Posts Tagged ‘education’
Dekay’s Brownsnake
Dekay’s brownsnake is common, small, secretive, nocturnal and seldom found out in the open. Their Latin name is Storeria dekayi. The species name dekayi honors James Ellsworth Dekay, a naturalist/zoologist who collected the first specimen of this snake on Long Island, New York and Storeria honors David Humphreys Storer, an American physician/naturalist/ zoologist. This is…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 04/09/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! You may have noticed more than the usual number of large dark birds circling and soaring in the sky overhead lately. Welcome back, Turkey Vultures! While some Turkey Vultures stay in Ohio all year, most migrate for the winter, traveling to the southern USA and even as far as South America. Often associated…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/26/2025
Hoppy #WildlifeWednesday! Wood frogs have recently been treating vernal pool habitats to their loud quacking chorus of song, so let’s learn some fun facts about these fascinating amphibians! Wood frogs are forest-dwelling and spend most of their time during warm months on the ground near freshwater wetlands. They have extreme cold tolerance, and in the…
Read MoreSnowshoe Hares
Snowshoe hares are found throughout Canada and in the northernmost part of the U.S. They were native to the northeast corner of Ohio but disappeared in the early 1900s due to the clearing of forests to create farmland. Early attempts to reintroduce these hares to Ohio were unsuccessful; however, in 2000 the ODNR Division of…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/19/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! We are celebrating today with some interesting facts about the Virginia opossum! The Virginia opossum is the only species of opossum found in Ohio and is also the northernmost marsupial (animal that carries its young in a pouch) in the world! It is an omnivore and has 50 teeth, more than any other…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/12/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It is the time of year when we observe, appreciate, and celebrate Ohio’s state amphibian (and a TWC mascot), the spotted salamander! A type of mole salamander, this cute creature with bright yellow spots and a perpetual smile lives most of its life underground. After a long winter of brumation (similar to hibernation),…
Read MoreMarch 2025 Full Worm Moon
The full Worm Moon occurs at 2:55AM EDT on March 14, 2025. For Southern Native American tribes, the name Worm Moon came from the observation that earthworms begin to appear as the soil warms in spring. However, early northern Native American tribes did not see earthworms in March because glaciers had wiped out all soil…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/26/2025
Happy #Wildlife Wednesday! The fisher is a forest-dwelling carnivorous mammal in the mustelid family. Mustelids include animals such as otters, weasels, badgers, ferrets, wolverines, and minks. Fishers have long thin bodies with glossy fur coats and weigh around 5 to 15 pounds, with males being larger than the females. Despite their common name, fishers do…
Read MoreGray Tree Frogs
The gray tree frog is one of two native species of tree frogs. The other is Cope’s tree frog which happens to look exactly like the gray tree frog though a bit smaller in size. They can be distinguished by their calls – the gray tree frog has a slower, more musical call. The gray…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/19/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! While bird migration during spring and fall can be thrilling with colorful warblers, rarities for your life list, and huge flock numbers, winter birding in Ohio is exciting too, even if simply through a window of your warm and cozy home or local nature center. With leaves having fallen from the deciduous trees…
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