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If you've ever caught a glimpse of a muskrat, it was probably near water. These rodents spend most of their time in and around water, feasting on aquatic plants and animals.

The wattle on a turkey is its most identifiable feature, but what's it for anyway?

Can you tell a gull from a tern? Here's a few quick pointers to tell them apart. 

Deer antlers seem to grow overnight, and in reality they actually do. A buck's antlers can grow a quarter inch a day, but it's a process that requires a lot of energy.

Hibernating is just one way animals survive the coldest part of the year, but it takes on many different forms.

From eagle eyes to Benjamin Franklin, dive into these offbeat facts.

Turkey vultures are raptors just like eagles and hawks, but there are a few things that set them apart.

Is that a chipmunk or a ground squirrel scurrying around your yard in preparation for winter? Learn how to tell the difference between these two similar-looking rodents.

Can’t see the forest for the trees? The trees in these forests are vital to our existence, but we often take them for granted.

Loved or reviled, the raccoon is one of the most common mammals in Illinois. 

Trillions of cigarettes are littered each year, creating a lasting impact for the environment. And now, with the rising popularity of e-cigarettes, litter from smoking includes both hazardous and electronic waste.

Spider silk is stronger than any other fiber on Earth, but how do these eight-legged creatures make it? They are specially equipped for making silk, with glands and structures designed for just that purpose. 

American white pelicans make their presence known in Will County twice a year, so get to know more about these biannual visitors in our creature feature.

Males bees, the drones, have an unusual way of showing affection for the queen – they try to blind her. It may sound bizarre, but it makes perfectly good sense.

Rock Run Rookery Preserve was one of Shapiro's favorite places to take her ill mother so she could get out of the house and enjoy nature. 

The name of the green dragon plant conjures up some fantastical images, but in reality you have to have quite an imagination to see the plant's resemblance to a fictitious reptile.