256 entries · page 3 of 11
Field Notes, page 3
How to identify the plants, animals, mushrooms, tracks and rocks you find outside, with the look-alikes and safety notes that matter.
Posts, page 3 of 11
Steve from Washington, DC, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)FN-0207 · Mammals
Muskrat vs. Beaver: How to Tell Them Apart
Castor canadensis
Muskrat vs. beaver: how to tell these two water mammals apart by size, tail shape, how they swim, and the lodges and dams each one builds.
PaleoNeolitic (montage creator) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)FN-0206 · Fossils
How to Identify a Fossil (and What Kind It Is)
How to identify a fossil and tell it from an ordinary rock, plus a simple way to figure out what kind of fossil you found.
Didier Descouens / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0208 · Rocks & Minerals
Quartz vs. Calcite: How to Tell the Two Minerals Apart
Quartz vs. calcite: how to tell these two clear crystals apart with a scratch test, the vinegar acid test, and crystal shape.
Norman.benton / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0203 · Reptiles & Amphibians
Coral Snake vs. Milk Snake: How to Tell Them Apart Safely
Micrurus fulvius
Coral snake vs. milk snake: how to tell the venomous snake from its harmless mimic by the red-band rule, head color, and where each one lives.
Cody Pope / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)FN-0205 · Mammals
How to Identify a Virginia Opossum (and Are They Dangerous?)
Didelphis virginiana
How to identify a Virginia opossum by its naked tail, pointed white face, and 50 teeth, plus whether opossums are actually dangerous.
Manfred Heyde / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0204 · Rocks & Minerals
How to Identify a Geode (Inside and Out)
How to identify a geode by its round, bumpy shape and surprisingly light, hollow feel, and how to tell a real geode from an ordinary rock.
Yathin S Krishnappa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0200 · Tracks & Signs
Coyote, Dog, or Cat Track? How to Tell Them Apart
Canis latrans
How to tell coyote, dog, and cat tracks apart by print shape, claw marks, toe spacing, heel pad, and the trail each animal leaves behind.
Calips / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)FN-0201 · Rocks & Minerals
How to Tell If a Rock Is a Meteorite (Real Tests)
How to tell if a rock is a meteorite using the magnet test, fusion crust, weight, and streak test — and how to spot common “meteorwrongs.”
Cephas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0202 · Reptiles & Amphibians
Toad vs. Frog: How to Tell Them Apart
Anaxyrus americanus
Toad vs. frog: how to tell them apart by skin, legs, eyes, and habitat — plus whether toads are poisonous or can give you warts.
Ivar Leidus / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0197 · Rocks & Minerals
Fool’s Gold vs. Real Gold: How to Tell Pyrite From Gold
Fool’s gold vs. real gold: how to tell pyrite from gold using color, crystal shape, weight, and simple scratch and streak tests.
ClaudiaTen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0199 · Mammals
Red Fox vs. Gray Fox: How to Tell Them Apart
Vulpes vulpes
Red fox vs. gray fox: how to tell them apart by tail-tip color, coat, size, and behavior, including which one climbs trees in your yard.
MH Herpetology / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0198 · Reptiles & Amphibians
Painted Turtle vs. Red-Eared Slider: How to Tell Apart
Chrysemys picta
Painted turtle vs. red-eared slider: how to tell these two pond turtles apart by the red ear stripe, shell, and belly color.
Ken Thomas / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)FN-0196 · Birds
What Is the Woodpecker With the Red Head and Zebra-Striped Back? Identifying the Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
The woodpecker with a red crown and black-and-white barred back is a red-bellied woodpecker. Learn its field marks and how to tell it from the red-headed.
Marty Aligata / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0195 · Trees
What Is the Big Tree With White, Camouflage-Peeling Bark? Identifying the American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
A huge tree with ghostly white limbs and camouflage-peeling bark is the American sycamore. Identify it by bark, leaves, and seed balls.
Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0192 · Birds
Crow vs. Raven: How to Tell Them Apart
Crow or raven? Tail shape in flight, the call, bill heaviness, and flapping vs soaring separate them. Plus how to rule out grackles.
Bladerunner8u / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0194 · Reptiles & Amphibians
What Is the Snake That Plays Dead and Flattens Like a Cobra? Meet the Eastern Hognose
A snake that hisses, flattens its neck like a cobra, then rolls over and plays dead is an eastern hognose, a harmless bluffer. Learn to identify it.
J. Carmichael / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)FN-0193 · Mushrooms & Fungi
What Is the Orange Jelly Blob on the Log? Identifying Witch’s Butter and Its Jelly-Fungus Kin
That orange or yellow jelly blob on a dead branch is a jelly fungus, often witch’s butter. It shrivels when dry and swells after rain.
Chuck Homler, Focus On Wildlife / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0189 · Birds
What Is the Tiny Brown Bird Spiraling Up the Tree Trunk? Identifying the Brown Creeper
A small, streaky, bark-colored bird hitching up a trunk in a spiral is a brown creeper. Learn to identify it and tell it from a nuthatch.
USDA photo by Scott Bauer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)FN-0191 · Mammals
Why Are Deer Suddenly Everywhere and Darting Across Roads in Fall? Understanding the Rut
Deer-vehicle collisions spike in October and November because of the rut, the white-tailed deer breeding season. Know the signs and drive safely.
Wilfredor / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)FN-0190 · Insects & Bugs
Why Are All These Bugs Trying to Get Into My House in Fall? Identifying the Fall Invaders
Bugs clustering on sunny siding in fall want a warm place to overwinter. Identify boxelder bugs, stink bugs, lady beetles, and cluster flies.
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)FN-0186 · Wildflowers
What Are the Purple Crocus-Like Flowers Popping Up in the Lawn in Fall? Identifying Autumn Crocus
Lavender-pink, goblet-shaped flowers rising from bare ground in fall are usually autumn crocus. It is not saffron, and every part is poisonous.
Darkone (talk · contribs) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)FN-0187 · Trees
What Is the Fast-Growing Weedy Tree With Long Leaves and a Bad Smell? Identifying Tree of Heaven
A fast-growing weedy tree that smells rank when a leaf breaks is likely tree of heaven, an invasive lanternfly host. Tell it from sumac and walnut.
JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)FN-0188 · Mushrooms & Fungi
What Is the Star-Shaped Fungus Sitting on the Ground? Identifying Earthstars
A small brown ball sitting on a flattened, pointed star in the leaf litter is an earthstar. Learn to identify it and how its raindrop trick works.
Chris Barton/Gif absarnt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)FN-0185 · Plants, Vines & Weeds
What Is the Shrub Glowing Fluorescent Red in Fall? Identifying Burning Bush
The landscaping shrub that turns neon pink-crimson every October is usually burning bush, and the giveaway is on the stems. Learn to identify it.
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