You can crush pop cans using air pressure in this science experiment. Heat a small amount of water in a pop can until water vapor appears. Quickly flip and dunk the can into a bowl of iced water and watch it implode! The water vapor condenses, creating low pressure inside the can. Since there is more external pressure than internal pressure, the can collapses towards its center. It’s a dramatic example of how powerful air pressure is. Be sure to have adult help and safety gea

Beavers are skilled builders that modify their habitat by building dams and lodges. Dams create ponds, which serve as homes for beavers and benefit many other species. Lodges have underwater entrances and dry living areas above water. Beavers are considered a keystone species because their presence supports a wide range of plant and animal life in the ecosystem.

Spot the blue creature at Plum Creek Nature Center is a blue-spotted salamander not a lizard. While lizards and salamanders look similar lizards have dry scales and claws while salamanders have smooth moist skin and no claws. Salamanders live near water and go through a larval stage while lizard babies hatch as tiny adults. Spot has smooth skin and no claws which confirms it is a salamander not a lizard.

Cases of discoloration can be caused by genetic mutations like albinism or leucism, where an animal appears to be either completely or partially white rather than its normal color, or melanism, a condition that causes fur to be black. However, it is normal for some animals like coyotes, birds and red foxes to have multiple color variations, where color can very from an animal’s most common color or between males and females. Mistaken IDs are more common than an animal being t

White-tailed deer are the only Illinois animals that grow antlers, and only males grow them. Antlers fall off each winter and regrow, sometimes growing a quarter-inch a day. Deer are related to elk, moose and caribou, which also grow antlers. Elk antlers can grow an inch daily, and moose can grow a pound of antler tissue a day. Caribou are unique because both males and females grow antlers.

Male cardinals are bright red while females are pale brown with red highlights. Their red beaks and tinges of red on their crests, wings, and tails help tell them apart. Cardinals are easy to spot and well loved. Seven states including Illinois have named the cardinal their state bird.

Opossums play dead when threatened by lying still with their teeth showing for minutes or even hours. Before that, they may hiss, growl, and show their teeth. This behavior is not a choice but an automatic response, similar to fainting in humans.

Those spinning helicopters you see each spring are called samaras, the seeds of maple trees. Their winged shape helps them gently whirl to the ground. Norway, red, and silver maples produce the most. They’re fun to toss in the air and watch spin, and if conditions are right, they can even grow into new maple trees.