Can an owl swallow a mouse alive?
Question: I’ve read that barred owls swallow their prey whole. Does that mean alive, kicking...
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Category: Animals
Things that look like caterpillars
Kathy first wrote to Ask a Naturalist® with remarkably generous concern for a bryozoan colony that...
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Clever nest-building frogs
I was doing one of my favorite things this morning, watching a BBC David Attenborough-narrated...
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Whose ragged feather is this?
Question: Can you please identify this feather? It’s a bit ragged and was outside in the rain and...
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Freshwater Jellyfish
Thanks to Glenn and his quick-netted collecting crew of Parker, Avery, Christian, Gabe, and...
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The fir needle moved …
I was on a hike near Whistler in south western British Columbia, where I was about to brush what I...
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Preschoolers: “What do we call this crazy swimming creature?”
My preschool class, 4 & 5 year olds, and I were watching this video about creatures living...
Read MoreWatch a salamander form …
This is such a cool video. It’s called Becoming, and it’s by Jan van Ijken. If you have six minutes to watch something amazing, you’ll see a timelapse video of a salamander egg (alpine newt – Ichthyosaura alpestris) turning into...
Read MoreWho laid this large stinky egg?
This egg was found in my cousins yard and we have no idea what it is or where it came from. There wasn’t a nest that we could find. This photo is of my cousin’s husband holding it and he’s not a small guy. The egg was a...
Read MoreWho is this goose’s mate?
Hello – we have one Pilgrim goose that appears to be nesting. The only other geese that are around are Canada geese. We also have mallards and one Pekin duck. Could any of them fertilize her eggs? Thank you – Lori...
Read MoreWhy won’t our toad grow?
We found what I believe to be a Fowler’s toad last June. My daughter wanted to keep it as a pet since it is injured. We don’t know what happened but it was already healed, it just doesn’t have a foot. Anyways, it’s now the...
Read MoreTiny orange bugs in the garden pond …
My dad found these bugs in our pond and I have been trying to find out what they are. They are a pale orange and an oblong shape. I’ve looked at one under a microscope and it appears as if it has two large claws in the...
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