Creature Feature: The Desert Tarantula Looks Big, Hairy, and Scary
The tarantula's fearsome appearance belies the fact that this docile, reclusive creature is nearly harmless.
- By Bob Janiskee - December 5th, 2010 8:31pm
Creature Feature
Creature Feature: A Lightning Whelk Knows What to Do With a Clam
The lightning whelk, a sea snail with a lovely southpaw shell, is very proficient at finding, opening, and eating clams.
- By Bob Janiskee - June 18th, 2010 8:52am
Creature Feature: The Common Raven is an Uncommonly Intelligent Bird
The common raven is one of the brainiest birds you'll encounter in the national parks, but the same keen intellect that makes this species interesting and amusing also makes it troublesome.
- By Bob Janiskee - September 27th, 2023 4:49pm
Creature Feature: The American Crocodile is Florida’s Comeback Kid
There are crocodiles, including some genuinely huge ones, living in South Florida. Not everyone is happy about it, but these fascinating creatures have made a dramatic comeback from near extinction.
- By Bob Janiskee - May 1st, 2014 12:18pm
Creature Feature: The Banana Slug is Living Proof that a Slimy Little Gastropod Mollusk Can be Loaded with Charisma
You’d think that a mucus-covered, shell-less, forest-dwelling gastropod whose diet includes animal droppings couldn’t get much love, but the lowly banana slug has acquired a huge fan following. Among other things, it is the star of a community festival, official state mollusk of California, and one of America’s most beloved sports mascots.
Creature Feature: The Hawaiian Hoary Bat (‘ōpe‘ape‘a) is Hawaii’s Only Native Terrestrial Mammal
How hoary bats ever managed to cross thousands of miles of open sea to colonize the Hawaiian Islands is a mystery we may never solve. Scientists do think we’ll figure out how to make their place in the islands secure for the foreseeable future.
- By Bob Janiskee - December 23rd, 2010 9:25am
Creature Feature: The Marbled Murrelet is a Flagship Species in the Old-Growth Forest Preservation Movement.
Logging in the old-growth forests of the North Pacific Coast is being blamed for the sharp decline of the marbled murrelet population. More logging restrictions are needed to save the little seabird, and that is causing quite a stir.
Creature Feature: The Prehistoric-Looking Muskox is One Ice Age Relic That's Doing Just Fine
Thanks to translocations that began 80 years ago, herds of prehistoric-looking muskoxen once again roam Alaska’s tundra. Could these shaggy Ice Age survivors be emergent stars of the watchable wildlife world?
- By Bob Janiskee - December 23rd, 2010 9:59am
Creature Feature: Yosemite's Great Gray Owls
Great gray owls are not only an endangered species, they're also the largest North American owl. Yosemite National Park is home to about 75% of California's population of these impressive birds, and new research suggests they're even more unique that previously believed.
- By Jim Burnett - January 12th, 2010 4:00am
Creature Feature: Invasives At Biscayne National Park Often Come By Sea
It is at the same time both one of the most striking fish you'll encounter as well as one of the most dangerous to appear in the waters of Biscayne National Park.
- By Kurt Repanshek - September 7th, 2009 7:00am
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The Essential RVing Guide
The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.
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