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Why do raccoons climb up in trees at night?

John, age 13

Raccoons are nocturnal, which means that they usually search for food from dusk to dawn. Most of the night, raccoons are on the ground hunting in shallow pools, turning over rocks and digging into rotten logs. There they find their favorite snacks: crayfish, clams, fish, insects, spiders, frogs, snakes, snails, earthworms and eggs of ground-nesting birds. During the day, they are usually in their den.

Because they are expert climbers, raccoons often make their dens in hollow trees or in abandoned squirrel nests. They can walk down a tree trunk either head or tail first. Raccoons also use trees to escape from danger. These mammals will fight if cornered, but they prefer finding a safe place to hide—which is often up a tree!

Look for raccoon tracks in snow or mud.

How long does it take a snail to travel 1 mile ?

Nicole, age 11

According to the World Almanac and Book of Facts, a garden snail travels 0.03 miles per hour. At that rate, it would take a snail more than 33 hours to go 1 mile, and that doesn’t count meal and rest breaks.

For more interesting data, time snails in your own backyard. Instead of miles, measure the distance they travel in inches. See how far a snail will travel in one minute, two minutes, and so on. The speed of a snail depends on the surface it is on. A snail traveling across a slick rock will move at a different rate than one trekking across a sidewalk or a flower bed.

Snails hang out in damp places. Look for them under rocks, fallen logs or other objects that have been on the ground for a long time.

If you remove a snail from its habitat, place it on a damp paper towel to keep it moist. Then return the snail to the place where you found it.

Kids: have a question?

Professor Oakley Q. Nutkins
Outside In, Missouri Conservationist
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180