Creatures & Critters: Bearded Dragon Edition
Meet Steve! Steve is a bearded dragon and is the Nature Center’s newest animal ambassador! Bearded dragons are native to Australia. Therefore, Steve is named after Steve Irwin, the Australian wildlife expert and environmentalist. Bearded dragons live in a variety of habitats including deserts and woodlands. The average size of Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Rabbit Edition
Meet Bindi! Bindi is a mini rex rabbit. Mini rex rabbits are domesticated rabbits with a calm and friendly temperament. This means that they are bred to be pets. Mini rex rabbits only grow to be 4.5 pounds and they can be litter trained. Bindi is! The mini rex has Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Snake Edition
Meet Rosie, Courtney, and Olive, the Nature Center’s three snakes! Rosie is a corn snake and Courtney is an albino corn snake. The corn snake is slender with a length of 24 to 72 inches. They are usually orange or brownish-yellow, with large black-edged red blotches down the middle of Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Toads Edition
Meet Al and Wally! Al and Wally are the Nature Center’s Great Plains Toads. The great plains toad is covered in red and yellow wart-looking spots that actually contain glands that secrete poison. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt if you touch them! The poisonous milky fluid makes them taste bad Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Hedgehog Edition
Meet Luna! Luna is our African Pygmy Hedgehog. They are native to Africa, Europe, and Asia, but not to Iowa. We got her from a breeder and she was born on October 24, 2019. A full grown hedgehog will grow to be between 6-11 inches long and weigh between 18025 Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Turtle Edition
Meet Ada, Darling, and Teddy! Ada and Darling are red-eared sliders and Teddy is a ornate box turtle. The Nature Center is home to these three turtles. Red-eared sliders are brightly marked and their carapace looks like a bowl turned upside down. The shell of a red-eared slider is divided Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Hissing Cockroach Edition
Meet the Fabulous Five! The Fabulous Five are the Nature Center’s Madagascar hissing cockroaches. These cockroaches are one of many fascinating animal species to hail from the island of Madagascar. Madagascar hissing cockroaches are shiny brown and are oval-shaped. They do not have wings and they have a single pair Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Fish Edition
Meet Speedy! Speedy is the Nature Center’s bluegill. The bluegill is a species of freshwater fish that is sometimes referred to as a “brim,” “sunny,” or “copper nose.” It is native to North America and lives in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Bluegill fish prefer lakes and slow-moving streams. Even Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Salamander Edition
Meet Sy and Manny! Sy and Manny are tiger salamanders. Tiger salamanders are the largest and most wide-spread salamander in North America. They like to live in deep burrows, up to two feet below the surface. They can be found in forests, grasslands, or marshy areas, near ponds, lakes, or Read More »
Creatures & Critters: Tarantula Edition
Meet Pink! Pinki is a Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula. Chilean Rose Hair Tarantulas are exotic to Iowa and they would normally be found living in the dry grassland region at the edge of the desert in South American countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. They are the most common Read More »
Winter Mammals of Iowa: Southern Flying Squirrels
The Southern flying squirrel is Iowa’s smallest squirrel. Although they live statewide, it can be difficult to spot them. The flying squirrel is nocturnal so they will sleep during the day. Usually they will sleep in tree cavities which can make it difficult to spot them. They are typically solitary Read More »
Winter Mammals of Iowa: White-Tailed Jackrabbit
The white-tailed jackrabbit can commonly be spotted in western and northern Iowa. It is the largest member of the rabbit and hare family. It weighs in the range of six to ten pounds. White-tailed jackrabbits have an interesting adaptation when it comes to the different seasons. Their fur can be Read More »