Animals & Science

Mounting bird houses around the yard can provide hours of enjoyment for bird watchers and aviary enthusiasts. Bird houses also offer benefits for the feathered creatures themselves.

Every animal species, including homo sapiens, or humans, has evolved eye placement that best ensures its survival. The location of eyes in an animal's body determines how the animal receives...

Songbirds can be a pleasant presence in any yard. In recent decades, humans have been building birdhouses to help out the winged creatures--and now we know that those birdhouses are actually...

Wildlife animals, particularly large birds, are difficult to capture well on film since they are often difficult to spot and not likely to stay still for long periods of time. If you photograph...

The gray bat (Myotis grisescens) is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Part of the reason gray bats are endangered is because they have lost a lot of their...

Penguins are a type of flightless marine birds. There are seventeen species of penguins. All penguin species live somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Penguins live on every continent in the...

Spondylus more commonly called the Thorny Oyster or Spiny Oyster is large and very colorful. The Spiny Oyster is not even an oyster but in the scallop family. Often found in home aquariums or as...

Tune in to news reports late in the month of January, and you may hear discussions about a furry little rodent referred to as a Groundhog. Whatever he did to deserve this moniker is unknown, but...

Want to take super photographs of wild animals? Be careful but it is a fun humane way of hunting.

When walking through the woods you may find a deer. You need to be quiet when close to a deer to not scare it away. Or when your driving you may see a deer. You would never want to harm a deer...

Cnidarians are jellyfish. Jellyfish have no lungs or gills, yet they must still breathe. The method of direct oxygen exchange allows the jellyfish to survive.

Red worms, often used for home composting of kitchen scraps, go more properly by the name red wigglers, or Eisenia fetida. Reflecting the humble roots of this typical manure worm, red wigglers can...

Chimpanzees hold a fascination for most people, since they seem so close to being human that we can easily relate to them. One area of particular interest to researchers is the rearing and...

Known formally as the "bald eagle," this majestic bird of prey does not have what many would consider a "happy" childhood. Fraught with peril, the bald eagle's development process ensures that...

The duodenum is the upper portion of the small intestines in mammals. The duodenum is the section of the intestines that connects to the stomach and pancreas. It's the location where digestion...

According to National Geographic, the venom of the box jellyfish (also called sea wasp, fire jelly or marine stinger) is considered to be among the most deadly in the world. A model of the fire...

Hair follicles are the tiny holes located all over the human body where hair grows. Hair grows on all mammals, and it starts in the tiny follicle. Even whales have follicles, although the hair is...

Most fish survive best in room temperature or warmer water, but some prefer it cooler. An aquarium chiller allows you to keep the temperature of your aquarium below room temperature. Instead of...

The human hand is an extension of the skeleton. The hands are a part of the appendicular skeleton, which is comprised of the legs, feet, arms and hands. The hands are an important evolutionary...

Retinol is another name for vitamin A. Retinol has several functions including cell differentiation, vision and benefits for embryo development. Retinol is available in a variety of foods,...

Those hardened bumps that appear on the skin after a swim or in the cold have been nicknamed "goose egg bumps" or "goosebumps." These bumps are a natural and automatic reaction to an adverse...

Starlings are aggressive birds that will drive away the more varied, small birds you may be tring to attract with your feeder. Their larger size, however, is a disadvantage that you can use...

Working with show cattle can be a stressful yet rewarding venture. Each calf has its own personality and some of the best can be easy frightened, especially during the show. There are several ways...

"Pelagic" is an adjective that means "of or relating to the open or high sea, as distinguished from the shallow water near the coast." It is most commonly used to refer specifically to animals...

The Aquaclear 20 is a motorized aquarium filter that helps keep the water clean and fresh. The filter works without problems under most circumstances but may occasionally stop drawing water...

Teach a Pet Cat Its Name. It is very important that a pet kitten or pet cat knows its name, and will respond to it by coming to you. Pet cats, and especially kittens, are very curious and have a...

Yankee bird feeders are designed and manufactured to save you money on bird seed. A common problem with standard bird feeders is that other animals, such as squirrels, take much of the bird seed....

Fishermen often bait their hooks with nightcrawlers, or Lumbricus terrestris. These large earthworms can grow to 10 inches long. Children who fish often use smaller, young nightcrawlers, called...

Humans and chimpanzees are closely related in the animal kingdom, with scientists estimating we share 99% of our DNA with chimps. This similarity can be seen in some human/chimpanzee brain...

Wild kangaroos live in Australia and outnumber the human population there. This is partly due to the kangaroo's high rate of propagation, but also because of the increase in farming and cattle...

Mice are curious creatures that are ever in search of food. A mouse can be caught alive in a tin coffee very easily by taking advantage of this habit. The purposes for catching a live mouse are...

The mountains of Southwest China are home to the only population of wild pandas on earth. This area sustains the panda because it is rich with bamboo, which makes up 90 per cent of its diet. The...

The tallest land animal, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) reaches adult heights ranging from 13 to 19 feet. Its natural habitat is the African savannas south of the Sahara Desert.

The official scoring of mule deer horns is done by the Boone and Crockett Club for deer taken with a firearm and the Pope and Young Club for deer taken by archery. To be considered for the record...

Dry ice can be a very interesting substance. Not only can it be used to cool items in a ice chest for long periods of time it can also be used to create fog because of the extremely low...

The purpose of dyeing traps is to cover their steel odor with a woodsy scent and make the traps black so they blend in with the water or trap covering. Dyeing also helps protect the traps from...

The effects of venom from a Brazilian pit viper can be negative and positive. If bitten by this snake, the venom can cause physical pain and bring fatality. But the venom also has proved a worthy...

Homemade birdseed feeders are easy to create. You can find everything you need to make your birdseed feeder right in your own home. Making a birdseed feeder is a fun project for children and...

Porcupines are large, nocturnal rodents that may become a nuisance by nesting under a home, digging up a garden or gnawing on the wood of a house or deck. Most commercial porcupine repellents are...

Despite what people think about mice being gross, the truth is, they are friendly, lovable pets that are great for kids and adults alike. However, what can be difficult about mice is their...

Earthworms, part of the phylum Annelida, may be the hardest workers of any creature great or small. Nightcrawlers, part of the genus Lumbricus, and thousands of related species sculpt ecosystems...

Plovers are a variety of shore bird belonging to the genus Charadrius. Although they prefer sandy beaches, they may migrate inland for breeding in summer. Some North American varieties of plover...

Most people find dolphins engaging, sociable, funny and clever. They are also extremely efficient hunters, feeding on everything from tiny shrimp to great white sharks. The dolphin diet depends on...

Having a trophy to remember your deer hunt by is the desire of most hunters, yet having the head mounted can cost hundreds of dollars that not all can afford. Still, there is a way to have a...

Every Christmas, children around the world write their annual letters to Santa and for many, a request for a horse or pony tops their list. For loving, caring parents this is probably the one gift...

The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is the largest member of the grouse family, and it also is known as the western capercaillie and the wood grouse. Both male and female have a patch of bright...

The wildebeest, also known as the gnu, lives on the wide, grassy plains of the Serengeti. Subsisting on a diet of short grasses and water, the wildebeest often travels far and wide in large,...

Animals called worms are not necessarily closely related, because the term "worm" refers to a type of adaptive body form that occurs in several different groups. Flatworms (phylum Platyhelminthes)...

It is important to be safe when you view wildlife. Many wild animals may have diseases that could harm you and your family. Wild animals also become scared very easily and may bite. Coming up with...

Frigate birds make up five different species in the genus Fregata. This sea bird is related to the pelican and is sometimes referred to as the Man-o'-War bird or the Pirate bird.