Part of
Margot Finke's of Writing for Children

 

 

Visit Margot's

Wild US Critters !

*READ "Nutty Notes" about the US animals in my BOOKS

 



RETURN TO
Home Page

 



 

US ANIMAL BOOKS


Fun Information
about the


Wild
and Wonderful
US critters
in my books



Published in Soft Cover


by
Guardian Angel Publishing

 

 

*Rattlesnake Jam ..*Mama Grizzly Bear

*Prairie Dog Play Days


* Squirrels Can't help Being Nuts!

........................................ ................................

 

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

 


eMAIL ME

mfinke@frontier.com



FREE Skype Author Visits
Amazon
Autographed

 

 

CLICK HERE . . FOR. . . DOWN - UNDER Fun !

Read about the Aussie Animals in my series of rhyming books
-
"Fun Facts" and "Nutty Notes!"

 

 

BUY
visit MY BOOKS . or my SCHOOL VISITS

 

You Are Entering WILD USA Territory!

 

 

 

Hey Kids - Learn More About US Critters!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

RATTLESNAKES Run for your life!

The Pacific Rattlesnake is found throughout in many places in California, from sea level on the Pacific Ocean, the inland prairies and desert areas, to the mountains at elevations of more than 10,000 feet. Click HERE for links to many other places where they can be found, and extra information.

From Lake Tahoe north, on the east side of the Sierra, the Great Basin rattler. From Tahoe south through Death Valley, the Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) and Panamint rattlers. Along the Colorado River, the Western Diamondback (Crotalus atrox). In the southwestern area, the Red Diamondback (Crotalus ruber) and Speckled (Crotalus mitchelli) rattlers. The Mojave Desert is home to both the Mojave Rattlesnake and the Sidewinder.

The Pacific rattler sometimes attains a length of 5 feet, but the average adult size is between 3 and 4 feet. Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice, striking rather than attempting to hold their prey. When the hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate the victim's flesh, venom is injected as though through twin hypodermic needles. Plan a trip to the American Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque, NM

The Enchanted Learning site has neat rattlesnake pictures, print outs and details. Rattlesnakes like hot dry places where they can hide from the sun under large rocks, or trees. Desert areas of California, Montana, Nevada, etc., are where they like to slither and hide. Like people, they come in different sizes, colors, and dispositions. This Page gives you a list of all the rattlesnakes you could think of + their common and latin names. Click on the latin names for more details about each rattler.

If rattlesnakes were people, I doubt they would have friends. Most descriptions use words like sullen, irritable, agressive, toxic and nervous. WOW! No wonder they like to hide out in the desert. CLICK HERE to read for yourself.

NUTTY NOTES: Rattlesnakes are just humongous worms with rattles and attitude - RUN!

 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

GRIZZLY BEARS - Yikes! Don't take this teddy to bed with you!

Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos - The following comes from BC adventure.com
In some areas of North America Grizzlies are extinct or had their numbers greatly reduced. Description - This large animal reaches weights of 300-1500 pounds. The coat color ranges from shades of blond, brown, black or a combination of these; the long outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver giving it a grizzled appearance hence the name. The grizzly has a large hump over the shoulders which is a muscle mass used to power the forelimbs in digging. In spite of their mass size this bear runs at speeds of up to 35 mph.

The grizzly bear is primarily nocturnal and for the winter puts on up to 400 pounds of fat.. Although they are not true hibernators and can be woken easily, they like to den up in a protected spot, such as a cave, crevice or hollow log during the winter months. Being omnivores, they feed on a variety of plants and berries including roots or sprouts and fungi as well as fish, insects and small mammals. Normally a solitary animal, the grizzly congregates alongside streams and rivers during the salmon spawn. Every other year females produce 1-4 young which are the size of rats, weighing only 1 pound.

The prints of the grizzly bear are characterized by an oval pad with five toes along the wider top of the pad on the hind feet. The front feet have a smaller heel pad and a dew claw which may be present in the print. Claw marks over twice as long as the toe pads are usually evident.

Other sites with more info: National Wildlife Federation Get a Grizzly Screensaver - FREE! This screensaver features 12 great photographs and facts about grizzlies. Send a grizzly bear e-card to a friend.

NUTTY NOTES: These guys sleep all winter - and your mom said YOU'RE lazy!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

HUMMINGBIRDS They invented fast-forward!

Each hummingbird species has its own migration strategy, and it's incorrect to think of "hummingbirds" as a single type of animal, all alike. This article will discuss Ruby-throated migration, because it's likely that more people see that species than all the others in North America combined, and its dynamics are similar to other species, although the dates and locations vary. An exception is Anna's Hummingbird, which typically does not migrate but may wander up- and downslope following seasonal food resources. Click HERE to read more fun facts. Click HERE to see pictures of a nest -- and MORE.

NUTTY NOTES: Hummers are colorful hovercraft - complete with feathers.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

SQUIRRELS They have made food storage into a fine art.

Squirrels are fun to watch. Let me tell you about the four main kinds of tree squirrels here in USA. First of all, there's the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger). They are the largest tree squirrels here. In Florida, they are very beautiful, but not seen much 'cause they are always hiding.

Next is the famous gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). They are about half the size of a fox squirrel, and no matter where you go, they're everywhere.

Next is the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). These wee little guys don't live in Florida, but they are common up north. They are smaller than gray squirrels, and when you're near them they'll chatter up a storm! Many people say these are the cutest squirrels ever.

Last but not least is the flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans & G. sabrinus). These two species are the southern and northern flying squirrels, respectively. They are famous for their excellent gliding ability.

There are other species of squirrel in the USA, such as the Western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) common to California, Oregon, and Washington State; and the tassel-eared squirrel (Sciurus aberti) common to Arizonia, Colorado, and New Mexico.

There are other members of the squirrel family in USA, such as several species of ground squirrel (Spermophilus and Ammospermophilus), Chipmunks (Tamias), Woodchucks and Marmots (Marmota) and Prairie dogs (Cynomys).

For a complete list of the world's species of squirrels, CLICK HERE - For Vampire Squirrels (I am not kidding) CLICK HERE

NUTTY NOTES: Squirrels are just furry tree-huggers.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

BUMBLEBEES How can they fly with that football shape?

Bumblebees are the workaholics—diligent and dependable, but a little dorky as they lumber around the garden. The bumblebee isn't the most glamorous insect around, but the lovable bear of a bee surpasses even the celebrated honeybee in the industriousness department. Bumblebees are often up and out of the hive before dawn, way before the honeybees, and they're frequently still hard at work after the sun has set.

In fact, the bumblebee is one of the world's most proficient practitioners of the pollinating arts. Its distinctive striped fur coat is tailor-made for attracting pollen, and the plump pollinator is built like a Mack truck to carry a lot of cargo. We live on a planet pollinated primarily by bees. Bees fertilize most of our favorite flowers, and pollinate a third of the plants we eat. Bumblebees are important pollinators of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, melons, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and many other crops, and are the only known pollinators of potatoes worldwide.

SURF HERE for everything you want to know about bumblebees.

NUTTY NOTES: Bumblebees love to make scientists scratch their heads.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

KITTY CATS They make the Pu-u-u-u-rfect pet

So, you've decided that you want to have a pet cat. However, before you shop for your kitten, you may need to consider if a cat is the right pet for you-or not. After you've already grown attached, it can be heart breaking if you discover you are alergic to its fur. There is a huge variety of cats and kittens available out there, from pedigreed Princes, to girls from the Street of Hard Knocks. This Website covers a multiple of issues and offers good pet advice.

False Economy in Cat Food Choices. Money saved by buying cheap cat food will be spent hundreds of times over on veterinary care. Cats are obligate carnivores, and need a good source of meat protein. They do not need large amounts of grain fillers, especially corn, which is a cheap source of protein used by many cat food manufacturers. Learn how to choose cat food and select the best brands you can afford. You'll find your cat may eat less of the high quality food because they don't have to gorge to get the nutrients they need.

Top 9 mistakes made by new cat owners.

NUTTY NOTES: Cats are a bundle of furry love - IF they feel like it.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

PRAIRIE DOGS Better not try taking take them for a walk.

Prairie dogs live in a secret world beneath the plains of North America—complex underground burrows that spiral for miles, and shelter prairie dogs from birth until death. "If the prairie dog goes, so goes an entire ecosystem. Prairie dogs create diversity. Destroy them and you destroy a varied world." ~Terry Tempest Williams

MYTH: No One Will Miss Prairie Dogs When They're Gone. This is not true.
Ferrets inhabit prairie dog burrows and depend on prairie dogs for more than 95 percent of their dietary needs. The war against the black-tailed prairie dog, which began at the beginning of the twentieth century, is the main reason the black-footed ferret is endangered. The swift fox and ferruginous hawk also depend on prairie dogs for food, and their numbers have declined along with the prairie dogs'. The mountain plover and burrowing owl depend on the habitat prairie dogs create, and their numbers have also declined throughout their ranges. There are many others–small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and insects–whose worlds are crumbling as prairie dogs and their towns continue to be destroyed.

GO HERE to read more info about this cute little critter. VIDEO of PD warning about rattlesnakes.

NUTTY NOTES: They're watchdogs that don't wag their tails or like belly rubs.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

BALD EAGLES The king of our skies.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird, is the only eagle unique to North America. The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white," not hairless.

Bald eagles are found over most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish here in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles. Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family, which also includes hawks, kites, and old-world vultures.

LOOK HERE for all sorts of Bald Eagle information

NUTTY NOTES: Eagles think bald heads are COOL!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

SKUNKS Better hold your nose, mate!

Skunks are members of the weasel family (Mustelidae). There are four species of skunk in North America: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), hooded skunks (M. macroura), spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius), and scarce hognosed skunks (Conepatus mesoleucus). Although their markings vary, these bushy- tailed creatures are always back and white and absolutely unmistakable. A litter of from one to seven young, averaging five, is born from late April to early June.

An individual's territory may span 30 to 40 acres. In the wild, skunks tend to den in shallow burrows or hollow logs. They are hardly ever found more than two miles from a water source. In urban territories, skunks den beneath buildings, decks, dumps, and woodpiles. They are capable of burrowing a den a foot or so underground, with well-hidden entrances. They like warm, dry, dark, and defensible areas; most house basements and crawl spaces qualify.

To discover more Skunk History, and why Skunks have stripes: CLICK HERE .....Living with (Skunk) Wildlife CLICK HERE

NUTTY NOTES: Just a cute cat who could use a heavy-duty deodorant

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


I would love to hear from children who read this page, or my books.
I will reply to every e-mail.
. . I promise!


Please
e-MAIL ME

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

 

 

BACK TO
TOP OF THE PAGE