Animals & Science

As told to me by my father, who grew up in rural Taiwan. When I was in my early twenties, my grandfather passed away and my father went to Taiwan for the funeral. When he came back he said all of...

Keeping an active dog clean is not easy, but it's worth the effort to keep him comfortable, healthy, and socially acceptable. There are a few tricks to make the job easier on you and your pet.

Hummingbird nests are notoriously difficult to find. One of the reasons is simply because they are so small. Most people often mistake them for growth on a tree limb, and they may be up to 60 feet...

Hang a birdhouse in your yard to attract wild birds. The birds not only make a yard look pretty but pollinate flowers in the yard. Use rope rather than wire or fishing line to hang the birdhouse....

Mange is typically associated with dogs and cats. However, the mischievous squirrels frolicking in the yard contract the itchy illness. When Notoedres Douglasi mites infest a squirrel, it creates...

The tropical umbrella bird resembles its name--it has a black umbrella-shaped tuft of feathers arched over the top of its head. The umbrella bird should be drawn boldly, like a comic book drawing,...

Though many people think of turtles as being monochromatic, many species have sections of bright colors on their carapaces (shells), plastrons (the underside of the turtle) and scales. Some of the...

Field dressing is a necessary step to help ensure the meat from your deer tastes good and doesn't spoil. Your performance will have a direct impact on the quality of the meat. Avoid puncturing...

The most challenging part of hunting white-tail deer is finding the deer. Good hunters take the preparation seriously. Always check your equipment and review any new hunting regulations before the...

Tadpoles are the larvae of the anurans---frogs and toads. While relatively easy to find, as they are restricted to water bodies and may amass in large numbers, tadpoles seem to confound easy...

Birds have simple requirements for selecting a place to nest. Providing a reliable food source, protective cover, water, and nesting areas will attract birds. Flight takes a great deal of energy....

Breeding rosy red minnows (Pimephales promelas or fathead minnow) can be an exciting and rewarding experience. In addition to the fun of seeing your hatchlings grow and reproduce generation by...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. ...

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...

Nesting boxes are man-made shelters which are intended to simulate an animal's natural nesting habitat. They are most often associated with domestic and wild birds. Farmers, for example, will put...

Flower beds make ideal outdoor litter boxes for cats because felines are attracted to areas where they can dig and cover their feces. Mulch or loose soil around flowers provides attractive...

Meal worms, which are actually the larvae of the darkling beetle, are often used by bird lovers as feed for bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches and other birds. They are especially helpful to the...

Your dog is lovable, loyal, and a delight to have around, but you could definitely do without the stains it leaves behind on the carpet. If left untended, these stains can become permanently...

Nothing adds an element of beauty to an aquarium better than live plants. However, many people do not attempt the use of live plants because they believe the plants are difficult to grow. Aquarium...

Bats suffer from a number of misconceptions. They're mammals, not flying rodents. They only rarely carry rabies, have little interest in human blood and actually provide a service to humans by...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

The Osage River flows 500 miles from the Flint Hills of Kansas (counting its headwaters stream, the Marais des Cygnes) to its mouth in the Missouri near Jefferson City, Missouri. Thirty-nine...

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, more than 32,000 endangered animals exist in the world. Individuals with time, effort and...

we have tried every thing from game board games to card games. my kids get bored or start fighting over every little thing. you also can't play these games in the car, when your driving. so one...

Crawfish (or crayfish) resemble small lobsters. Crawfish are found in freshwater bodies like ponds and lakes, particularly in Louisiana and Arizona. They make for a delicious snack and are even...

Desired for their bright and incredibly diverse coloration and bold patterning, leopard geckos are commonly sold throughout the world and are the first reptile pets for many. Though leopard geckos...

Catfish have been known to bite at almost anything you put on a hook and throw in the water. One of the strangest baits that catfish seem to love is soap. A simple homemade soap made with nothing...

Love Bugs definitely did not get their name because humans love them so much. These critters can make havoc every where. They do not bite or sting, however, the mess they make when they flock by...

Weasels are carnivorous mammals with long, sleek bodies and short legs. They can grow up to 16 inches long and are found throughout North America---more specifically, they are often found in and...

Electrocardiograms, called EKGs or ECGs, are printed graphs of a patient's heartbeat. They represent the contraction and relaxation of the atria and ventricles. If an abnormal condition is...

If you have a pond near your home chances are turtles are one of its main residents. For the most part, turtles are harmless and will do a lot of good for your body of water, feeding on dead fish,...

If you've been studying cell structure and want to make a model of what you've learned, consider working on a project where you make animal cells with Styrofoam balls. The balls are lightweight...

Maggots are not exactly the most popular household pet. However, they can be very useful to budding scientists and biologists who need them to study areas such as decomposition or life cycle...

Bird watching is a popular hobby that spans all parts of the world and all age groups. It is not uncommon to find a young child making a bird-watching notebook, sitting next to her grandmother,...

Keeping bees at the end of a garden is a wonderful hobby. The benefits far outweigh the occasional sting, and bee keepers say no one can earn that title unless they have been stung a few times. ...

Rockhopper penguins are small, aggressive penguins with feathered yellow plumes and distinctive red eyes. There are three subspecies of rockhopper penguins---southern, northern and eastern---that...

Raising queen bees can be a lucrative and rewarding experience. However, it can also be a confusing process, leaving many potential bee raisers lost. Although the initial time investment is great,...

Wanna catch big catfish? Here is the best technique to catch monster cats in your local pond, lake, or river. Keep in mind though the river is going to produce the largest fish because a fish will...

Looking for a family pet? There are many things to consider before heading out to the local mall to purchase that sweet adorable puppy who you know will love you and the family forever.

If you were successful in hunting a deer and want to display the antlers, you might want to have the satisfaction of mounting the antlers on your own -- and save the taxidermist's fee. With the...

Squirrels may seem like cute nut-loving critters, but they are the bane of bird lovers everywhere. They can easily raid a bird feeder, leaving no seeds for feathered friends. Hanging the bird...

Whether your plans call for photographing animals on Africa's Serengeti Plain or you're simply planning to memorialize the wildlife at your zoo or neighboring sanctuary, adopting techniques and...