Have you ever spotted an adorable animal wandering about and wondered where it came from, or what impact it might have on its surroundings? While many of these creatures appear harmless, some end up in environments where they don’t naturally belong. When this happens, they are called invasive species, often an uninvited guest that disrupts […]
Why is it so important to keep our domestic animals inside and on a leash? While pets love to have outside time and their pet owners love it too, it is important to be aware of your pet’s activities and supervise their time outdoors. They may come across wildlife that will not be as keen […]
Bats – Those that get a bad rap are under attack Bats are agile winged mammals that use echolocation to navigate at night as well as to hunt for prey. Bats usually live in caves in large colonies and vary in size and diet depending on the species. In recent years, bats have been under […]
We’ve all heard those sweet trills of our avian friends perched atop branches. They beckon our attention, but beyond the birds exhibiting their vast vocal range for every passing audience, have you ever stopped to consider what that song means? Or how birds come to perform their tunes so perfectly? Who is doing the singing? […]
Bird Migration Every fall and spring hundreds of bird species take to the skies to travel between their winter and summer homes. In the United States, most regions become too cool and mainly offer too little food for these birds to survive the winter, thus forcing these birds to migrate to more southern areas to […]
Join Wildlife Medical Clinic Program Coordinator, Sydney Oliveira, as she plays some trivia on CiLiving to discuss common ways various wildlife survive the cold, winter months.
Spiny Softshell Basics Spiny Softshell Turtles are considered one of the largest freshwater turtle species within the United States. Their unique appearance makes them stand out among other turtle species. As their name suggests, their carapace, or top shell, is flat, flexible, and has spines along the front surface. Their webbed feet and long nose […]
Wildlife Medical Clinic Overview Each year, the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois provides care to around 2,300 wildlife patients and about 120 different species. We take all native Illinois wildlife, excluding skunks and bats. While these animals arrive for a variety of reasons including injury, illness, and being orphaned as youngsters, the […]
As spooky season approaches, we want to talk about a few animals that get a bad rap for being scarier than they truly are. Owls Owls are often associated with death and bad luck and were once thought to be messengers of witches. One owl in particular, the barn owl, takes the brunt of some […]
General Information and Characteristics Considered to be one of the fastest flying shorebirds, reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, the American Golden Plover is a common migratory bird species found traversing the state of Illinois, as well as throughout the Midwest region. Each year, hailing from the Arctic Tundra, these elusive migratory […]