The Buzz

A walk in the woods or a walk in the forest? Is there even a difference?

Downy woodpeckers are the smallest woodpecker in North America. Learn more about these birds in this creature feature.

This is easily the cutest thing you'll see today: A playful coyote waiting for its badger buddy before continuing on its way through a wildlife crossing under a highway in California.

Toads and frogs can give you warts? Think again. Warts are caused by a human virus, and you won't get them from handling an animal. 

The little owl in England had become anything but little after gorging itself on mice and voles in a field.

Groundhogs get a lot of credit as weather prognosticators at this time of year, but there's no science to back up their predictions. If you really want to know what the weather holds, look for these clues from the natural world.

Find out by answering these 10 questions.

Woolly bear caterpillars can't predict how bad winter will be, but they do have a pretty cool way to survive even the coldest of temperatures.

Are your attempts at feeding the birds inadvertently keeping the neighborhood squirrels well fed? We're here to help.

Do you know what kind of squirrel is taking up residence in your yard? Learn more about eastern gray squirrels and how to differentiate them from other squirrels that live in Illinois.

Can you tell the difference between a lichen and a moss? They often look very similar, but there are a few key differences. 

Seeing coyotes in your neighborhood most is not cause for alarm because these animals are common throughout all of Illinois. You can keep yourself and your pets safe from them by following some simple, common-sense precautions.

Winter weather isn't a guarantee that ticks don't pose a threat to you or your pets. If the temperature is above freezing and the ground isn't frozen, some ticks are still active, which means they can still spread tick-borne illnesses.

It's not just a myth that the world seems more quiet after a snowfall. There's science behind the silence.

Test your knowledge on these little-known creatures.