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Willy's Wilderness
Willy's Wilderness
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Apr 11, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Snapping Turtles
Snapping turtles are the biggest turtles in northern Illinois, and they are named for their snapping ability. Their bite is no joke and...
Apr 7, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Beavers
Beavers are amazing animals for many reasons, but their building ability is top-notch. They are actually one of the few animals other...
Mar 31, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Antlers
White-tailed deer are the only animal in Illinois that grows antlers. Only males grow antlers, and they fall off each winter as a new...
Mar 24, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Cardinals
Thanks to their bright red color, you probably know a cardinal when you see one. They are one of the few red birds we see in our area,...
Mar 16, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Mallards
Cows moo, pigs oink and ducks quack, right? It’s true, but not all ducks quack. In fact, most ducks don’t quack. The sound you think of...
Mar 9, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Maple Syrup
Did you know the syrup you pour on your pancakes comes from maple trees? It does if you use real maple syrup instead of the imitation...
Mar 2, 20221 min read
Fact Fact: Crows
We don’t often think of birds as smart, but crows are among the most intelligent birds in the world. In fact, crows and ravens are...
Feb 24, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Great Horned Owls
Great horned owls are the most familiar owl for most people. They are the owl that’s pictured in storybooks and the one whose call people...
Feb 14, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Eastern Gray Squirrels
You probably know that tree squirrels like eastern gray squirrels love nuts and seeds, right? And you may know that they bury a lot of...
Feb 9, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Bald Eagles
Bald eagles are our national emblem and national bird, and they are easy to identify with their bright white heads, dark brown bodies and...
Jan 31, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Groundhogs
Woodchuck and groundhog are two different names for the same animal, and these critters get most of their attention on just one day a...
Jan 27, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Blizzards
You probably think of a blizzard as a big snowstorm that makes travel difficult and unsafe. Maybe you’ll even get a snow day because of a...
Jan 20, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Cottontail Rabbits
Cottontail rabbits look like they have cotton balls for tails, which is exactly how they got their name. The eastern cottontail rabbit is...
Jan 12, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Blue Jays
The bright blue color of a blue jay’s feathers makes them easy to spot in the forests where they live, but did you know their feathers...
Jan 3, 20221 min read
Fast Fact: Common Raccoons
You probably know about raccoons’ reputation for eating just about anything, and it’s pretty much true. They are omnivores, which means...
Dec 27, 20211 min read
Fact Fact: Virginia Opossums
Opossums are well-known for their habit of playing dead, and it’s a pretty good act. When they are threatened by predators, they first...
Dec 20, 20211 min read
Fast Fact: American Robins
Robins love to eat earthworms, but they actually eat a lot more than just worms. They eat worms in the spring and summer, but they also...
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