The Buzz

Is a snake a reptile or an amphibian? How about a frog? These two classes of animals have some similarities, but some key characteristics also set them apart. 

With scores of wildlife to be spotted around Will County, you never quite know what you'll spot in the great outdoors. 

Climate change and habitat loss aren't the only factors affecting the bee population. A new study shows the use of pesticides called neonicotinoids can cause permanent brain damage in baby bumblebees. 

Icy is slippery; it's one of those things people just know to be true, like water being wet. But the science behind this fact has only recently become well understood. 

March includes the much-heralded start of spring, along with a supermoon and a great opportunity to see Venus in the night sky.

If you rely on the myth that moss only grows on the north side of trees to guide you through a forest, you're likely to get lost. 

The next time you order a drink from a restaurant, think twice before you unwrap the straw. Americans use millions of straws a day, and many of them end up as litter, eventually making their way into ours lakes and rivers. National Skip the Straw Day, held every February, aims to change that. 

The American badger isn't as well-known as many of the other mammals that call Will County home, but these fascinating creatures are exceptional diggers that are known to work alongside coyotes to hunt. 

Can you ace this 10-question quiz?

Don't feed the animals. We hear it all the time. Yet many of us make a habit of feeding wild birds. Why are birds any different than other wildlife?

For marsupials, only adult females have pouches, and they serve an important role in the reproductive process. 

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.