The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles is arguably the most famous sign on Earth. It welcomes everyone who gazes upon it to fantasize about the glitz and glamor of film… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Mike Edmisten
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Mike is a writer at A-Z Animals where his primary focus is on geography, agriculture, and marine life. A graduate of Cincinnati Christian University and a resident of Cincinnati, OH, Mike is deeply passionate about the natural world.
In his free time, he, his wife, and their two sons love the outdoors, especially camping and exploring US National Parks.
Key Points: Lake Jocassee is located in Oconee and Pickens counties in the extreme northwest reaches of South Carolina. Some areas of the lake reach over 350 feet deep, making… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
The Preakness Stakes is an annual Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the third Saturday of May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the second jewel in… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
A field of freshly baled hay is a sure sign that warm weather has arrived. The first baling of the season is generally in mid-May in the southern United States… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
With 11,756,058 residents (2022 estimate), Ohio is the seventh-most populous state in the United States. It may not hold that spot for very much longer, though. Georgia is currently the… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Alabama has multiple nicknames along with the Yellowhammer State. It is known as the Cotton State, due to its central location in the cotton belt. Cotton was a major economic… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Utah boasts the third-most national parks among all U.S. states, behind only California (nine) and Alaska (eight). Arches National Park is one of Utah’s “Mighty Five” and consistently ranks among… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Pennsylvania has six state animals — actually, seven if we include the extinct trilobite (Pennsylvania’s state fossil) in the list. A fish is counted among the Keystone State’s animal symbols.… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Key Points A non-profit group called OCEARCH has tagged several large sharks for research. One of the sharks named Breton weighs 1,500 pounds and has travelled 24,000 miles since being… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Nebraska has some rather interesting state symbols. For instance, there are two official state drinks: milk (state drink) and Kool-Aid (state soft drink). Nebraska also has a state folk dance… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Over 280 fish species swim in Mississippi’s many freshwater lakes, rivers, creeks, and ponds, but only one is the official state fish. The official Mississippi state fish is the largemouth… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
An idiom is a phrase or expression that can never be understood simply by looking at the meaning of the individual words in the phrase. The combination of the literal… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
There are two species of hippopotamuses: the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis). The pygmy hippopotamus is the smaller of the two by far, weighing only… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
Key Points Largemouth bass can weigh between 8-12 pounds. They are between 13-20 inches long. The largest largemouth bass ever caught in Nevada weighed 12 pounds and was 26 inches… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) assembles an international committee to pick the names designated for each Atlantic hurricane season. They use a rotating list of 21 names every six years.… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
The Westminster Kennel Club Show is the premier dog show in the United States. The most coveted award in the dog show universe is 'Best in Show' at Westminster. On… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
All birds descend from dinosaurs. While reptiles such as crocodiles and alligators may appear to be the most dinosaur-like creatures today, birds are actually the closest living connection to dinosaurs. … Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
There are big fish. There are really big fish. Then, there are just absurd fish. A Colorado man just caught a lake trout that can only be classified as utterly… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
A 22-year-old man is recovering after being bitten by a shark while spearfishing the Florida Keys. Ethan Wilder was spearfishing near Davis Reef off Islamorada on Friday when a shark… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
The first qualifying day for the 2023 Roland Martin Marine Center Series largemouth bass fishing tournament was a barnburner. The Florida tournament is held on Lake Okeechobee, long-known as a… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
A red herring is a logical fallacy where information is presented to distract from the main argument and shift the focus to something tangential or completely unrelated. The information presented… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 12 months ago
The northern cardinal was named the state bird of Ohio in 1933, becoming the first official animal symbol of the Buckeye State. It would be the only state animal symbol… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The trout was designated as the state fish of Michigan in 1965, but a specific trout species was not named. There are five trout species native to Michigan: the brook… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was designated as the national bird of the United States in 1782. This American symbol can be found in the skies of 49 states today.… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The lion (Panthera leo) is commonly known as the “king of the jungle,” but that raises a question: can this king climb the trees in its kingdom? Yes, lions can… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Lancetfish look like something straight out of a horror movie. These deep-sea fish are very real, though, and they are currently washing up on Oregon beaches. And no one knows… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Jeremiah Elliott of Greenville, North Carolina made the catch of a lifetime on April 21 when he reeled in a 26-pound, 11.4-ounce bigscale pomfret. The fish had a 35.5-inch fork… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
These are 8 great lawn care tips and tricks. Everyone wants a lush green lawn. It increases the curb appeal and property value of your home. Your friends and family… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
A state fishing record was just broken in Pennsylvania. Well, it wasn’t exactly broken. The old record was shattered! Mike Wherley, of Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, caught a 66-pound, 6.4-ounce flathead catfish… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The bobcat is a medium-sized wild cat that ranges from southern Canada to southern Mexico, with the majority roaming the continental United States. The bobcat is remarkably adaptable and can… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
How much does a cow weigh? With all the different breeds, it's more complicated than you might think. Humans domesticated cattle around 10,500 years ago. Farmers raise these ungulates worldwide… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Fireflies are a natural wonder. These beetles feature organs under their abdomens that light up through a chemical reaction that combines oxygen with a chemical called luciferin. This bioluminescence creates… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Oklahoma has a new state fishing record for redear sunfish. Cord Smith caught a 2-pound, 5.6-ounce fish on April 10 to set a new record in the Sooner State. The… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Most of the 43 species of dolphins like to stick together in groups, but what are those groups called? A group of dolphins is called a pod. Other less common… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
There are over 30 venomous snake species in the United States. How many of those species live in Texas and how many live in Georgia? One of these states is… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The Great Seal of the State of Michigan has a rich history and meaningful design. Its intricacies hold symbolic messages, some of which are not widely known. Here is the… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Lake Tahoe was formed over a period of three to four million years through a combination of volcanic activity, glaciation, and faulting. This lake that straddles the California/Nevada border is… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Key Points: An impressive specimen weighing 21.4 pounds set the Louisiana state record for red grouper. Angler Jackson caught the Louisiana record red grouper weighing 21.4 pounds. The angler used… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime in the United States. According to their 2022 Special Report on Fishing, the Outdoor Foundation reports that, while overall numbers are down from… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Residents of New York State are certainly not strangers to snow. For example, Buffalo receives nearly 95 ½ inches of snow in an average year. Rochester averages 102 inches annually.… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The admission of Tennessee to the Union as the sixteenth state took place in 1796. The Constitution of 1796 required the creation of an official state seal. The document states,… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
A new world record for alligator gar is now pending. On April 18, Art Weston landed a behemoth alligator gar measuring 90 ½ inches long with a 45 ½ inch… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Key Points Two fish are tied for the record walleye in Indiana... However, they are not the largest ever caught in the state. In 2002, a man caught a larger… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
A Tennessee state fishing record has been broken in a big way. On April 13, Henry Dyer of Kingston, Tennessee, landed a behemoth 149-pound paddlefish on Cherokee Lake northeast of… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Key Points: A crappie's body is small enough to fit inside a frying pan — hence the categorization "panfish." The average crappie weighs .5-2 lbs, but a fisherman from Kansas… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
A 72-year-old man in a Florida RV park suffered a vicious alligator attack on April 14. The alligator bit off the man’s right leg. The attack occurred around 1:50 p.m.… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Key Points The shark, named Scot, was tagged by OCEARCH researchers on September 8, 2021, off of West Ironbound Island, Nova Scotia. This global non-profit organization tags and tracks various… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
Most Americans turn their thoughts to spring when the calendar turns to April. April is normally the month for tulips, Easter celebrations, spring breaks, and the return of warm-weather sports… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is not only the largest creature alive today, but it is quite likely the largest creature ever to live. A mature blue whale can measure… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was designated as the national bird of the United States in 1782 when it appeared with outstretched wings on the Great Seal of the United… Read More
By Mike Edmisten 1 year ago
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