Discover Nature Notes

Do you and your pals enjoy floating down rivers and streams? Or are you more of an adventurous canoeist? Either way, venturing out on Missouri’s many bodies of water is a fantastic way to experience another aspect of nature.

One of the most magnificent parts of a deer–and a defining trademark that separates it from its other four-legged counterparts–are its antlers. Many people can’t help but wonder: How do they come to be?

Despite their slithery nature, scaly skin and downright scary appearance, snakes play a vital role in Missouri’s ecosystem.

One of a bird’s many talents is its ability to build the nest in which they lay their eggs. But in the case of the Brown-Headed Cowbird, a talent that distinguishes them from their avian counterparts is one of sheer trickery.

The next time you pick a dandelion from the ground, make a wish and blow its seeds into the wind, remember this: You’re playing a vital role in how a dandelion reproduces in new habitats.

Just think: If badgers could help us with our gardening activities, our plants would always be in tip-top shape.

You don’t have to travel “down under” to see a pouched animal. Missouri has the opossum, a tree climbing, baby-on-board carrying, creature of the night.

As spring warms to summer nature makes new sounds. The evening’s toad and frog chorus makes way for a symphony of insect sounds. One of the loudest and most familiar calls belongs to the katydids.

The delicate features of a deer fawn always seem to bring an “ooh” from even the gruffest of folks. A fawn’s endearing look of helplessness has caused many to be taken from the wild.

A deep, bellowing “jug-of-rum” call resounds through the hot night air from a nearby pond. And, you understand how the bullfrog got its name.