by Geoffrey Carpentier Let’s move on to an easy one, mammals. Wait, not so easy, as some mammals are herbivores, others carnivores, and still others are omnivores! All animals have a mouth which opens wide and has teeth, right? Nope, baleen whales and some other marine mammals do not have teeth but rather have baleen plates. These act like a huge comb which filters food out of a column of water, trapping the prey behind the jaws, so it can be swallowed whole, while water is d

by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time, I explored the reptiles and amphibians, to determine how they use their jaws and teeth (or non-teeth) to capture or harvest food. Today, we’ll look more closely at birds and how they use their beaks to hunt and eat. All birds have beaks – this is indisputable, but the size, structure, shape and use of them varies considerably between groups of birds. Beaks come in many forms: hooked or curved, cone-shaped, needle-like, spatulate and even cros

by Geoffrey Carpentier In the last column, we explored the lives of some amphibians and discovered they use a variety of techniques to...

by Geoffrey Carpentier The observant, amongst you, will notice, as I continue the discussion of animals’ mouths and jaws, I cleverly...

by Geoffrey Carpentier People sometimes ask me how I decide what topics to write about, when I tackle my column. The simple answer is, my...

by Geoffrey Carpentier From time to time I stumble onto an opportunity which is so incredible, I want to share it with others. Usually...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Ah, late summer is upon us, and the first late summer blooms are brightening our roadsides and wild places. Rising...

by Geoffrey Carpentier There has been much said of bears this year, for they have been making themselves obvious in and around North...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Summer is upon us, and the news is abuzz with broad and confusing statements about our weather and our climate....

by Geoffrey Carpentier At this time of year my mind is pre-occupied with birds and other wild things, for a variety of reasons - personal...

by Geoffrey Carpentier People spend a lot of time and money trying to keep their lawns perfectly weed-free. I could not determine how...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Fungi is not a word which leaps to mind when we think I want to know more about that one! Most people know little...

by Geoffrey Carpentier I don’t personally consider myself a forager, but maybe I am?!?! As a refresher, originally foragers were referred...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Finally, it’s spring, and look at all those lovely yellow flowers in my lawn. Oh wait, dandelions, yippee! We see...

by Geoffrey Carpentier As I wait for spring, my mind sometimes wanders, and I think about strange words I’ve encountered over the years....

by Geoffrey Carpentier We are nearing the end of our discussion on how animals deal with winter’s cold and snow: having dealt with birds,...

by Geoffrey Carpentier ‘Wish I had a fur coat – oh wait – I do’ says the fox! Well, mammals are furry to be sure, so let’s continue our...

by Geoffrey Carpentier In my recent columns, we’ve been exploring how birds deal with bitter-cold weather. Let’s next look at how some...

by Geoffrey Carpentier If you ask anyone what sound an owl makes, they will likely respond “hoo-hoo” in a deep, resonant voice. However,...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time we explored how some small birds (i.e. chickadees) dealt with extreme temperatures. Now, I’d like to...