Writer for A-Z Animals

Beth Wegerer

Beth W. is a writer at A-Z Animals where her main focus is on marine life. Beth holds a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University and is also a certified Professional Association of Diving Instructors open water scuba instructor. She taught scuba diving in the Caribbean for 5 years. A resident of Washington State, Beth enjoys scuba diving, hiking in the Cascade mountains, and spending time with her 4 cats and 2 dogs.

125 Articles

October 2025 Member Since

Articles by Beth Wegerer

125 articles published

Why Great Lakes Piping Plovers Keep Hitting New Highs

In 1986, the Great Lakes population of piping plovers earned a distinction no species wants. These small shorebirds, which breed…

30 Years in the Making: The Secret Hurdles Behind San Antonio’s $100M Gorilla Homecoming

For thirty years, the gorilla enclosure at the San Antonio Zoo sat quiet—a lingering question mark for visitors since the…

A pet orange cat is choosing a dry path on the muddy ground after rain.

What is “Trap-Neuter-Return” and Does It Work?

No matter where you are in the world, cats are likely roaming around outside. Whether it is city streets, rural…

Young, baby American Badger, close up.

Why is Wisconsin the Badger State? The Surprising Story Behind the Name

Growing up near Madison, Wisconsin’s state capital, I discovered badgers at a young age. The city is home to the…

Bumblebee, bombus terrestris

Inside the Battle Between Bumble Bees and Invasive Ants

It’s a battle most humans will never witness. The humble bumble bee defending itself against an aggressive and invasive ant…

chinese mitten crab

What Brings This Invasive Crab Species to Oregon?

When a nondescript, brownish crab was hand-caught in the Willamette River in November 2025, it raised the alarm at the…

Cute French Bulldog dog puppy peeking out of red Christmas gift box with ribbon

Considering a Puppy for a Christmas Present? Read This First

The other night I re-watched the movie The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen. It’s an oldie, but still a goodie.…

The close-up portrait of a Tapanuli orangutan holding a stick in the greenery

Gold Mining Puts the World’s Rarest Orangutan at Risk

In a small swath of tropical rainforest in northern Sumatra, a corporation’s quest for a rare mineral endangers a rare…

Leaf-footed bug Anisoscelis flavolineata on a passion fruit, Bocas del Toro, Panama

This Bug Looks Like It’s Ready for a Night at the Disco

Deep in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, there’s a particular insect that stands out from the rest.…

fruit fly

What Do Fruit Flies Eat? Why These Tiny Insects Love Your Kitchen

Anyone who’s put a bowl piled high with fresh fruit on the kitchen counter knows what often comes next. As…

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle cruising in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii

The Mating Rituals of Turtles: From Courtship to Delivery

When it’s time for turtles to find love, the process isn’t something most people get to see. But it happens…

tabby maine coon

The True Origins of One of the World’s Largest Cat Breeds

Few other breeds can match the majesty and mystique of the Maine Coon cat. With its lush, thick fur, large…

American goldfinch in flight. This bird is the official state animal of Iowa.

What Do Goldfinches Eat? Inside the Seed-Loving Diet of These Bright Yellow Birds

There are goldfinch species found around the world, including the American goldfinch, European goldfinch, lesser goldfinch, and Lawrence’s goldfinch. Each…

Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) swimming in the ocean off Alaska, United States.

Why This Rare Seabird Could Be the Best Indicator of Glacier Health

In the remote glacial fjords of the Alaskan coast, one part-time resident is helping scientists better understand the relationship between…

Animals That Play Dead

The Real Reason Possums Play Dead

If you’ve ever come across a possum in the wild or seen one in a zoo, you might have assumed…

Sea cucumber in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Have You Ever Seen a Sea Cucumber Poop?

Unless you are a scuba diver or snorkeler, you’ve probably never seen a sea cucumber in the wild, let alone…

The cane toad (Rhinella marina), sometimes known as the "bufo", giant or marine toad at the time of spawning, with its eggs that can reach 30 thousand

This Amphibian’s Eggs Look Like Jewelry

Often found in suburban backyards, cane toads are likely to elicit quite the reaction from anyone who stumbles across them,…

A Look at the Unique Animals of Haleakalā National Park

Haleakalā National Park, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, is one of the country’s most remote national parks. Stretching from…

Tazmanian devil at the Los Angeles Zoo.

The LA Zoo’s Newest Residents are Pure Looney Tune Material

The Los Angeles Zoo recently welcomed two new Tasmanian devils to its collection, Danny Zuko and Crush. Both males were…

Three lion cubs born at the Audubon Zoo in October 2025.

Meet the Newest Babies Born at the Audubon Zoo

Say hello to the three newest members of the pride at the Audubon Zoo! Born on October 19, 2025, to…

Hot Water Cascade, Hot Springs National Park

Things You’ll See in Hot Springs National Park: Wildlife Guide

In 1832, the area that would later become Hot Springs National Park was set aside as the first federally protected…

Rock Harbor stock photo Michigan, Lake Superior, Great Lakes, Lake, North America Isle Royale, Michigan Posnov 482337722

Here Are the Animals You Will Find in Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior is one of the nation’s more remote national parks. The archipelago island chain…

Looking downstream from the banks of the muddy Savannah River between Georgia and South Carolina.

Meet the Fish and Freshwater Animals of the Savannah River

The Savannah River stretches 301 miles along the border of South Carolina and Georgia. It begins at Lake Hartwell in…

Cumberland Falls on the Cumberland River in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, Kentucky, USA.

Exploring the Freshwater Fish and Wildlife of the Cumberland River

The Cumberland River stretches 688 miles from its headwaters in southern Kentucky, through Tennessee, to its confluence with the Ohio…

Redwood National Park

These are the Most Commonly Spotted Animals at Redwood National Park

Nature lovers flock to Redwood National and State Park in California for the park’s most famous feature, the ancient coastal…