Nilani Thiyagarajah
Author for A-Z Animals

Earth has many natural resources. Humans have learned to use some of these, but some resources remain untapped. Additionally, the use of some of these resources, such as mercury, can… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 1 year ago

Key Points The longest biking trail in Michigan is the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail. The trail goes for 92.6 miles and passes through five counties. You can gain access… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: The Flint Hills Trail, which goes for 117 miles, is the longest biking trail in Kansas. The trail cuts through the counties of Franklin, Lyon, Miami, Morris, and… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The longest biking trail in Indiana is 62 miles long. The trail runs through rural Indiana, connecting many small towns. There is an 11-mile section near Gaston that… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Whether you see water on a regular basis or not, the Earth is full of it. In fact, about 71% of the surface of the Earth is covered with water.… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The Raccoon River Valley Trail is the longest biking trail in Iowa. It is a lovely 89 miles long. 72 miles of this trail forms a loop. Iowa… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: Just 61 miles long, the Mississippi River Trail in Louisiana follows the levee on the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans or Algiers (across the river). The trail… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Insects are not the favorite animal of many people on this planet. However, even a lot of people who don't like insects do like butterflies. Butterflies are insects, but because… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When you think of earthworms, you probably think of tiny creatures that burrow around in your yard. However, they're not always so tiny! Some are probably bigger than most snakes… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Peanuts are a favorite snack of many people. However, even people who eat them often probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about the different varieties of peanuts and… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

The way that organisms function is fascinating on every level. Looking at how all of the body parts of a complex animal work together, for example, can be absolutely amazing.… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

To some of us, dinosaurs really are like mythical creatures. Even though there is fossil evidence that they did exist, it's hard to truly imagine a world with dinosaurs and… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The longest biking trail in Massachusetts is the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which runs for 27.5 miles. The Cape Cod Rail Trail takes an average of 8.5 hours… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: The Grand Illinois Trail is 535-mile loop in northern Illinois that runs from Chicago on the east side to the Mississippi River on the west; it is about… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: The Great Allegheny Passage is the 4th longest bike trail in the United States. It is a challenging trail with various road surfaces and some steep uphill biking.… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: Closely related to swordfish, marlins can be found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Marlins are some of the fastest swimmers in the water - able to… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Many people enjoy going fishing. Whether you are trying to catch dinner or just fishing for sport, there can be a sense of accomplishment in wrangling an extremely large fish.… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points Texas is the largest state in the continental United States. The largest county in Texas, when looking at land area, is Brewster County. Brewster County is located in… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

The human body is so complex. The way all the parts work together to lead to a functioning whole is something that scientists may never fully understand. However, what we… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The longest biking trail in Kentucky is the Louisville Loop. It is under construction currently but will be 100 miles long when completed. The trail runs through five… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The largest worm in the world is the giant Gippsland earthworm. Giant Gippsland earthworms have a relatively long lifespan, living about five years. Giant Gippsland earthworms are only… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When people talk about dinosaurs, they're likely to throw out common names, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus. However, if we're talking about the largest dinosaurs to ever exist, the… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

The diversity of life forms that exists is absolutely astounding. If we look at size alone, there is a huge range among living things. They can be as massive as… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

The planet is full of natural wonders. Whether you are looking at the top of the highest mountain or the bottom of the deepest ocean, the way everything works together… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points: Groupers have a strangely brooding appearance, a pale mottled coloring, and an ability to grow to astounding sizes. Cousins to seabass, groupers are capable of growing to weights… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Trees are very interesting organisms. Did you know that they keep growing until the day they die? They stop adding height, but they continue to add girth and have new… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When people think about seeing the world, they generally think about all of the amazing phenomena on land, such as forests, mountains, and deserts. However, there are vast worlds to… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

What do you think of when you think of an egg? Do you think of the eggs that people typically eat, which come from chickens? Or do you think about… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When most people think of extremely large plants, what usually comes to mind is trees. After all, there are so many incredibly imposing trees, such as redwoods and giant sequoias.… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Key Points The longest biking trail in Maine is the Down East Sunrise Trail, which is the second-longest portion of the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway is a… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When we think about the universe, it can almost be overwhelming. After all, when we talk about the universe, we're talking about literally everything that exists - all of space… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

Any organism is composed of various cells, each with its purpose. These cells all have different structural components to help them do their jobs. It's actually quite amazing how all… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

If you're interested in catching a bass, Maine is the place to be! The rivers and lakes of the "Pine Tree State" contain incredibly rich ecosystems. Not only are they… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When you think about Neanderthals, you're probably likely to think of modern people with primitive mindsets. Even if you know the real root of the word, it isn't the most… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

When you think of a kangaroo, you probably think of a large marsupial in Australia that hops along the ground. However, there's also a smaller, closely related animal called a… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago

If you've seen lambs and goats, you've probably observed some similarities. Both are often farm animals, both have hooves, and they have similar diets. They even look somewhat similar. It… Read More

By Nilani Thiyagarajah 2 years ago