A Bandicoot is a marsupial, like opossums and kangaroos. This means that they carry their children in pouches. The reason for the Bandicoot’s name is fairly clear when you see the length of his nose. Two aspects of a long nosed bandicoot make it different from other marsupials. They have a great many incisor teeth,
The Greater Prairie-chicken is a short, medium sized Grouse, which measures around 18 inches in length. In adults, there is a very distinct bar pattern on the entire body and wings, with a dark brown to tan undercoating. On the cheeks, throats, and the area between the eyes and bill they are a light tan
The bobcat is one of the most common wildcats in North America, and is named for it’s short stubby tail, such as you would see in a domesticated Manx cat. They are a medium size, with a height of around 18 to 24 inches at the shoulder and a length of 24 to 40 inches
The wolverine is the largest land dwelling member of the weasel family (the giant otter is the largest member overall). The Latin name, Gulo, means glutton, but it is also called a Carcajou Their range is typically from the arctic and alpine regions of Alaska, Scandinavia, Siberia, and Canada, they can also be found in
The badger is a member of the family of animals that also contains the weasel, however it looks less than nothing like its cousins. A badger is a stocky animal with a shaggy coat, which is a rather tweedy grey and white, containing elements of brown. It’s nose holds a stripe that runs to the
In the early part of the 1900’s there were literally millions of Prairie Dogs, which ranged from prairies to plains to grasslands all across the United States and Canada. Their number have been decimated by disease and predation by humans. They range across the United States from Nebraska to New Mexico, and are actually not
The Red Fox is a small streamlined animal which ranges over most parts of the United States, Canada, and is also found in other countries, including England and Wales. In the United States as well as England and Wales they were at one time hunted quite heavily by the upper classes. Red Fox are solitary
The North American elk, which is also called Wapiti, from a Shawnee Indian word which means white rump, are animals which have hooves. They are also members of the family of animals known as deer, which are all hooved. Elk are a great deal larger than deer, but not so large as a moose. Male
Found all across the northeastern and western United States as well as most of Canada, the black bear has expanded its range in recent years. They live primarily in heavily wooded areas and mountainous ranges, and are able to climb trees readily by wrapping their front legs around the trunk of the tree and grabbing
The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also referred to simply as ‘the devil’, is a carnivorous marsupial now found only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the only extant member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous
The Cheetah (derived from Sanskrit word Chitraka meaning “Speckled”) (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae), a poor climber that hunts by speed rather than by stealth. As such, it is placed in its own genus, Acinonyx. It is the fastest of all land animals and can reach speeds of up
Dragonflies are insects that belong to a group called ODanata. This order of insect is classified by their huge multi faceted eyes. They have two pairs of wings which are transparent and very strong, and are attached to a body about one to three inches long. Dragon Flies eat mosquitos, small insects such as flies
Lightning Bugs are in the beetle family. They are commonly called fireflies and are actually attempting to call a mate when they blink. The technical name for their blinking is bioluminescence. I think I’d rather call it blinking, it’s easier to pronounce. Fireflies make what is called cold light. That means it has no ultraviolet
A bogong moth will range in color from a very pale tan to black. They have a wingspan of about an inch or more, and like most moths, have four distinct wings. On each of its wings there is a darker arrow shaped mark with a small spot in the middle of it. The wings
Since bats can fly, there are those who think they are birds. While being birdlike, they have very few similarities actually to birds. Bats are mammalian. They have hairy bodies and feed their young milk. Bats are in fact the only flying mammal that exists. They are nocturnal creatures with their peak activity time just
