Quick Answer: Moose shed their antlers to conserve their energy. Their antlers can weigh up to 60 pounds, so become a weighty burden when winter approaches. After the rut, which… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Thomas Godwin
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Thomas is a freelance writer with an affinity for the great outdoors and Doberman Pinschers. When he's not sitting behind the computer, pounding out stories on black bears and reindeer, he's spending time with his family, two Dobermans (Ares and Athena), and a Ragdoll cat named Heimdal. He also tends his Appleyard Ducks and a variety of overly curious and occasionally vexatious chickens.
There's not much to a DIY chicken coop. In fact, with the right supplies, putting one together over the weekend shouldn't be difficult. If you're the proud new owner of… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
If you've ever observed farm-raised chickens you'll probably notice that the space chickens need in a coop are non-existent. They're either in individual cages barely large enough to stretch out… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Key Points Canada features far more wilderness than the US, which makes it more dangerous to the unwary. The deadliest animal in Canada is as surprising as the way it… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Snake encounters at Lake Travis are rare but possible. We are talking about Texas, after all, and snake encounters go with the territory. Lake Travis is a reservoir in central… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
There are several prevailing theories surrounding a moth's attraction to light. There are things we can directly observe and record and then there are things that make little sense. We… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
While scientists have long understood why snakes flick their tongues, it looks like there's more to the story. We know that snakes have what is called a "Jacobson's Organ," which… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Looking for ways to unclog your dog is an exercise in anxiety. All you can do is watch as your best friend is clearly uncomfortable, circling the same spot repeatedly.… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
There's little doubt that beautiful flowers attract butterflies. Since butterflies are effective pollinators, landing on a flower is as natural to them as eating is to us. You can probably… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Whenever you open up a map and look at the state of Florida, it's hard to ignore that wide blue dot representing Lake Okeechobee. It's the most glaringly obvious feature… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
The problem with categorizing species of boa snakes is that there is no solid ground rule on them. Most people read the words "forty species in the boa family" and… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Duck hunting season in Texas is a big deal. In many ways, it's a right of passage and an exciting time of the year for seasoned veterans and newbie duck… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Some of the most dangerous animals in New York aren't in the 63% of forest coverage throughout the state of New York. They're in the Atlantic Ocean, along the 520… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
For a question that usually revolves around the famous smelling capabilities of dogs, how far cats can smell is often left to the wayside. The reality is, cats have a… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
The striped bass is the official state fish of Rhode Island. Depending on where you live, you may know it by a different name—striped bass, rockfish, stripers, lunkers, and linesiders… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Brown recluse spiders are some of the most famous (or, should we say 'infamous') spiders in the United States. However, despite a pervasive fear of them, there are certain, lesser-known… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Goldfish prices are driven by the type of goldfish you're looking for, with the state of the market and the current economy more of a secondary factor. For the most… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Some of the most snake-infested lakes in the state of Georgia are highly populated areas, whether for recreational purposes, fishing, or homes on lakefront property. As a southern state, where… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Key Points: Giant sea bass, often referred to as the rulers of the kelp forest, have earned their title due to their impressive size and stature. The state of California… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
There are 15 types of ants in Illinois, including a particularly invasive one that's difficult to get rid of in the home—the pharaoh ant. That's not to say that another… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
The official Tennessee state insect isn't a single insect, but four different insects. In 1975, 1990, and 1995, Tennessee adopted several insects as official symbols of the state. Those insect… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Key Points Of the 10 species of snakes in Montana, only one is dangerously venomous. There are only 3 semi-aquatic snake species in the state. It's unlikely that there are… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Unless a snake is swimming in diesel fuel, ingesting it, inhaling it, or absorbing it in any way, there is nothing about diesel that makes it an effective snake-repellent. It's… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
When it comes to the official state fish of Georgia, there is more than one on the list. Georgia also has an official state saltwater fish, coldwater game fish, marine… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Lightning bugs vs fireflies is a common debate among insect enthusiasts living in the south, north, or anywhere in the country these little night lanterns happen to show up. No… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
A river is often more than just a name and the Santee River proves the adage. It's a history—a tale of failures, successes, bloodshed, sacrifice, and the horrors of war.… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Copperheads are the most populous snake in Missouri, a state with nearly 50 species. Copperheads are incredibly crafty snakes, able to camouflage themselves incredibly well against various backdrops, such as… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Snakes are just like most other animals in the world—they seek places abundant in food, water, and shelter. It's a common enough thing to find snakes around the Illinois River.… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Many of these dangerous plants resemble each other, which makes them even more of a problem. The most dangerous plants in Maryland are often the most innocuous, with a few… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Ants may not be the biggest insects in the world, but they sure can create an aggravating bite on the bottom of your foot or invade your backyard space, seemingly… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Most scorpions live in hot climates, whether tropical or arid. There are around 2,000 types of scorpions worldwide; thankfully, only 25 to 30 are venom-producing, and even fewer are deadly… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Maryland is the ninth, smallest state in the entire U.S., including the contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. That said, the largest forest in Maryland isn't very large, at least… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Outside of spiders and possibly scorpions, nothing incites instantaneous, fearful impulses quite the way a wasp does. That's a shame really because a wasp's role in the ecosystem is invaluable.… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
These beautiful birds are mostly white with black, gray, or orange features. There are so many different types of white birds out there that compiling them on a single list… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
There are plenty of waterfalls throughout Illinois, but there can be only one that's the tallest. The award for the tallest waterfall in Illinois goes to Burden Falls in the… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Key Points: The record-breaking catch of the largest spotted gar in Indiana occurred in Gravel Pit, located in Vermillion County, Indiana. In 2016, a 13-year-old angler set a record by… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Tissue is a word that has more than a single meaning. It's often described as muscle, ligaments, the fat cells beneath the skin, tendons, and more. There are animal tissues… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Top speed is generally thought of in terms of vehicles, with the current land speed record, in a vehicle, set at over 760 mph and the flight speed record at… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
The trachea is often simply referred to as the windpipe and it has an important function to play in the respiratory system. The windpipe is part of the lower respiratory… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Temperament is the nature of either a human or an animal. It's not malleable like "demeanor" or "bravado," but something intrinsic and permanent in the person or animal's nature. In… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
The sternum is typically the nucleus of a protective rib cage. It's large, flat, and runs down the center of the chest, acting as a shield for the internal organs.… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
A ruminant is an animal that has a unique digestive system. This digestive system typically consists of four stomachs. When it eats, the digestion process unfolds quite differently than that… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
It may be arguable in some circles, but most scientists recognize that reproduction is the single most important process for life on Earth. At a scientific level, it's a biological… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
An organism covers a wide variety of life, including the capability for reproduction, growth, adaptation, reaction to outside forces, and homeostasis. Animals of every type and every living thing in… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
In the animal kingdom, "opposable" is a term used regarding thumbs, whether it's human or one of the rare animals with opposable thumbs. The simple definition is this: "Capable of… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Mimicry in the animal kingdom is not just a casual alteration of the skin or mannerisms. It's a defense mechanism, employed to fool tertiary consumers into becoming wary and, ultimately,… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Key Points: Little Seneca Lake is man-made. As a reservoir, Little Seneca Lake is a recreational lake and a secondary water source. Little Seneca Lake is consistently managed, including routine… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
New World monkeys are the five primate families located in Mexico, South America, and Central, South America. Scientists believe they migrated from Africa either on a natural raft, consisting of… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Saprophagous organisms are any organisms that feed on (obtain the necessary nutrients for survival) dead or otherwise decaying matter. There are a small number of saprophagous invertebrates but it mostly… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
Pheromones are chemicals animals secrete to signal a potential mate. However, it's not always a sexual signal. Depending on why they are secreted and from what animal, Pheromones are signal… Read More
By Thomas Godwin 2 years ago
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