Mike Edmisten
Author for A-Z Animals

The González-Alvarez House, better known as The Oldest House, is (as the name suggests) the oldest house in Florida. The house is in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously-inhabited European settlement… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 17 hours ago

Covered bridges have a more extensive history than many folks realize. The first such bridges date back to ancient Babylon. China also constructed covered bridges over 2,000 years ago.  Covered… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 2 days ago

The United States is third-largest country in the world in terms of land area. With such a vast expanse of land within its borders, the U.S. is an ecologically and… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 days ago

The United States has the fifth-most islands of any nation in the world, behind Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Canada. Where are most of those U.S. islands located? Which state has… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 days ago

There are over 800 lakes and ponds in New Hampshire, per the state’s Department of Environmental Services. Out of those hundreds of lakes, which one is the clearest in the… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 4 days ago

Most of the United States' deepest lakes are located in the nation’s northern regions. For example, Alaska has more lakes with depths over 300 feet than any other state in… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 5 days ago

Most of Ohio is classified as a humid continental or humid subtropical climate. Generally speaking, the state is known for its cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. But… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 5 days ago

The giant panda bear is roughly the same size as the American black bear. Mature adult pandas stand two to three feet tall at the shoulder and measure four to… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 5 days ago

Illinois is known by several nicknames such as the Land of Lincoln (adopted as the official state slogan in 1955), the Corn State, and the Garden State. The most commonly… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 6 days ago

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes and it’s not even close. It would require all the water of the other four Great Lakes combined, plus three… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 6 days ago

According to a study by the Vision Impact Institute, around 75% of Americans need corrective lenses. Clearly (or not-so-clearly, depending on your point of view) a lot of us need… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 6 days ago

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Ohio River in the history, expansion, culture, and economy of the United States. The river flows through six states. Over 25… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 6 days ago

There are a ton of places in the United States that are named after animals. Some are regal, such as White Horse, New Jersey. Some are just bizarre. We’re looking… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 1 week ago

Devils Tower is an igneous rock butte in Wyoming. It is 867 feet tall from the base to the summit. It rises 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. The… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 1 week ago

Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Great Lakes in terms of volume, trailing only Lake Superior. It is the only one of the Great Lakes that lies entirely within… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 1 week ago

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 1 week 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago

Illinois residents are no strangers to brutal winter weather. However, when the calendar turns to April, winter typically wraps things up. And when April gives way to the month of… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 2 weeks ago

This spring has been an especially active season for sharks in the waters off of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. A… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 2 weeks 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 3 weeks ago

Michael Geary, a former police officer, enjoyed his retirement by doing a lot of fishing on Lake Mead. Formed by the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 weeks ago

An international committee of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) convenes to select the names that will be used for each Atlantic hurricane season. A list of 21 names is used… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 weeks ago

All birds are descended 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… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 weeks 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 3 weeks ago

A 22-year-old man is recovering after he was bitten by a shark while spearfishing off the Florida Keys. Ethan Wilder was spearfishing near Davis Reef off Islamorada on Friday when… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 3 weeks 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 3 weeks ago

Which city in the United States has the best weather? It’s a subjective question since everyone has a different idea of what “best weather” means. For an avid skier, a… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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, disturbingly, no one… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 4 weeks ago

Since the days of the Northwest Territory and later when Ohio was admitted as the 17th state in the United States, there have been towns that have been platted, grown,… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 4 weeks 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 4 weeks ago

Everyone wants a lush green lawn. It increases the curb appeal and property value of your home. Your friends and family will enjoy the beautiful outdoor space created by your… Read More

By Mike Edmisten 4 weeks 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 4 weeks ago