Bullfrogs can and will eat almost anything, getting big enough that we then eat them
Bullfrogs will eat just about any animal smaller than they are. Scientists have found in bullfrog stomachs rodents, lizards, snakes, small birds, spiders and even bats – with a tongue that propels out like a slingshot so frogs can use their hands to stuff large prey into their maws.
You can go observe the endearing Atlantic puffin, but time may be running out for the breed and us
Since puffins can live for 30 years or more, one bad season doesn’t doom the species, but a series can spell big trouble for the future of the population – and a series is underway.
The Cooper’s hawk is great hunter of other birds, but reputation as ‘blood-thirsty villain’ is unfair
The much-maligned Cooper’s hawk, like any other bird, is just trying to survive in the manner for which it has evolved. Its habits, even if distasteful to some, help to maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
Red-backed Salamanders are tiny but numerous, and invading fungus could cause a huge die-off
What animals do you think are the most abundant vertebrates in the state? Could they be herring? Sparrows? Cats? Humans? Rats? It’s probably the eastern red-backed salamander – for now, anyway.
Pill bugs aren’t bugs, but they are roly-poly, charmingly weird, harmless and even helpful
Potato bug, roly-poly, doodlebug, sowbug, wood shrimp, pill bug, woodlice – we call these little guys by many names, and most are misnomers: These are not insects at all, but rather tiny crustaceans.
Eastern garter snakes have a skunklike defense and other surprises, but don’t worry about a bite
The state reptile of Massachusetts is the harmless garter snake – well, mostly harmless – which is an easy one to distinguish because of three yellowish stripes that run the length of their dark bodies. They have some unusual-seeming birthing and defense methods, and that forked tongue has some remarkable aspects as well.
Where city meets forest, white-tailed deer emerge to snack until something startles
It’s hard to believe that a mammal as big as a deer is found in a city as urban as Cambridge, but the deer are here. With a little bit of thoughtful management, we can live in harmony.
Connection to the mystery of the Roanoke colony is just the start of this butterfly’s fascinating tale
The first illustration of a North American butterfly – a watercolor sketch of an eastern tiger swallowtail – was by John White, who came in 1587 to explore, map and draw but lost his family forever to the “Croatoan” mystery. The species has gentler mysteries of its own, including an identity that was settled as recently as 1991.
Belted kingfishers are supreme at high-diving, plunging into unerring captures of fish to eat
A kingfisher perches on a high branch, post or telephone wire until it spots a small fish, then dives headfirst into the water from 20 feet or more in the air – still somehow able to gauge depth and compensate for the refraction of water to accurately catch their prey.
Narcissus bulb flies float like bumblebees, fooling many while frustrating gardeners
The narcissus bulb fly has fuzzy reddish hairs and dark bands, but like all flies has only one pair of wings, and it cannot sting. Its bumblebee impersonation encourages other creatures to leave it alone while it feeds on nectar and pollen from flowers.
