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Though they look like ducks, pied-billed grebes are their own group of water birds. Their name indicates a few features where “pied” describes its two colors and “grebe” describes the bird’s feet placement. Rather than webbed feet, pied-billed grebes have lobed feet that act like three-pronged paddles. They are stealthy swimmers and can sink without a trace. They will eat their own feathers to filter out any hard, sharp exoskeleton parts that can potentially damage their inte

There are two types of animal gift giving: nuptial and non-nuptial. Nuptial gifts are tokens given when wooing a mate or someone special. Spiders, Gentoo penguins, and birds are all known for leaving nuptial gifts. Non-nuptial gifts are those given for fun, to say thanks, or to build relationships. Animals who are known for their non-nuptial gifts are crows, bonobos, and dolphins. Whether it be a paperclip, a pebble, or food, animals give gifts to express gratitude, love, and

Wild turkeys are different than domesticated turkeys we feast on for Thanksgiving. Though almost on the brink of extinction in the early 1900s, successful reintroduction efforts helped their population grow. Wild turkeys can fly short distances and have between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. Only males can gobble, but all wild turkeys use many different vocalizations. It is a tall tale that Benjamin Franklin would have preferred the wild turkey to be America’s national bird rather

Northern short-tailed shrews are not rodents. Though they are the largest shrew in Illinois and the most common shrew in North America, it is rare to see one. They spend most of their time underground digging tunnels and scrounging for food all day all year round. Their powerful snouts, strong claws, and sensitive whiskers make them great diggers and hunters. They are one of only a few venomous mammals with toxic saliva can and release a foul-smelling odor to protect themselv

A key part of a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly or a moth is a chrysalis or a cocoon within the transitional pupal stage. For butterflies, metamorphosis occurs inside a chrysalis. For moths, this transformation occurs inside a cocoon. Chrysalides are hard, smooth exoskeletons while cocoons are spun from silk. Chrysalises can be found hanging from a structure while cocoons are buried in the ground or on the side of a structure. Both coverings offer protection to

America’s prairies once spanned 170 million acres but now less than 1% remains due to farming. Illinois was mostly prairie in 1820, earning its nickname the Prairie State, but most has since vanished. Prairies support rich plant and animal life and exist worldwide under other names. The loss of prairie contributed to the 1930s Dust Bowl, as replacing deep-rooted prairie plants with shallow crops led to soil erosion and massive dust storms.

Create magical nature potions this October using jars, water, and natural items like leaves, dirt, and acorns. Use a stick as a wand, stir your mix, and activate it with imagination! Keep potions as spooky decorations but return them back to nature once completely finished. Record ingredients and effects in a “spell book” for future fun. Sample recipes include Owl Transfiguration, Butterfly Wing Enhancement, and Strength of a Bear.

Turtles are protected by their hard shells. Of over 200 turtle species worldwide, 17 live in Illinois and 11 in Will County. Habitat loss and the pet trade threaten many species, including the endangered Blanding’s and spotted turtles, and the threatened ornate box turtle. Turtles live in various habitats, from wetlands to forests, and eat both plants and animals. You can help protect them by not disturbing wild turtles, avoiding mesh netting, and keeping pets from roaming fr

Beetles have adapted for survival in many ways. They have outer shells, formally known as exoskeletons, that act as an armored shield, they can excrete unpleasant smells that are stored in their bodies to keep predators away, and some have evolved to be red which is a color that indicates warning in nature. Their red shells is a way of saying stay away to predators. Some beetles, like the ladybug, play dead and can release smelly blood from their legs in a process called refl

Orb weaver spiders shine in late summer and fall with large, beautiful webs. Females build sticky, circular webs to catch insects while males focus on mating. Common types include the black and yellow Argiope with a zigzag stabilimentum, the marbled orbweaver with marbled orange patterns near water, and the small spined micrathena with spiky abdomens in forests. These gentle spiders help control pests and can be spotted along trails in preserves.

Many people mistake harmless northern water snakes for venomous cottonmouths, but no venomous snakes live in Will County. Cottonmouths, also called water moccasins, only live in southern Illinois. While both snakes look similar, cottonmouths have thicker bodies, block-shaped heads, and heat-sensing pits. Northern water snakes are thinner, with round pupils and no pits. If you see a snake in the water here, it’s not venomous.

Hundreds of years ago, lions, bison, black bears, cougars, elks, gray wolves and porcupines use to roam modern day Illinois. However, as land use in the state began to change during the 1800s, so did the plants and animals that lived here. Prairies and forests were replaced with agricultural fields causing animals to move to more suitable habitats while others were hunted or driven away.

Lightning bugs, or fireflies, are a summer favorite, but their numbers are declining due to light pollution, habitat loss, and harvesting for their glow-chemical. Their light helps them find mates, and it’s nearly 100% energy efficient. Not all fireflies glow - some use pheromones to attract mates instead. Only one U.S. species can sync its flashes. Found mostly in the eastern U.S., they’re actually beetles, not flies. You can still catch them - just handle gently and release

The nocturnal cecropia moth, the largest moth in North America, is a lesser-known member of the Lepidoptera family. You can spot them from May to July in busy, urban areas with red and white stripes and crescent-shaped eyespots on their wings; or by their rows of red, yellow, and blue spiny tubercules as caterpillars. Cecropia moths do not eat and are attracted to trees and shrubs that can well-nourish offspring. Adult cecropia moths only live five to six days after emerging

The 34,000 species of spiders are categorized based of the number of eyes they have and their arrangement. While most spiders have 8 eyes arranged in pairs, some spiders do not have any eyes and others can have as many as 12. Typically, the most central eyes detect size, shapes, and colors while eyes on the side of their head detect motion. Though some spiders have good vision, most spiders do not and can rely on other senses like taste, touch, and vibration to survive.

Baltimore orioles are known for their vibrant plumage and their sweet tooth. They arrive in Illinois in May and migrate south as early as July. Males are black and orange, but females and juvenile males are drabber in color. Orioles eat fruits and insects and build hanging, sock-like nests. They’re not named after Baltimore city, but after England’s Baltimore family, whose crest was similar in color to the orioles’ black-and-orange plumage.

All animals within the mustelid family, such as skunks, minks, and badgers, can produce bad-smelling secretions. All mustelids have scent glands that can emit secretions with a foul odor that serve different purposes. This secretion can be used to mark territory, attract mates, or as a defense against predators. Other animals outside of the mustelid family and insects with odor-secreting abilities include bombardier beetles, opossums, stink bugs, vultures, and muskrats.

Baby animal names can be as adorable as the animals themselves. Some are playful, like porcupette (porcupine), puggle (platypus), and chuckling (woodchuck). Others are cute by sound, like pinkies (rats) and squeaker (dove). Many use suffixes: owlet, snakelet, spiderling, and antling. Unique names include joey (opossum), cygnet (swan), polliwog (frog), wriggler (mosquito larva), and eyas (hawk/falcon).

Thunderstorms need two basic things to develop: moisture and quickly rising warm air. Lightning bolts can instantly change nitrogen in the air into a gas that plants can absorb - nitrogen oxide – giving grass its green color. Normally, rain and soil microbes help convert nitrogen for plant use, but lightning speeds up the process. After a storm, especially one with lightning, grass may look noticeably greener. Just remember to observe safely and wait 30 minutes after the stor

Named for their strong jaws and excellent stalking abilities like a tiger, the six-spotted tiger beetle, Cicindela sexguttata, are diurnal insects that are an emerald green or metallic blue color and have between zero to six white spots on the bottom edges of their forewings, formally known as elytra. Their large eyes give them great peripheral vision, making them hard to catch. Despite their size, they can eat prey larger than them. Six-spotted tiger beetles have a four-stag