Cindy Rasmussen
Author for A-Z Animals

Known as the Mountain State, what dangerous animals live in West Virginia? Three-fourths of the state is covered in forests, so what dangerous animals can be found in the woods?… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Recent news headlines are asking if the Joro spider could invade the entire East Coast. These giant spiders use a technique called ballooning in which they spin a web and… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What dangerous animals might you find in the deserts, forests, and wetlands of Utah? This state has a mix of habitats that are home to a wide variety of wildlife.… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What are the most dangerous animals in the Badger State of Wisconsin? Badgers are tough, but are they dangerous to humans? Bordering two Great Lakes, what dangerous animals might be… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What dangerous animals are in Wyoming? Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming and has herds of bison, grizzly bears, and enormous elk. Those names sound pretty dangerous. Wyoming is also… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The Joro spider is the new spider in town in the United States. It is a large colorful spider that is from Japan that has made its way to Georgia… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The headlines read, “Giant Parachuting Spiders Expected to Invade the East Coast!”. The Joro spider is an invasive spider that has been spreading throughout Georgia and is now in South… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What is that giant yellow spider in your garden? If you tend to your tomatoes and find a giant yellow spider, how can you tell if it is a garden… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Killer bees are bad. Murder hornets are bad too, but are Joro spiders bad? They may be giant parachuting spiders but Joro spiders are not harmful. They are not native… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Texas is the largest state in the lower 48 with 268,597 square miles. You can actually fit the fifteen smallest states in the US in the same area as Texas!… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Are giant, flying spiders going to invade New York? There won’t be a thousand tarantulas parachuting onto an unsuspecting family picnicking at Central Park. But new research out of the… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Here are 9 animals living in Virginia that can pose a threat to humans. Are there any dangerous animals in Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains, coastal plains, or Chesapeake Bay? Are there… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What dangerous animals might be in Washington, the state in the far Northwest corner of the lower 48 states? Washington has a variety of habitats including the Cascade Mountains, Puget… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

South Dakota has rolling hills and grasslands with the Missouri river running through it and Badlands National Park. You will also find the infamous Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments.… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Think about something that is about 4-5 feet tall. Maybe that is how tall you are? Did you know that one rhino horn can get to be 4 ½ feet… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Key Points: Rhinos and hippos are both large, herbivorous mammals, but they belong to different taxonomic families. Rhinos are part of the family Rhinocerotidae, while hippos are part of the… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Just by looking at a rhino, you wouldn’t think they could run, maybe a slow waddle, but not a run! However, rhinos can actually move pretty fast. They have short… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Rhinos are the second-largest land animal next to the elephant and once lived all over Africa and parts of India and Southeast Asia, but rhinos are currently facing a critical… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Rhinos look very similar to dinosaurs, especially the Triceratops. Have you ever seen replicas of dinosaurs at a museum or a zoo? They have leathery skin, broad legs and most… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Arizona is the only state that has all four North American deserts; the Sonoran, Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts. So, when you think of deadly animals you may think… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

In the United States, 7,000-8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, with 5 of those leading to death. However, there are 0…that’s right, 0 snake bite incidents in… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

When you think of Alabama you may think of southern hospitality, salty peanuts and a friendly college football rivalry (while you hear “Sweet Home Alabama” playing in your head!). But… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Gorillas, chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor from 7 million years ago. Of all the primates, gorillas are the largest with eastern lowland gorillas that can weigh between 360-460lbs.… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

School shopping for the hermit crabs involves picking out a new shell! As their bodies grow, they must find a new shell to accommodate their bigger bodies. But how big… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Camel spiders got a bad reputation during the Gulf War when a group of soldiers took misleading pictures of them making them look like giant, killing scorpion-like spiders. Word got… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

“Don’t eat me, I’m the tiniest Billy Goat, wait for the second Billy Goat who is much bigger.” Remember the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff that cross over… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Carps are a freshwater species that have managed to spread their presence far and wide. Most species are from Asia, but carp can be found in Europe, North America, Australia,… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Great Danes are one of the largest dog breeds along with the English Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff and Saint Bernard. They are both tall and heavy, with the average male Great… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Key Points: Tuna fish happen to be cousins of sorts to mackerel and are capable of growing pretty large. Albacore tuna are capable of growing to 75 lbs while yellowfin… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Bearded dragons originate from Australia, living in desert and savannah areas. They are named bearded dragons because of the spikey beard that they have and have become a popular pet… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

When you use the term “largest elk” it depends if you are measuring its weight or the size of its rack. Avid hunters are more concerned with the size of… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Wolf spiders definitely have an intimidating name, but are they really the size of wolves? Certainly not. They originally got their name because they are active hunters, like wolves, vs… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

When you hear “king crab” you may be envisioning a large plate with succulent crab legs and a side of coleslaw. Did you know you could be eating a 25-year-old… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Monitor lizards are a group of lizards that belong to the Varanidae family and are considered the largest lizards. They look similar to crocodiles with long bodies and scaly skin,… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Remember the story about the tortoise and the hare? “Slow and steady wins the race.” Tortoises have a reputation of being slow, but they also have a reputation of being… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Of the three kinds of bears, black bear, brown bear and polar bear, which ones do you think are the largest? If you thought it was the brown bear you… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Instead of watching cat videos, if you have some downtime, you should watch a slow-mo video of a gecko licking its eyeball. Fascinating! Geckos do not have eyelids, but need… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

What goes in has to come out…somehow. So, do sharks poop? They sure do! Every living animal that consumes food has to have a way of getting rid of waste.… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The three fastest fish on the planet are the sailfish, black marlin, and swordfish. These fish can reach speeds between 60-70mph! They have an aerodynamic shape and large dorsal fin… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Sharks are known to be aggressive and scary, so what on earth would be crazy enough to take on a shark? Well, first there is the unfair advantage that humans… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

You probably won’t find an article about the 10 Scariest Bunnies, because one looks at a bunny and almost automatically says, “Ah, cute!” But as soon as you hear the… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

You have probably seen a picture of a smiling dolphin with a mouth full of pearly white teeth. Dolphins are whales but not all whales have teeth. When it comes… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

If you ask a Kindergarten class where do fish live they may shout, “In water!” Fish can live in lakes, rivers, the ocean and even in a little bowl on… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Shepherd dogs are known by several names; sheepdogs, cattle dogs, and herding dogs. The American Kennel Club used to include all herding dogs in the Working Dog group, but in… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Humpback whales have a reputation for singing elaborate love songs during mating season. Both males and females can make sounds but only the males create ballads that can last a… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

When it comes to our pets we want them to stay around as long as possible. So when you are choosing a dog, how do you know how long your… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Whales are the biggest animal on the planet, dolphins are comparably smaller, but are they all one “big” happy family? They all belong to the Order Cetacea which is the… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago