The Question: What kind of animal builds a 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) high mound of mud balls with a 1 inch (2.5 cm) hole in the top? They look like mini volcanoes. I have found a couple of these in a swampy area near a river. I live...
Read MoreThe Question: Why don’t the feet of a duck (seagull, goose, or other winter bird) freeze when they spend the night apparently sleeping on ice in sub-zero temperatures? Also, do you know if they stand on one foot and then...
Read MoreThe Question: “Are snakes useful to humans? And what role do they play in nature? Submitted by: John L., Texas (John found three beautiful rat snakes when he lifted a tarp on some stored wood. When he posted his photos on...
Read MoreI was very much affected by these photos in the latest issue of Audubon Magazine: http://www.audubonmagazine.org/onepicture/onepicture1003.html. For some reason, they reproduced it in a small, low-res format. To see a better...
Read MoreThe Question: Every summer I see teeny tiny red bugs crawling around, usually on something like concrete. What are those? Submitted by: Rick P., Queens, NY The Short Answer: Rick, those are almost certainly spider mites, which...
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