The eastern prickly pear’s thick pads are actually flattened stems. Tiny, soft, cone-shaped bumps on new pads are the cactus’s true leaves. At the base of each leaf bump, spines and tiny, hairlike bristles form. These make it hard for animals and people to pick the cactus’s yellow flowers and juicy red fruits.
People aren’t the only animals that love homegrown veggies. Wild critters — some big, most small — also adore the garden.
The next time you sniff a flower, a sneaky hunter may be hiding right under your nose. Crab spiders don’t weave webs to catch prey. Instead, they patiently wait on flowers and rely on camouflage to stay hidden. When a fly buzzes by, the spider pounces.
Use Xplor’s mini field guide to discover 10 of Missouri’s most common butterflies — that are anything but ordinary.
For Father’s Day, wild critters pay tribute to their top-notch pops.
Coaxing a bushy-tailed acorn-muncher down from the treetops into viewing range is simple. Just make this easy, homemade call and learn to speak squirrel.
The struggle to survive isn’t always a fair fight.
A redstart fans its wings and tail to expose Halloween-colored feathers. The sudden flash of color startles insects and flushes them out of hiding.
A sharp beak helps the hungry bird pluck insects from leaves while netlike whiskers funnel flying bugs into its mouth.
When spooked, a planthopper makes an explosive hop, rocketing out of reach from snapping bird beaks.
Your guide to all the unusual, unique, and unbelievable stuff that goes on in nature.
Fireflies flicker to attract a boyfriend or girlfriend. But biologist believe their flashing backsides have another purpose: The blinking may serve as a signal to hungry bats that the firefly is toxic and shouldn’t be eaten.
Wild turkeys have a language all their own. We’ll help you learn to speak it.
Is that a beaver or a Labrador retriever? Get to know Missouri’s furry water critters.
