To create habitat for wildlife, provide the basic resources animals need: food, water, shelter, and places to raise young. A yard, balcony, school grounds, or shared green space can help when its plants and features suit local species and are managed with care. What Wildlife Habitat Means Habitat is the combination of conditions an organism […]
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Yes, you can create an aquatic or water garden by combining a suitable water feature, aquatic plants, and—if the design supports them—animals such as fish. The right approach depends on your space, climate, budget, and willingness to maintain water quality; a simple planted container can be as rewarding as a large pond. What Counts as
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Yes, you can use some fire pit ash in the garden, but only when it comes from clean, untreated wood and your soil would benefit from its alkaline minerals. Do not spread ash from coal, charcoal briquettes, painted or treated wood, trash, or mixed fires; it can contain unwanted contaminants or materials that make soil
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Tarantulas molt because their rigid outer covering cannot expand as their bodies grow. By shedding that exoskeleton and forming a larger one beneath it, a tarantula can increase in size, replace worn structures, and, in some cases, regenerate a lost leg over later molts. What a molt is—and why it is necessary A tarantula’s exoskeleton
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The social weaver, a small bird native to southern Africa, builds the world’s largest communal bird nests. Its enormous roofed structures can house many breeding pairs at once, with separate chambers woven from grass and other plant material. What “biggest nest” means There is no single measurement that settles every comparison. A nest may be
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Animals that echolocate include bats, toothed whales such as dolphins and porpoises, and a small number of other mammals, including certain shrews and tenrecs. They make sounds and use returning echoes to detect objects, navigate, or find prey; most animals do not echolocate, and the ability varies widely among those that do. What echolocation means
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Orthoptera are an order of insects that includes grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, and katydids. They are chiefly recognized by their powerful hind legs for jumping, chewing mouthparts, and— in many species—wings that produce sound or help them move. What the name Orthoptera means The name Orthoptera comes from Greek roots often translated as “straight wings,” a
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In June, garden birds need reliable water, safe places to feed and shelter, and a garden managed with nesting birds in mind. Many adults are raising young, so the best help is usually a steady supply of natural food and clean water—not disturbance, pesticides, or frequent changes to nest sites. Why June is a demanding
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Moths like different things depending on their species and life stage: many adults seek flower nectar or other sugary liquids, while caterpillars eat particular plants. Some moths are attracted to lights, and clothes moths prefer dark, undisturbed places with animal-based fibers; there is no single food or setting that appeals to every moth. Why Moth
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The ostrich is the bird most often associated with not flying, but it is not the only one: penguins, emus, kiwis, rheas, cassowaries, and several other birds are flightless too. These birds still have wings; over generations, their bodies and habits adapted to life on the ground, in water, or in other settings where powered
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