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Once endangered in Illinois, river otters now live statewide thanks to conservation efforts. These playful animals are built for swimming but spend much time on land. They dive, slide, and teach pups survival through play. Often confused with sea otters, river otters are smaller and more land-based. They eat fish, frogs, and crayfish to fuel their high metabolism and use their whiskers to detect prey underwater.

Eastern milk snakes, Illinois' official state snake since 2022, are harmless, non-venomous constrictors found in fields, woodlands, or river bottoms. They’re active from April through November, mostly at night, and feed on prey no bigger than them. Farmers once blamed these snakes for their low milk production, accusing them of drinking their cow’s milk, hence their name. They’re shy and pose no threat to humans unless provoked. Look for their blotchy gray and brown “checkere

The American bison, often called a buffalo, is North America’s largest mammal. Males can weigh 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall. The name “buffalo” likely came from the French word “boeuf” for beef. Native tribes had their own names, like tatanka and iinniiwa. Bison once roamed Illinois but now can be seen in places like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

American minks are nocturnal, solitary and semiaquatic carnivores found near waterways across all of Illinois. Often mistaken for beavers or muskrats, they resemble weasels with dark brown fur and a white chin patch. Minks will purr, hiss, and use chemical signals to communicate. They can secrete foul-smelling liquid when scared or excited. They are fast, fierce, and able to swim and climb. Though few predators hunt them, humans remain their biggest threat.

Common goldeneyes are striking ducks with bright yellow eyes, whistling wings, and unique mating dances. They nest in tree cavities, and hatchlings leap 40 feet the day after hatching. They are fast fliers and skilled divers that crave aquatic animals and plants. Seen in Will County lakes during winter, they head north to nest in summer. Spot them at local preserves like Lake Renwick and Rock Run Rookery. Keep an eye out for these amazing waterfowl!

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest in North America, about the size of a crow. With black bodies, white facial stripes, and bright red heads, they’re easy to spot. They live in mature forests and peck rectangular holes in trees to find carpenter ants. Their loud drilling can be heard from afar, and the holes they leave behind often become homes for smaller birds.

Most animals hunt for food day by day. However, some animals, like squirrels and chipmunks, hoard and bury their supply of food while others, like chickadees and nuthatches, hide their food under loose bark, chimneys, and sides of buildings. Animals who eat live prey will dig underground chambers filled with their food source, like moles, or will hide their leftovers with surrounding scraps of terrain, like bobcats and foxes.

Red squirrels live in northeastern Illinois and are smaller and less common than fox or gray squirrels. They are 10 to 15 inches long with orangish-red fur, white bellies and a white ring around their eyes. Their tails are shorter and less bushy. Red squirrels eat seeds, nuts and plant matter and prefer forests with pine trees, though they also live in deciduous forests.

Snowy owls visit our area only in winter, with sightings varying based on food in their Arctic breeding grounds. These large, mostly white owls are the heaviest in North America. Males get whiter with age, while females keep dark markings. Unlike other local owls, snowy owls are active and hunt during the day. They eat small mammals like rodents and rabbits here, and lemmings in the Arctic.

The sky looks blue because of Rayleigh scattering. Sunlight is made of many colors, each with different wavelengths. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and scatters more when it hits molecules in the atmosphere. This scattered blue light reaches our eyes, making the sky appear blue. We don’t see violet skies because the sun gives off more blue light and our eyes are more sensitive to blue. At sunrise and sunset, light travels farther, so reds and oranges shine through.

Red foxes are known for their red fur and white-tipped tails; however, their color can vary. They thrive in diverse habitats, including urban areas, and are nocturnal. In Illinois, they raise litters of 1–11 kits in spring. Red foxes use their keen hearing to hunt rodents and small mammals. Red foxes are the world’s largest fox species and live across the Northern Hemisphere. Agile and clever, they use their tails for balance, warmth, and signaling.

Dark-eyed juncos spend summers in Canada and migrate to northern Illinois for winter, arriving in October and staying until early spring. These small, round birds with gray or brownish-gray bodies, white bellies and pinkish bills are part of the sparrow family. They’re among the most common birds in North America and are often seen under feeders eating spilled seeds. In warmer months, they also eat insects like ants, beetles, caterpillars and flies.

It is never truly too cold to snow because moisture, not temperature, is the key factor. Snow can fall at any temperature above absolute zero. While heavy snow is more common at 15 degrees or warmer, it can still occur in colder places like Yakutsk, Russia. Colder air holds less moisture, so snow tends to be lighter and fluffier with a higher snow ratio, meaning more inches of snow from less water.

Reindeer, also known as caribou, are relatives of the white-tailed deer found in Will County. Unlike other deer, both male and female caribou grow antlers, so Santa’s reindeer could be girls. Caribou live in northern forests of Alaska and Canada and migrate over 3,000 miles each year—the longest of any land mammal in North America. And no, none have been found with glowing red noses like Rudolph.

Will County hosts 8 owl species, including short- and long-eared owls. Their "ears" are actually feather tufts used for communication. Their true ears are inner openings, hidden by facial feathers that direct sound. Short-eared owls have light-colored faces, streaked bellies, and roost on grasslands. Long-eared owls have orange faces, striped bellies, and prefer forests. Their calls and flight patterns differ, and winter is the best time to spot these camouflaged, nocturnal b

Birds are full of surprises! Crows hold "funerals" to assess danger, hummingbirds can fly backwards, and some birds rub ants on themselves (anting) to stay clean. Owls swallow prey whole and regurgitate pellets, while shrikes impale prey with sharp objects for later. Woodpeckers can peck 16 times per second, and pigeons recognize human faces. Blue jays collect paint chips for calcium, some birds sleep while flying, and turkey vultures defend themselves by vomiting!

Canada geese are known for being aggressive in spring during mating season. They mate for life, choosing partners of similar size at age 2 or 3. Each spring, females lay 2 to 10 eggs and stay on the nest while males guard it. The goslings stay with their parents for about a year before joining a group of juveniles.

White-tailed deer are the largest wild mammal in Illinois, weighing 125–300 pounds and standing up to 3½ feet tall. Only males grow antlers. Though bears and bison are seen, they don’t live wild in Illinois. Deer live in urban, suburban and rural areas, wherever food is available. They eat grasses, leaves, twigs, fruits and, in farm areas, crops like corn and soybeans.

Early European settlers mistakenly called bison "buffalo," a name that has stuck to this day. Although both belong to the Bovidae family, bison differ from buffalo in size, horn shape, and geographic location. Indigenous groups like the Lakota depended on bison for survival. Westward expansion nearly wiped-out bison, reducing their numbers from millions to fewer than 1,000 by the 1890s. Today, around 500,000 exist, with Yellowstone hosting the only continuously wild herd.

Whiskers are special hairs packed with nerves that help mammals sense the world. Found on most mammals (except humans, platypuses, and echidnas), whiskers detect air currents, aid hunting, protect eyes, and help animals gauge space. Some, like walruses, have hundreds! Whiskers can even show emotion. Never cut or pull them—they’re super sensitive.