Creature features

The plains pocket gopher spends almost its entire life underground, digging long tunnels through sandy soil. Learn how this little mammal helps the environment, what it eats and how to tell its tunnels apart from a mole's.

The world's largest turtle lives in oceans far from Illinois, but it does share some traits with our local turtles. Learn about its amazing dives, jellyfish diet and how you can help protect this endangered species.

Meet Penny, a ball python who lives at Plum Creek Nature Center.

A large bird flying low over a field as it hunts could be any number of birds. It could be a hawk. It could be an owl. Or it could be a hawk that looks and acts a little like an owl. A northern harrier. (Photo via Shutterstock) Northern harriers are hawks, but they share a few traits with owls despite not being closely related to them. A harrier's face has a round disk shape just like an owl's. They also hear exceptionally well and can hunt in low light conditions like many o

Meet the pyrrhuloxia, a cousin of the northern cardinal. Learn where this desert bird lives, what it eats and why its population is declining.

Is it a wasp, a mantis or a fly? Meet the brown wasp mantidfly, an interesting insect that uses mimicry and special claws to survive in the wild.

Learn fun facts about cottontail rabbits, including where they live, how many babies they have and why they are important to Illinois ecosystems.

Discover the surprising stages of ladybug metamorphosis, from tiny yellow eggs to helpful garden heroes.