The Siberian Weasel, also known as Kolonok, is a medium-sized weasel native to Asia. It has reddish or orange-brown fur and a long, slender body that stretches 11 to 12 inches, with a tail that adds another 6 to 7 inches.
During winter, its fur changes to a yellow-brown shade, which is an adaptation to the changing environment. Despite being small, it feeds on various prey. It also eats fruits and berries occasionally.
This type of weasel is also an excellent swimmer and adept tree climber. While it is a solitary animal, it enjoys playful fights and chases.
The African Striped Weasel is a small and brave creature found across the savannas and forests of Africa. They have a striking striped coat that helps them blend into the background and avoid predators. These nocturnal animals eat small rodents, birds, insects, and fruit.
During mating season, the females give birth to 2-3 blind and helpless babies. These little ones grow up quickly and show the same resilience as their parents.
The Patagonian Weasel has a broad, flat head, small eyes and ears, and a mix of white fur with blackish-brown saddle markings. It is native to the open and semi-open habitats of South America's southern cone, particularly Argentina and Chile.
This type of weasel feeds on rodents, birds, insects, and lizards. Interestingly, the Patagonian Weasel has a closer kinship with the South American Zorrillas than its North American and Eurasian counterparts.
It is a solitary animal and communicates through scent marking. Moreover, its reproductive habits remain a mystery, although scientists have speculated that they might align with other weasel species.
The European Polecat inhabits Western Europe and the British Isles. They are highly adaptable, living in various landscapes, including forests, farmlands, and riverbanks.
They are primarily terrestrial, preferring to move on solid ground during the night. Moreover, they have a dark mask-like pattern around their eyes that contrasts with their lighter fur.
Polecats are small, measuring between 13.8 and 20 inches. The male weasels are slightly larger than the females but are agile and strong. They have a compact, sturdy body, short legs, and a broad, rounded head.
Their diet mainly consists of small mammals, birds, frogs, fish, and insects, though they are skilled at hunting various prey.
The Steppe Polecat is a nocturnal animal that inhabits the vast expanses of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They have long and slender bodies, short legs, and distinctive mask-like markings on their face. Its fur combines yellowish and dark straw hues with dark markings on the tail and head.
Likewise, the Steppe Polecat is a skilled burrower, and it often takes over abandoned burrows of marmots or ground squirrels. Its diet includes rodents, insects, and small reptiles, though it prefers ground squirrels and hamsters.
The Black-footed ferret or American Polecat is a unique ferret species native to North America. It has a distinctive black mask, tail tip, and feet. The nocturnal ferret spends the daytime in its burrows.
This type of weasel primarily lives in prairie grasslands to hunt prairie dogs, which comprise over 90% of its diet. Unfortunately, this species struggles with habitat loss, disease, and the poisoning of prairie dogs.
Scientists once considered the Black-Footed Ferret extinct in the wild in 1987. However, conservation efforts such as captive breeding programs, reintroduction initiatives, and vaccination against diseases have helped prevent its extinction. Still, the latest IUCN assessments put the Black-Footed Ferrets in the endangered category today1.
Calliteara pudibunda, the pale tussock, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The Dutch common name for the moth (Meriansborstel) comes from the butterfly and insect painter Maria Sibylla Merian. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in Asia and Europe.
Acronicta funeralis, the funerary dagger moth or paddle caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote and Coleman Townsend Robinson in 1866.[1] It has a scattered distribution. It is found in North America from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, south to Maryland. It is also found in Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and along the west-coast from California to British Columbia.
The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species.[1] It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region.[2] They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them.[2] Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.
Sphinx ligustri, the privet hawk moth, is a moth found in most of the Palearctic realm. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth[2] (Arctia caja) is a moth of the family Erebidae. Arctia caja is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe.[3][4] The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae overwinter,[3] and preferentially chooses host plants that produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids.[5][6][3] However, garden tiger moths are generalists, and will pick many different plants to use as larval host plants.[5][4][3]
The mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) is a noctuid moth with a Palearctic distribution. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae.[6] Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.[7] It is among the most familiar of North American butterflies and an iconic pollinator,[8] although it is not an especially effective pollinator of milkweeds.[9] Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3.5–4.0 in).[10] A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.
Aglais io, the European peacock,[3][4][5] or the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring.
Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug,[3] puss moth, tree asp, asp caterpillar, and Donald Trump caterpillar[4] for its juvenile form.
The giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia) is a moth of the family Erebidae. They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico, and south to Colombia.[2][3] The obsolete name, Ecpantheria scribonia, is still occasionally encountered.
Papilio polyxenes, the (eastern) black swallowtail, American swallowtail or parsnip swallowtail,[4] is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than P. polyxenes. The species is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Polyxena (pron.: /pəˈlɪksɨnə/; Greek: Πολυξένη), who was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy. Its caterpillar is called the parsley worm because the caterpillar feeds on parsley.[4]
