2+ day, 4+ hour ago   (688+ words) Two animal mysteries associated with coastlines intrigue me. Who ate the first raw oyster? Who picked up the first horseshoe crab? The first person who pried open what looks like a rough gray rock and scooped out the gooey insides…...

6+ day, 19+ hour ago   (448+ words) Seeing an alligator in Alabama isn’t unusual anymore. According to World Atlas, the state is now home to more than 70,000 American alligators thanks to decades of conservation efforts that helped the species recover from near extinction. Once found mostly in…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (683+ words) A publication by Steven G. Platt and Thomas R. Rainwater in the scientific journal Southeastern Naturalist discusses an intriguing predator-prey relationship between turtles and fish. Their observation has broad application by making a connection with a widespread phenomenon reported in other combinations…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago   (681+ words) Q. What kind of ducks lay eggs in the boxes I see on trees and poles around lakes and reservoirs? And what is the purpose of the large silver-colored cones installed between the nesting box and the ground or water? A. Cavity-nesting…...

3+ mon, 2+ day ago   (626+ words) Q. I am pretty sure that ostriches are the biggest birds in the world. But what is the biggest bird in North America? A. The first step is to define “big.” Andrew Lydeard, program coordinator of Alabama Audubon, points out that at…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago   (618+ words) Birds are paragons of a natural phenomenon that we see every spring. In many species, males become more colorful, displaying brighter, more eye-catching plumage for a single purpose: to attract females. Ornithologist Peter Stangel points out that male American goldfinches…...

5+ mon, 4+ hour ago   (697+ words) Q. You wrote that blue whales are the largest mammals. What are the largest and smallest animals of other groups? What ecological problems do animals confront by being extremely big or extremely small? A. Body size affects several basic ecological issues all…...

6+ mon, 1+ week ago   (551+ words) As renovation projects continue to expand the Montgomery Zoo, its animal population is growing as well. Plans are in the works to add some critically endangered ones in 2026. "We're hoping to have some new Red Wolves debut this year," said…...

6+ mon, 1+ week ago   (542+ words) A season of growth and renovation is ahead for 2026 at the Montgomery Zoo. "As you walk around, you can see all kinds of new projects going on," said Bailey Klepac, marketing and public relations manager for the Montgomery Zoo. They've…...