Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Naturalist Answers”
Naturalist Answers addresses your everyday questions about the natural world. Ever wondered why trees lose their leaves, how birds learn to fly, or how bugs survive the winter? Look no further!
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Warmer months anywhere in the world tend to bring out bug of many shapes and sizes. Even if you find them creepy, there’s something impressive about the seemingly endless variety of insects and other invertebrate critters that appear in Spring and Summer. Early each Spring I tend to get a lot of questions from concerned readers and friends about “giant …
Have you been eating wasp-filled figs? Check out this post for the fascinating science behind one of my favorite weird nature facts.
Invertebrates like spiders, insects, centipedes, and worms are some of the most abundant and diverse living things on Earth. While many people might find them hard to love, these “creepy-crawlies” help keep our planets ecosystems ticking, making life possible for all of us. Whether you appreciate that or not, running into invertebrates—let’s just call them bugs—is a common way that …
Fungi are among the most fascinating and mysterious living things in nature. Neither plant nor animal, their ways of life can be hard to understand, and seem counterintuitive. I tend to see this in the types of questions I get from readers and fellow naturalists about fungi. Rather than just, “what kind of mushroom is that?” I often hear lots …
Frogs and toads are exciting animals to come across in the wild. Although widespread, they can be hard to find, but are cute and entertaining for nature lovers of all ages. I love coming across these critters on nature walks for the many fascinating natural history stories they bring to mind. When we get so lucky, the first words out …
Headlines about giant, flying spiders spreading across North America have become a trend over the last few summers. If you’ve come across these startling stories, you may have already heard about Joro spiders. These new arrivals to North America are causing quite a stir among nature enthusiasts and arachnophobes throughout the U.S. But are these giant spiders actually a problem? …
One of the first questions I get from people asking for help with species identification is, “is it poisonous?”. I frequently get pictures of bugs that turn up in people’s houses or snakes spotted in gardens from people with just that concern. If you’ve done any reading up on animals and plants that might pose a danger to you or …
Large mammals are some of the most exciting wildlife to watch in nature. Not only are they often somewhat shy and elusive, but they often display some fantastic adaptations. Whether you’re out for a stroll a neighborhood park in England, or India or on safari in the tropics, big furry beasts are super exciting. Among the most impressive characteristics of …
