Critters of North Idaho: Ye ol' vole
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, …
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Critters of North Idaho: Wolverine
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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Critters of North Idaho: American Coot
If you see this bird swimming across the water’s surface from a distance, chances are you will mistake it for a duck.
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Critters of North Idaho: Northern pike
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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CRITTERS of NORTH IDAHO: The adorable river otter
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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Critters of North Idaho: Boreal woodland caribou
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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Critters of North Idaho: Ruffed Grouse
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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More to porcupines than quills
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 …
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Don't fear bats (unless you're a bug)
Three types of vertebrates fly. Most well known of the three are birds, which fly by means of feathered wings.
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Critters of North Idaho: Meet the Idaho giant salamander
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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CRITTERS of NORTH IDAHO
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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Beetle bombardment
To understand what the false bombardier beetle is, you need to understand what makes the true bombardier beetle so special.
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Alligator lizard continues to adapt, thrive
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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Critters of North Idaho: Semipalmated plover
Run, run, run, run, STOP!
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Conservation Success Stories: Gray wolf
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.
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CONSERVATION STORIES: Brown bears no longer need protection
Eight species of bear exist in the modern world: the polar bear of the Arctic tundra, the Asiatic black bear, sun bear, panda bear and sloth bear of Asia, the spectacled bear of South America, the American black bear, and the brown bear.
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CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES: Peregrine Falcon
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman? Well, this time it actually is a bird, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) to be precise. Though it looks like its close cousins, hawks and eagles, this raptor, or bird of prey, is a great deal smaller than the …
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Outdoors: 'Antelope' refuse to die
Last week, we talked about the American bison, one of the few large mammals to survive the extinction event at the end of the Ice Age. This week, we’ll be talking about another Ice Age survivor that we’ve made great progress in saving from extinction: the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana).
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Outdoors: CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES: White-tailed deer
If you see a deer crossing the road or walking across your yard, chances are it’s a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). These animals weigh anywhere from 110 to 300 pounds, and when threatened, they flash the white underside of their tail, hence their name. They aren’t very picky about their …
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Conservation success stories: The trumpeter swan
Who doesn’t love swans? They are such graceful animals that fly long distances to their breeding grounds year after year. The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is no exception. It is the largest species of waterfowl in North America, weighing between 15 and 30 pounds and flying upon a wingspan of …
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Conservation success stories
Every day, it seems like yet another animal has been added to the Endangered Species List or sentenced to extinction.
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Virginia Opossum
You may refer to it as a “possum,” but it is informal to refer to a Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in this way. Possums are actually a group of mammals native to Australia and its surrounding islands, and they more closely resemble large chinchillas. They also have long fluffy tails.
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: American beaver
Most animals are forced to adapt to their environment. When it gets cold and snowy, geese and other birds fly south for the winter. Wildebeest migrate across the African savannah to find fresh grazing. Groundhogs hibernate during the winter when food gets scarce. Humans are different in this regard because …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Goldenrod crab spider
They say April showers bring May flowers, but as many insects will find out this spring, that’s not the only thing they will bring. Camouflaged and waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey is one of the most well-hidden arachnids in the world.
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Wild Turkey
On Jan. 26, 1784, Benjamin Franklin described in a letter to his daughter the bird he championed as the perfect national bird for the newfounded United States: the bald eagle? Nope, Franklin argued that the role of national bird should have actually gone to the wild turkey. While he never …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Water shrew
It may surprise you how many kinds of animals adapt to a life more dependent on the water than their cousins. Sea otters, as their name implies, spend all of their lives at sea unlike their cousins, the river otters. Polar bears are the only species of bear classified as …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Common Loon
When we think about “waterfowl,” ducks, geese and swans are usually the birds that come to mind. However, there is another Idaho bird that spends much of its time in the water. In fact, it spends so much time there it can barely get around on land. I am talking …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: The Pacific lamprey
Despite its appearance, this little water-dwelling creature isn’t a mutant snake or worm. Instead, scientists classify the Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentate) as a fish, even though it lacks many of the features we generally associate with fish. It has no fins along the sides of its body, no scales and …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Pacific tree frog
During North Idaho winters, the only wildlife you are likely to see are mammals, birds and (maybe) a few fish. Amphibians and reptiles are unable to be active during the winter because they are ectothermic, or “cold-blooded.” Now this doesn’t mean they literally have cold blood; the term actually means …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Gray Wolf
Timber wolf. Western wolf. Gray wolf. All of these terms refer to the same animal: Canis lupus, the ancestor from which all domestic dogs descend. This creature has long been considered a symbol of power, strength in numbers and wits. Gray wolves are the largest members of the dog family, …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Peregrine falcon
Zooming down from the heavens faster than any other bird is Idaho’s state raptor, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Now when I say “raptor,” I’m not talking about a velociraptor. Until relatively recently, the term “raptor” was used only to refer to birds of prey, like eagles, hawks, owls and …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Canada Lynx
Do you have a cat? I do, and she is a calico named Sarafina. Now she’s all for cuddling up next to me when it’s cold, or staring me down when she’s hungry or wants attention, but she’s not what I’d call a “hunter.” She’s rather naive when there’s a …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: The Fisher
If you were to guess that this cute, little, furry animal called a fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a close cousin of weasels, then you’d be right. If you were to guess that like most mammalian predators fishers are mainly nocturnal (meaning they are most active at night), you’d also be …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Grizzly Bear
People have feared and revered bears for thousands of years. According to some archaeologists, they were even worshipped by some cultures (though this is a controversial theory).
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Trumpeter Swan
Of all migratory birds, Canada geese probably get the most attention due to their distinctive appearance and widespread distribution. However, there is another bird on the move this time of year (September-October), this one flying south to escape the harsh, blistering cold winters of Alaska and Canada: the trumpeter swan …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Coeur d'Alene Salamander
Right now, a fleet of slimy, smooth-skinned, relentless predators are emerging from the depths of the earth to feed. All of them have spent the summer months fast asleep, waiting for the summer heat and dryness to dissipate so they may rule the earth … or at least the spray …
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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: The Rocky Mountain Elk
The rocky mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) is one of the icons of the wilderness making up the western United States, and we’ve got a population of them living in and around the forests surrounding Coeur d’Alene!
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CRITTERS of NORTH IDAHO
North Idaho is known for its spectacular array of birds, like great horned and gray owls, ravens, magpies and so many more. But when arriving to Coeur d’Alene, I was surprised by the presence of one bird in particular: the ring-billed gull! What’s a seagull doing so far away from …
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State Parks: Ponderosa
Alas, as the month of July draws to a rapid close, we will explore our final destination: Ponderosa State Park. To reach this natural beauty, it’s best to drive 276.4 miles via U.S. 95 south, if you’re coming from Coeur d’Alene. The park’s more than 1,300-acre territory covers a wooded …
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State Parks: Harriman
Located in eastern Idaho 130 miles north of Pocatello is Harriman State Park. Not to be confused with the state park of the same name in New York, Idaho’s Harriman State Park is an 11,000-acre wildlife refuge.
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State Parks: Bruneau Dunes
When you think of sand dunes, you probably picture the sandy deserts of Egypt or the sand dunes you see along beaches.
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Hells Gate State Park
This week, our June-July journey through eight of the state parks of Idaho takes us to Hells Gate State Park. Not to be confused with Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya, this Idahoan beauty lies in western Idaho 123.8 miles down U.S. 95 south.
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Lake Cascade State Park is calling adventurers
This week on our journey through eight of Idaho’s state parks between June and July, we’ll explore the beauties and spectacles that lie in Lake Cascade State Park, a crown jewel of the state in and of itself.
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Round Lake: Good hikes, great critters
Summer is a great time for traveling. While some people may prefer to spend the summer at a theme park, or in some exotic locale in the tropics, there are a great many wonders of the natural world to behold right here in our marvelous state of Idaho. This week, …
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Farragut State Park: Close to home
Summer is a great time for traveling. While some people may prefer to spend the summer at a theme park, or in some exotic locale in the tropics, there are a great many wonders in the natural world to behold right here in our marvelous state of Idaho. The first …
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