If you see a little rodent scurrying about in the thicket or under the snow, you may think it’s a mouse. And it may be a mouse, but at first glance it is very difficult to tell a mouse apart from another little rodent, the vole. So difficult, in fact, …
What would happen if you grabbed a weasel and crossed it with the ferocity of an animal over 10 times its size? Well, you would probably get something like the wolverine (Gulo gulo). Even though they look like miniature bears, they are actually the largest member of the weasel family. …
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When we talk about human disturbance of the environment, we usually think of the overharvesting of trees, overhunting and littering. But we can also disrupt the natural balance by introducing species of animals and plants into non-native habitats. This is what happened in the case of the northern pike.
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There isn’t much in the world that’s cuter than a baby river otter. These furry little bundles of joy are usually born in litters of two to six and between late winter and early spring.
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Most people imagine caribou (known as reindeer in Europe and Asia) as roaming the frozen, barren wastelands of the Arctic tundra. But did you know these animals also inhabit regions much farther south?
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Though relatively unknown to the average person, the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a familiar sight to birders and hunters in North Idaho’s mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. In fact, they’re quite common throughout much of the northern half of North America, ranging from the Appalachian mountains and Rocky Mountains …
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A walking pin-cushion. That’s usually what comes to mind when people think about porcupines. Even the word porcupine means “quill pig.” But there is so much more to learn about porcupines than their quills; their behavior and natural history is just as fascinating. For example, did you know that there …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 5 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
If you’ve been reading Critters of North Idaho for a while, you might remember when I wrote about Idaho’s smallest salamander, the 4- to 5-inch Coeur d’Alene salamander.
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Of all fish, none is known for its harrowing life cycle more than the sockeye salmon, whose scientific name is oncorhynchus nerka. They go by several other names, including the blueback salmon, red salmon and the kokanee salmon.
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Despite its common name, Elgaria coerulea is of no relation to the alligator. This reptile is a member of the Anguidae family, a diverse group of lizards common throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The northern alligator lizard itself only exists along the forests, woodlands and grasslands …
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The gray wolf, a pack-hunting member of the dog family, is loved and hated by many, and the story of their conservation is a reminder of how important saving just one species can be to a host of other plants and animals.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 5 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
