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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This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about a question I’ve gotten several times from blog readers and on nature walks: specifically, why do animals have tails? Although I’ve heard this more often from younger children, plenty of adults also find it to be a head-scratcher when they really think about it. Tails, after all, are such a key part …
Bees are among the most recognizable, beloved, and sometimes maligned insects that people encounter in their everyday lives. Typically abundant in parks, gardens, and even densely developed areas, buzzing, busy bees are an important part of urban and agricultural ecosystems and a common outdoor acquaintance. Concerns over declining insects worldwide have recently brought bees more into the limelight, getting them …
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? …
