The buzz

The sight of a squirrel zipping up, down and all around our trees and forests is a familiar one to most people, but the zany antics of these critters can be the work of one of two species: fox squirrels or gray squirrels. Learn the difference between them.

Think you're doing the deer a favor by feeding them in winter? You're actually doing them much more harm than good.

That furry, brown critter scurrying along the shoreline might just be an American mink, one of our lesser known semiaquatic mammals. 

Plenty of humans go bald, but do other animals lose their hair as they age?

Red blood certainly isn't unique in the animal kingdom, but it's far from universal.

The story of the whooping crane is a troubled one that nearly ended with these majestic birds' extinction. And while small populations of these cranes still do exist today, they haven't experienced the conservation successes that we've seen with other birds, like bald eagles and great egrets. 

If you see a rodent scurrying across your floor, you may not care if it is a mouse or a rat, but there are several key differences between them. And while some mice and rats are non-native nuisances, native species of both also live in Illinois.

The red fox has earned its reputation for being clever and cunning.

Birds aren't exactly a rarity in our world, populating just about every type of habitat worldwide in good numbers. But if you want to see a variety of birds or brush up on your local birding knowledge, the Will County forest preserves are a good place to start. 

In their adult plumage, golden eagles and bald eagles are easy to distinguish from one another. As juveniles, however, they look much more similar.