Critter Science
The Science of Animals
The coyote is found in all parts of the United States, sans Hawaii. They are also found in Canada, Mexico, and Central America. They can be found on plains, in fields, and around shrub-dense areas. Coyote dens are typically found in caves, rocky crevices, hollow logs, or dens of another
Also known as the Beechey ground squirrel, after Frederick William Beechey, the California ground squirrel is a very common sight throughout most of California. These ground squirrels are found everywhere from central Washington through western Oregon, California, and
The California leaf-nosed bat is the only bat in North America with ears this large and leaf-like projections on their nose. Other North American bats have typical dimensions… normal sized ears and nose. At first glance, it would appear that these little flying critters are all ears
The tayra is a member of the weasel family. There are 9 known subspecies of tayra that range from Central and South America to Trinidad. Tayras live in woodlands and dense tropical rainforests. The locals use tayra for the control of pests, primarily because they eat rodents. The
The giant river otter is endemic to South America and more specifically the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata River systems. These otters like slow-moving rivers, swamps, lakes, and flooded forests. They belong to the mustelid family. Their numbers have dropped dramatically
If you think you’ve seen these before…. you have. They’re the most populated mammal in South America, the guanaco. These critters are the parent species of the domesticated llama. They inhabit the mountainous regions of Patagonia, in Argentina and Chile. The males
One of the more bizarre mammals, and there are a few, is the anteater. They can range in size from a squirrel, to up to 7′ long! There are 4 species of anteater: giant anteater, silky anteater, northern tamandua and southern tamandua
Surviving the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, it’s the solenodon. Solenodons are some of the most unusual, unique, and rare mammals in the world, hailing only from the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. These fascinating critters have multicolored fur, rat-like
Enter the greater glider; the marsupial with an awkward clumsy walk while on the ground. Although it may walk awkwardly, it can glide very gracefully from tree to tree. It does so via the use of a membrane that spreads from it’s elbows to its ankles. They also move about in the
And now on to the bizarre… By now you’ve, no doubt, heard of the incredibly strange and amazing duck billed platypus. These monotremes are so unique that they deserve an article; and here it is. The unusual appearance