Science & Nature

Care for plants and animals in their natural environment is the goal of environmental managers. Management of resources is a balancing act of leveraging the needs of the plants and animals in...

Animals and plants are both categories, or kingdoms, of living organisms. Typically, these organism groups are considered to be quite different from each other. Plants are generally fixed to the...

Drawing dinosaurs and animals can be exciting and challenging. The main problem in drawing dinosaurs is where to find one. Because they are extinct, the closest you can come to one is in a museum...

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...

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...

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...

Flowers depend on insects and other animals to help in the plant's reproductive efforts. By providing attractive scents and colorful leaflike appendages, the flower becomes more appealing and the...

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...

Whether for a school project or just for fun, drawing prehistoric animals can be a challenge. Since many animals of yesterday have different bodies or characteristics than animals living today,...

There are a number of uses for chainlink fences in zoos. The chainlink fence is unique since it is sturdy and secure, yet one can see through the chainlink. These qualities are useful in zoos...

The viral disease rabies can infect any warm-blooded mammal. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website, there are between 7,000 and 8,000 new cases in the U.S....

Sarcoptic mange is a highly spreadable mite that burrows beneath the skin of its host. It causes intense itching, which can lead to weight loss and infection; however, it is usually easily treated...

Skunks are infamous for the odor of the spray they produce to ward off danger. However, as unpleasant as their odor might be, it is preferable to something else that skunks have the ability 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...

Invasive plants and animals are an often-talked about menace in environmental and biological news. They travel by many different methods and affect ecosystems all over the world.

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...

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...

Rain forest trees can reach heights up to 150 feet. The dense top layer of these trees is known as the canopy. The rain forest canopy plays a vital role in maintaining the overall health of the...

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...

Plants and animal species are important to the ecological balance on which all life forms, including humans, depend. Plants and animals are important food, pharmaceutical and chemical resources....

Nematodes--the most numerous multicellular organisms on Earth--live in every type of environment imaginable, and many are carnivorous while some eat plants.

Numerous differences exist between human and animal hair. Some are obvious to casual observers, while others usually only are considered by scientists. Differences occur in hair between various...

Water is an essential part of human existence. Not only is drinking water necessary to stay alive, but every ecosystem on earth and many human activities rely on it in some form.

In 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act to provide protection to animals and plants that had the potential to become extinct. An endangered animal is at risk of extinction in all or...

The laws for breeding wild game vary from state to state because of the different animals in each state. Some states have no laws, and others have strict guidelines for wild game breeding. Before...

"Summer" is naturally a flexible term when speaking about ecosystems, which can exist in a variety of different climates where summers may be wildly different from each other. In some places...

There are at least 40 known species of endangered animals in North America. An animal is classified as endangered if it is likely to become extinct. Although each animal has become endangered for...

There are few encounters in nature more exciting than seeing a large animal in the water. There are specific steps to help to make dramatic photos of these special encounters.

The London Zoo, located less than two miles from the center of London, is considered one of the world's largest and most prestigious collections of animals.

Food chains consist of producers, consumers, and decomposers. The majority of consumers and decomposers can be included in more than one food chain. The set of interrelated food chains is a food web.

Manitoba is a large Canadian province that is home to thousands of Arctic species. A number of these species have become threatened or endangered due to environmental changes.

Foxes are small, primarily carnivorous mammals of the dog family. They range in size from the tiny African fennec to the European red fox. Diet includes birds, rabbits, mice, grasshoppers and...

Rainforests cover a very small percentage of the world. Yet surprisingly, more than half of the world's plants and animals thrive in them and many species of plants and animals exist only in...

Endangered species number so few that their extinction from the Earth within a few years is possible. Species of plants and animals can become threatened with extinction or completely vanish from...

Many wildlife species sustain severe injuries each year either from other animals or humans. Their mothers leave orphaned hundreds of baby raccoons, squirrels, deer and other animals because of...

New Zealand is home to many animals, some of which have been affected by the human population growth in many ways as the result of pollution, habitat destruction and newly introduced predators...

A petting zoo is also referred to as a "children's zoo" and contains a variety of animals that are gentle enough to take food from a child's hand. Petting zoos offer a sensory experience that can...

Light, a form of energy, provides one of the basic components needed by green plants to produce food in the form of sugar. This action occurs through photosynthesis by the chlorophyll of the...

The United States Environmental Protection Act covers the many endangered animals that live in North American deserts, including the Mojave, the Sonoran and the Great Basin. The U.S. Forestry...

The tracks left behind by smaller animals are sometimes much more difficult to identify than those of larger ones. Smaller animals have less weight, so they often leave only partial tracks in mud,...

Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973 to protect animals that were in danger of becoming extinct. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has the task and responsibility of maintaining the...

In 2008, the United States Department of Interior (DOI) announced polar bears to be among species threatened, and listed them No. 55 on the Endangered Species List, making it illegal to hunt or...

There are three-hundred and sixty-eight species of marine animals on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list, a list of animals that are either endangered or vulnerable to...

Plants, or flora, are the primary producers of an ecosystem. They absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and use water and minerals from the soil to make their own food. They...

There are always certain flowers that people love to plant, and that rabbits, and other animals, love to eat! Here are a few tips for getting your flowers to grow, without going to extreme...

Desert plants and animals must adapt both physically and behaviorally to survive in a harsh environment. In the desert, survival depends on using energy efficiently and conserving water.

Llamas are one of four types of camels that live on the American continents. People use them in a variety of ways, from pets to a means of communication to the disabled.

Endangered species are animals and plants whose survival is threatened. There are many reasons they might be endangered, including human exploitation of their habitats. Fortunately, many people...

The goals of zoos have changed dramatically since the London Zoo first opened to the general public in 1828. At that time, as many animals as possible were crammed into a small space. Now, good...

Animal tracking activities are a great way to entertain children and teach them about their environment. They are also a more humane form of hunting, where trophies consist of casts of tracks and...