The Question: There are six gorgeous monarch caterpillars on a milkweed plant in our front yard. The only problem is, the plant is next to a high traffic public sidewalk. Once the chrysalis is formed, can we move each one to a safer location in our back yard? Does it matter where the butterfly emerges, [...]
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What are these butterflies doing?
The Question: Recently, I saw a butterfly holding on to another butterfly beneath him. It caught my eye when the two began to spiral downward into a field of grass. The “carrier” was able to ascend again and flew off holding the butterfly that appeared to be one of his own kind. Do you know [...]
What is this Martha’s Vineyard spider?
The Question: On Martha’s Vineyard, I found this spider. It’s bright green, with what looks like a florescent face painted on its body. Is it poisonous? Submitted by: Virginia, Massachusetts, USA The Short Answer: This is Araneus cingulatus, one of many types of orb-web spiders. These are the spiders that build the classic dew bejeweled [...]
What is this eel-like ribbon fish?
The Question: Recently while fishing in the lower James River in Virginia I caught a very pretty eel-like fish. It was very bright silver in color, and it was shiny like a mirror. It was long and slender, about 12 inches long. It had 2 needle sharp teeth on the upper and lower jaws. It [...]
What are these tiny toads?
The Question: We’ve recently moved to a small farm in Marshallville Ohio. In the grass around the house and barn are hundreds of tiny toads the size of my fingernail, size is only about 1/4 inch with legs tucked under body. They are brownish/greenish with some dark spots. What kind of toads/frogs are they? I’ve [...]