Wildlife Wednesday

This week’s Wildlife Wednesday is brought to you by the state of ARIZONA where the Gila Monster is commonly found. They are venomous desert lizards. They spend about 95% of their time underground and emerge only to hunt for food or to take a sunbath. They don't need to eat very often because they can store fat in their large tails. Gila monsters are the largest lizard native to the United States. They are named after the Arizona Gila River Basin, where they were first discovered. Their skin looks like beads and comes in colors like black, pink, orange, and yellow. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Arkansas where vultures are commonly found. Vultures are fascinating birds known for being nature's clean-up crew! They are scavengers and mostly eat dead animals which helps prevent the spread of disease. All vultures have bald heads, which helps them to stay clean when eating decaying meat. Vultures have a large wingspan, up to 6 feet, which allows them to soar with little effort as they search below for a meal. They also have sharp beaks and an extraordinary sense of smell. They have been known to be able to smell carrion from over a mile away, which is very unique in the bird world. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of FLORIDA where Manatees are commonly found. Manatees are large, gentle, plant-eating marine mammals and are distantly related to elephants. Manatees don’t have any natural predators and can live 60 years or more! Manatees prefer freshwater, but they can swim in saltwater when necessary. The only big requirement that manatees have is that they cannot survive in water that is below 60 degrees. Adult manatees may reach a weight of 3,500 pounds. They reach this hefty weight by eating a lot of food, sometimes up to 100 pounds a day. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of IDAHO where Mountain Lions are commonly found.

Mountain lions are large cats that are known for their powerful jumping and climbing skills. Their strong hind legs enable them to jump as far as 45 feet and run up to 50 miles per hour. These cats have a poor sense of smell, but have excellent vision and hearing that help them hunt in the early morning and evening hours. Mountain lions do not roar like other big cats - they communicate in different ways, such as chirping, growling, shrieking, and even purring. Mountain lions are shy and secretive animals that are rarely seen by humans. They are known for their elusive behavior and are typically more active at night when they are less likely to be seen. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of IOWA where skunks are commonly found.

Skunks are nocturnal mammals - they look for food at night and sleep in dens during the day. They have a black and white fur color pattern that serves as a skunk’s first line of defense against predators. They defend themselves using a stinky spray that is greasy, smells awful and can hit a target 12 feet away! This spray also temporarily blinds their enemies to help the skunk escape. Skunks have a very good sense of smell and hearing, but their vision is poor. This lack of good eyesight can lead to accidental sprayings when a skunk is surprised. If you ever see a skunk, it is best to remain calm and keep your distance. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of GEORGIA where Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are commonly found.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are tiny, incredibly fast birds known for their ability to hover and fly backward. Hummingbirds can beat their wings so quickly—more than 50 times every second—that they make a "humming" sound. Only male hummingbirds have the bright ruby-colored throats that give the species its name. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are only about 3.5 inches tall and weigh less than a quarter of an ounce, which is less than a penny. They eat nectar from flowers and trees, using their long beaks and tongues. Like many birds, hummingbirds have good color vision and can see into the ultraviolet spectrum, which humans cannot see. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of IOWA where skunks are commonly found.

Skunks are nocturnal mammals - they look for food at night and sleep in dens during the day. They have a black and white fur color pattern that serves as a skunk’s first line of defense against predators. They defend themselves using a stinky spray that is greasy, smells awful and can hit a target 12 feet away! This spray also temporarily blinds their enemies to help the skunk escape. Skunks have a very good sense of smell and hearing, but their vision is poor. This lack of good eyesight can lead to accidental sprayings when a skunk is surprised. If you ever see a skunk, it is best to remain calm and keep your distance. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of LOUISIANA where Alligators are commonly found. 

Alligators are large, cold-blooded reptiles with tough, scaly skin that live in freshwater habitats like swamps and rivers. These reptiles are clumsy on land, but they're built for life in the water. Alligators are great swimmers; they are equipped with webbed feet and strong tails that propel them through the water. Alligators are unable to chew their food so they must rip off manageable pieces of flesh from large prey. In order to do this, they rely on their instinctive behavior of the “death roll”. This is a powerful, spinning maneuver where the alligator rolls its body in a circular motion to tear off chunks of flesh from its prey. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of COLORADO where Bighorn Sheep are commonly found.

Bighorn sheep are known for their huge horns, amazing climbing skills, and ability to butt heads to show dominance. Male sheep, called rams, have large, curled horns that can weigh more than all the bones in their body combined. They are herbivores, living in herds and using their strong, split hooves to navigate rocky cliffs. Bighorn sheep can jump up to 20 feet across crevices. They have excellent eyesight that helps them see predators from far away. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of MISSISSIPPI where Wild Hogs are commonly found.

Wild Hogs are nocturnal, omnivores with a great sense of smell, and live in family groups called sounders. They are very smart and can learn from their experiences to solve problems. Piglets are born with stripes for camouflage, while adult males grow long tusks for digging and defense. Wild Hogs can be quite large, weighing between 100 and 300 pounds and can grow up to 5 feet long. Despite their large size, they can run up to 25 miles per hour to escape danger. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of TEXAS where bats are commonly found.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. They are nocturnal, meaning they are active during the night and sleep during the day. Many bats use echolocation to "see" in the dark. They make high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects, and the returning echoes help them find food and avoid obstacles. When bats sleep, they hang suspended from their feet! Scientists think this sleeping strategy allows bats to easily escape from predators, as they can drop straight into flight. Most bats are insectivores, eating insects like moths and mosquitoes. A single bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of MAINE where lobsters are commonly found.

Lobsters are marine crustaceans with a hard, outer shell called an exoskeleton that protects their bodies and provides support. This is essential because they are invertebrates and lack a backbone. To grow, lobsters must shed their old exoskeleton in a process called molting. They have two large claws on the front of their body: a "crusher" claw and a smaller "pincer" claw. Through the process of regeneration, lobsters are able to shed a damaged or injured limb to escape danger and then grow a new one back over time. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of CALIFORNIA, where Elephant Seals are commonly found.

Elephant seals are the largest animals that can live both on land and in the water. They get their name from the male's large nose - it looks a lot like an elephant's trunk. Males are significantly larger than females - they can weigh more than 8,000 pounds while females are only 400 pounds. Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the ocean. They can hold their breath for more than 100 minutes. This is longer than any other mammal that is not a whale or dolphin. Elephant seals are also excellent divers. On average, they dive 1,000 to 2,000 feet, to find their favorite foods like squid, fish and rays. On land, they come ashore to have their babies and molt, shedding their old skin and fur. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Virginia where Opossums are commonly found.

Opossums are the only marsupials native to North America. Mothers carry their young, called joeys, in their pouch for up to three months. After the pouch, joeys ride on their mother's back until they are old enough to be on their own. When opossums are attacked, they will “play possum,” pretending that they are dead; they remain still, they do not blink, and their tongue hangs out. This defense mechanism can last for a few minutes or several hours! Opossums are great climbers. They have a special thumb on their back feet and a long, hairless, "prehensile" tail that can grip branches and help them balance. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Hawaii where Green Sea Turtles are commonly found.

Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles. They are mostly herbivores, eating seagrass and algae, and are named for the green color of their fat, not their shells. Unlike land turtles, they can't pull their heads or limbs into their shells. Green sea turtles spend most of their lives underwater. They are excellent long-distance swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five hours when asleep. Only the females will return to land when it’s time to lay their eggs. She will dig out a nest with her flippers and lay about 115 eggs. Their hatchlings' sex is determined by the temperature of the nest—warmer nests produce females, while cooler ones produce males. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Minnesota where Gophers are commonly found.

Gophers are small, burrowing rodents known for their large, fur-lined cheek pouches. They are prolific hoarders. When foraging, they gather food in their cheek pouches to carry down to caching chambers where they save it for later consumption.They live most of their lives underground in complex tunnels, where they eat plants, sleep, and raise their young. Gophers are herbivorous, have short lifespans (1 to 3 years), and navigate their underground tunnels using their tails. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Tennessee where Timber Rattlesnakes are commonly found.

Timber rattlesnakes are shy, camouflaged, venomous snakes that use their tail rattle as a warning. They add a new rattle segment each time they shed their skin. They are “ambush predators” and capture prey by waiting patiently in the brush, and then quickly striking, biting and injecting venom into passing prey. Timber rattlesnakes are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs. They are born with venom and fangs, even though they are tiny and stay with their mothers for a week or two before going off on their own. Adult rattlesnakes can be 3 to 5 feet long. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of Maryland, where Blue Crabs are commonly found.

Blue Crabs are amazing swimmers, as they are equipped with special paddle-like back legs. Their blue coloring is most prominent on their legs and claws, which are vibrant blue, while their main shell is usually a duller olive or brownish color. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Blue crabs grow by shedding their hard outer shell, a process called molting. They molt about 25 times in their lives. How fast they grow depends on the water’s temperature and how much food they can find. Male blue crabs can mate many times. Female blue crabs, however, only mate once in their lives. This happens when they shed their shell for the very last time, which is called their "terminal molt." A female blue crab can produce up to 2 million eggs in one batch! 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of SOUTH DAKOTA where Jackrabbits are commonly found.

Jackrabbits are technically not rabbits - they are actually hares. Hares are born with fur and are larger than rabbits. Jackrabbits are known for their huge ears and powerful hind legs. They can run incredibly fast, up to 40 miles per hour and leap up to 10 feet. They use leaps and a zigzag running style to evade their many predators, including coyotes. Their long ears help them stay cool in hot, dry places like deserts and plains. Jackrabbits are nocturnal animals, meaning they are most active at night. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of NEW MEXICO where Armadillos are commonly found.

Armadillos are the only mammals that have a tough armor that protects them from enemies and other dangers. Their armor is a type of hardened skin. It is made up of solid plates and flexible bands. It covers most of the body, including the head and usually the tail. The word armadillo is Spanish for “little armored one.” They have long claws, which make them proficient diggers. Armadillos are solitary, largely nocturnal animals that come out to forage around dusk. They forage for meals by thrusting their snouts into loose soil and leaf litter and frantically digging in erratic patterns, stopping occasionally to dig up grubs, beetles and other insects. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of MASSACHUSETTS where Bluefin Tuna are commonly found.

Bluefin tuna are giant, super-fast, warm-blooded fish that look like torpedoes. They can grow up to 14 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds; this makes them one of the biggest bony fish in the ocean. Their sleek bodies help them zoom through the ocean, reaching speeds over 50 miles per hour. They can also dive to incredible depths, over 3,000 feet down into the dark ocean. To keep their swimming muscles warm, bluefin tuna have a special system that prevents heat from escaping into the cold water. This allows them to hunt for food even in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of NEBRASKA where Pheasants are commonly found.

Pheasants are large, long-tailed ground birds. They prefer running over flying - they have strong legs which they use to help them run up to 10 mph. When scared, they can fly up to 60 mph. Males are very colorful with red, green, and gold feathers, while females are a dull brown to hide from predators. Pheasants are non-migratory birds, meaning they stay in the same local area all year round. While they can live long in captivity, most wild pheasants live less than 1 year. 

This week’s animal is brought to you by the state of NEW YORK where bobcats are commonly found.

Bobcats are medium-sized wildcats, roughly twice the size of a house cat, known for their short "bobbed" tails and spotted fur. They are elusive, solitary animals that are found in forests, deserts, and swamps. Bobcats are excellent climbers and can run up to 30 mph. They can also leap as far as 12 feet to catch prey and have been known to take down much larger animals, such as young deer. Bobcats night owls with superb night vision that helps them see in the dark. They may look cute and cuddly, but these felines are actually fierce predators. 

Coming Soon!