Posts Tagged ‘wildlife wednesday’
Wildlife Wednesday 12/04/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Let’s meet Mikey! If you’ve visited The Wilderness Center, you’ve probably met our hard-working animal ambassadors, Zea the corn snake and Barnaby and Gus the Eastern box turtles. Occasionally things happen that prevent wild animals from living in their native habitats, which is the preferred ideal home for wildlife. For example, an animal…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/27/2024
Gobble gobble! It’s #WildlifeWednesday and we are celebrating the Wild Turkey! Preferring woodland habitat interspersed with open spaces such as fields, pastures, and orchards, these large heavy-bodied birds with long necks and small heads feed on the ground, strutting and striding through forests and grasslands like small prehistoric dinosaurs. Adult males, or toms, weigh in…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/20/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! As the freezing autumn and winter weather approaches, an animal that uses hibernation as a survival strategy is the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. Also known as the striped gopher and leopard ground squirrel, this rodent is related to prairie dogs and is found in grasslands and open areas of Ohio. They may also use…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/13/2024
Whooooo’s ready for our upcoming owl prowl? It’s #WildlifeWednesday and we will highlight the 3 species of owls we are most likely to encounter on our grounds this time of year. The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl in Ohio and with its enormous yellow eyes, long ear tufts, and deep hooting call, it…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/06/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It’s that time of the year! That time of year when the cold weather begins to set in and Ohio enjoys the arrival of large flocks of the “snowbird,” also known as the Dark-eyed Junco. These cute sparrows with pink bills and long tails with flashy white outer-tail feathers are an abundant winter…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/30/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! You may have noticed Eastern chipmunks are particularly active right now. The cheeky rodents are busy with their winter preparations, which means gathering as much food as possible to stockpile in their dens. Their dens are located underground, with extensive tunnel systems and multiple entrances. They conceal the entryways by covering them with…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/23/2024
Slow down for wildlife! It’s #WildlifeWednesday and the time of year when our state mammal, the white-tailed deer, is most active. As a result it is also the time of year when vehicle collisions with the large hoofstock most frequently occur. The breeding season, or rut, takes place in Ohio from mid-October through December, with…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/16/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! The recent warm sunny weather thas made reptiles extra active and many snakes have been spotted sunning themselves on the trails! They need to catch some rays while they can, as the approaching weeks will lead to temperatures that are too cold for them. Have you ever seen a snake in the winter…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/09/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Today we will learn about a nocturnal animal that wants to be seen, smelled, and recognized…the striped skunk! While many animals use camouflage, burrows, and fleeing to hide from predators, the skunk does not rely on any of these. Instead its strategy is to stand out, showing off the bright white stripes along…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/02/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Sometimes referred to as crawfish, crawdads, river lobsters, or mudbugs, today we are talking about crayfish. Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans and Ohio is home to over 20 species. Meaning “shelled one” in Latin, a crustacean is an invertebrate animal with an exoskeleton. Crayfish have 10 appendages that are considered legs, with one pair…
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