Does it snow in Oregon? Though Oregon’s climate is surprisingly mild given how far north it is, the state receives snow in many areas. Here are the snowiest places in… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
Arlene Mckanic
Arlene Mckanic is a writer for A-Z Animals whose focus is on plants and animals of all kinds, from ants to elephants. She has a Bachelor's Degree from City College of New York.
A resident of South Carolina, she loves gardening and though she doesn't have pets, a black racer snake does live in her kitchen.
Humans have enjoyed cheeses since antiquity. No one knows where the first cheese was made. Indeed, it probably wasn’t made at all but was a happy accident that occurred when… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
When westerners think of Africa, we imagine a place that’s always hot, whether it’s the dry, scorching heat of the Sahara Desert or the humid heat of the Congo Rainforest.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
The matamata is probably the ugliest turtle in the world, but its ugliness has a purpose. The coloration and shape of its carapace, limbs, and head resemble leaf and bark… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
The mountain ash and the southern blue gum are both trees in the Eucalyptus genus. Both of these towering giants are native to Australia, but there are differences between them.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
South Carolina winters are mild, and many types of birds find it the ideal place to spend the season. Here are eight birds that winter in South Carolina. The conservation… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
Most softshell turtles belong to the Trionychidae family and are spread across about 13 genera. Their shells lack the hard, horny scutes of other turtles and tortoises. Instead, their carapaces… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
With a population of a little less than 84 million, the Federal Republic of Germany is Europe’s second most populous country and ranks 19th in highest populated countries in the… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
Fish come in a wealth of shapes and sizes. Some look like bats. Others look like stones. Some are long and thin, while others are round and fat. Hundreds are… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 5 months ago
Scientists used to believe that falcons were types of hawks, but it turns out that hawks and falcons aren’t closely related. Falcons belong to the Falconidae family, and the Falco… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Some trees live extraordinarily long lives. It makes you wonder what memories they could reveal if they could talk, even if they have stayed in exactly the same spot since… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Central America is home to an abundance of colorful birds, including those that make their home in Costa Rica. Why are these birds so colorful? Mostly, according to biologists, to… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
1. Spinach Spinach was discovered in Iran over 1,000 years ago. The roots of Popeye’s favorite veg are ancient. According to food historians, it was discovered as a wild plant… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
A surprising number of vegetables start with R. Some are actually fruits that are used like vegetables, but at least one is a rare vegetable that's used as a fruit.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Here's a board full of cheeses, some of which may start with T. Historians still don’t know where cheese was first made. Chances are it wasn’t deliberately made at all.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Dinosaur names start with every letter of the alphabet, and dinosaurs that start with M are not rare. They lived in the prehistoric time periods, eras, and epochs when the… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
White birds with long beaks tend to live near bodies of water. The long bill helps them to catch fish and other kinds of aquatic prey. It’s also possible that… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
A lot of snakes eat rodents. After all, mice are just about the right size for most snakes to wrap their mouths around to swallow whole. But some snakes rarely,… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
It’s true that some people don’t see much difference between the London plane tree and the American sycamore. However, if you take a closer look, there are a few differences… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Many birds feature red plumage. Some have red feathers in their wings or tail, while others have a red breast. Other birds have red eyes or red feet. Some have… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Owls are some of the most abundant animals on the planet. These successful birds of prey are famous for their huge eyes, keen eyesight and hearing, and their nearly soundless… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Perennial wildflowers are those that come back every year, sometimes for decades. There are people who even consider some of them to be weeds. Yet many of these perennial wildflowers… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
Scientifically, tomatoes, eggplants, and even watermelons are berries. But ordinary folks know berries as pulpy, edible fruits, small enough to hold a number of them in your hand. These delectable… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 6 months ago
There are a good number of foods that start with K. They’re a diverse bunch and range from a green leafy vegetable to a type of bean to a fruit… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Here's a view of a Japanese garden in Portland with a pond stocked with koi. The Japanese Zen Garden is a marvel of peace and simplicity, attributes valued by Zen… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Granted, even the largest non-puffball mushrooms aren’t all that large. But there are some mushrooms that are so tiny you really need a magnifying glass to get a good look… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
The jacaranda tree is grown for its profusion of large, purple flowers and graceful, fountain-like habit. Native to Central and South America and the warmer regions of North America, this… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Birds of prey are those birds that hunt and eat invertebrates, including other birds. They are generally large, powerful flyers with excellent eyesight (owls, who hunt at night, also have… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
For millennia, humans have envied birds' ability to fly, as they soar overhead. Though we’ve managed to mimic their flight to some extent, birds remain the rulers of the air.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
If you live in hardiness Zone 4 and need plants or shrubs for a shade garden, it seems that your palette is limited. Winters in Zone 4 are cold, with… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Though blooming flowers are greatly associated with the seasons of spring and summer, a lot of flowers bloom in the fall. Sometimes they simply have a long blooming season that… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Due to its immense size, the United States has 11 time zones spanning both states and territories. However, only six apply to the states. They’re Alaska Time, Pacific Time, Hawaii-Aleutian… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Humans have explored only a small percentage of the ocean, and it remains a mysterious place. It is a place of abundance with millions of tons of seafood taken from… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Vermont has a climate that is just right for many species of trees, both deciduous and evergreen. However, biologists only consider trees that were in the state before European settlers… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Bluebirds are among the most beloved of North America's birds. They delight with their bright blue plumage and cheerful song, announcing the arrival of springtime happiness. When they move into… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Both the red maple and the sugar maple belong to the Acer genus. Both are big, fast-growing, long-lived trees that delight us with their brilliant fall foliage among other attributes.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
You might think there aren’t too many vegetables that begin with the letter T. Turnip and tomato come immediately to mind, but are there others? The answer to that question… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
Found in California’s beautiful Napa County, Lake Berryessa is a man-made lake created when the Monticello dam was built between the years 1953 and 1957. The lake provides hydroelectric power… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 7 months ago
South Carolina was the eighth state to join the Union and the first to secede from it at the start of the Civil War. This state isn’t very large, at… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Reptiles range in size from the minuscule Brookesia nana chameleon at 0.87 inches long to Lolong, the crocodile, which was 22 feet long and still wasn’t the largest crocodile that… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Delaware is a small state and only contains zones 7a and 7b. This means the lowest average temperature is 0 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on whether you’re in the… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Unlike dogs, cat breeds don’t come in multiple sizes and shapes. It’s as if the cat refused to give up its basic body type for the amusement of mere humans.… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Of all the 350 species of hummingbirds found in North America, the only one you'll find in Pennsylvania is the ruby-throated hummingbird. This tiny and beautiful bird comes east to… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
The beauty of the many types of lilies has enthralled human beings for millennia. In the language of flowers, the white lily means sweetness and purity. Orange lilies mean warmth,… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Caterpillars have always fascinated people. How do these lowly, wormlike creatures, whose sole purpose is to eat and grow fat, transform into beautiful butterflies and moths? Even now, scientists don’t… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
It’s not the northern snakehead’s fault that it has become a pest and a terror in the Lower Susquehanna River. This one-of-a-kind fish is native to rivers that drain into… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
Sitting above the Gulf of Mexico and rich with swamps and bayous, Louisiana is a land of water. Indeed, much of the state is under sea level, for good or… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
1. Bark, Leaves and Seeds The magnificent sequoia, (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and mountain ash tree (Eucalyptus regnans), are two of the tallest trees on earth. The giant sequoia is one of… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
The United States Department of Agriculture has divided the country into hardiness zones, which help gardeners determine which plants are the best ones for their climate. There are 13 zones,… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
There are about 500 species of oak trees and every one produces an acorn, which is simply a nut. This nut contains one or two seeds in a shell that’s… Read More
By Arlene Mckanic 8 months ago
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