquid state and...

Throughout the eastern and central United States, fishermen have competition. Northern water snakes inhabit rivers, streams, pond and lakes, and they enjoy a nice fish dinner. These dark brown and...

Many variables have to be accounted for when you try to hatch chicken eggs, but building an incubator that will successfully facilitate the development and hatching of fowl eggs is quite simple....

Bird feeders can attract a wide variety of colorful and interesting birds to your yard or garden. Many bird lovers and nature lovers put up feeders to attract birds that would not normally come...

There are a number of ways to adjust the sensitivity of your trail camera. Usually you'd want to do this if you're not capturing an image of wildlife, and you know that they have been...

Plastic fishing worms are a useful addition to your tackle box. These worms vary in appearance from realistic-looking night crawlers to fluorescent colored worms with sparkly glitter. Regardless...

A model of an eyeball is easy to create. While any round, blank surface has the potential to be transformed into an eyeball with a few strokes of a marker or paintbrush, modeling clay is an ideal...

Flamingos, those well-known pink wading birds, often stand on one leg as they are resting. There is no certain answer to explain this behavior, but there are a number of theories.

The red panda is an endangered species that continues to decline in numbers as deforestation and agriculture encroach on its habitat and food sources. The National Zoo estimates the world's red...

The five species of frigate birds spend most of their lives soaring along coastlines and far out to sea. They nest in trees and shrubs or on rocky ledges, and these unusual birds rarely sit down...

Common house geckos, also sometimes called brown or Asian geckos, are becoming an increasingly popular pet because of their hardiness and ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions. Provided...

Seals are part of a group of animals called pinnipeds, which means feather-footed. All members of this group are marine mammals with two front flippers and two hind flippers used for swimming. ...

Anyone who has owned a marine aquarium has at some point had the misfortune of accidently causing the salinity in the aquuarium to rise or fall dramatically. This article will help anyone who has...

In the marine aquarium the level of salinity will greatly affect the overall health of the fish and corals. The best salinity level for marine fish is 1.018 degrees of specific gravity; for...

American black bears are native to most of North America, ranging from northern Canada to Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. In most of the United States, the black bear is...

Seals are fascinating marine mammals that are fun to observe and study. Although they are mammals, they are also different because they spend almost all of their time in an aquatic environment. ...

Seals are adorable and interesting marine mammals. They spend most of their time in the water but will also haul out on land to rest or give birth. Seals are not terribly agile on land, but they...

Apple snails are large freshwater snails. The apple snail is native to South America, Central America, and the southern United States. These snails can grow to 6 inches in diameter and make...

With the arrival of Spring comes the sound of baby birds in their nests. On occasion a baby bird will fall out of its nest and without proper care the tiny creature will surely die. First try to...

Despite their stinging defenses, bees are a common food item among certain birds.

Colloquially, both "guppy" and "minnow" may refer to diminutive fish. In scientific terms, however, the words have fundamentally different denotations and refer to freshwater fish not closely related.

Deer can find food in the wild on their own. They also will take any freebies you offer if given the chance. Food plots attract deer to a location. The deer are more healthy. Feed the deer and you...

The eyes of amphibians are very different from human eyes. Amphibians such as frogs, toads and salamanders spend a lot of time in and near water and their eyes are adapted for this lifestyle.

Hawks are carnivorous birds; they only eat other animals. In general, hawks will eat any live animal that they can catch and eat--they have a varied diet. They tend to adapt to eating what is in...

Hot pepper powder, or the capsaicin compound derived from hot peppers, is often added to loose bird seed, bird seed bells and suet cakes to discourage hungry squirrels from gobbling up food...

Crappie are a popular freshwater game fish. Members of the sunfish family. they are widely known for being easy to catch and are considered one of the best-tasting freshwater fish.

Ducks breed in the spring and typically breed with the same partner year after year. The female duck lays 9-12 eggs per clutch, and only she will incubate those eggs for 28-30 days. The male...

Infection in your rabbit's ears may first be noticed when the rabbit is tilting its head. The infection may have resulted from bacteria, a respiratory infection or an outer ear infection which...

The swallow-tailed hummingbird is a South American species of hummingbird most remarkable for its distinct, deeply forked tail and relatively large size.

When considering how to attach a nesting box, or bird house as they are commonly referred to, hanging a nesting box or bird house on a tree is often not the best favor you can do for birds. A...

Did you just catch your first northern pike but you don't know the first thing about taking out the bones and getting it ready to eat? Don't worry because the task is not as scary as it sounds. ...

Compost worms like shallow living spaces shaped like large dresser drawers, so an old bathtub provides cozy quarters for them and meets their needs for bedding with a lot of surface area exposed...

Hook and loop pads are commonly known by the brand name Velcro; however, Velcro is the company name, not the name of the product.

A homemade deer food block is easy to make and will attract deer to your backyard for deer-watching, to your acreage for photography purposes or to a hunting stand. Observing deer activity also...

When building a hay feeder, the most important factor to consider is the habits of the animals that will be eating from it. Certain species of animals are harder on feeders then others, making it...

Hummingbird feeders come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are available at most hardware and gardening stores. If you are feeling creative, you can easily make your own hummingbird feeder out...