Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

Northern Flying Squirrels are expert gliders that use a skin-like membrane called the patagium to navigate their treetop homes. 

They typically live in mature, dense forests where they have access to a variety of food, including fungi, which they help to disperse by scattering spores. 

These squirrels also huddle in their nests to keep warm during cold temperatures.

North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

The North American River Otter can survive in various habitats ranging from the icy rivers of Alaska to the humid marshlands of Florida. 

These mustelids have a streamlined body, weighing 25 pounds and standing up to 3.5 feet. They also have a broad, flattened head and thick fur, insulating them against the cold of their watery habitats.

These otters have a varied diet, with fish being their main staple. In addition to fish, they also eat amphibians, crustaceans, small mammals, and birds. 

Interestingly, North American River Otters perform a poop dance and use designated "latrine sites" for their waste deposits.

Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)

The Northern Slimy Salamander is also known as the Viscid Salamander, Grey-spotted Salamander, or Sticky Salamander. It lives in the leaf-strewn forests in the Northeastern United States. It has a long, slim body with dark hues and silver or white specks on its skin. 

This lungless salamander primarily feeds on ants and beetles. Since it is a terrestrial species, it skips the aquatic larval stage of development. It prefers to live alone and only interacts during the mating season. 

Northern slimy salamanders secrete adhesive-bound substances, impeding attackers' movement and biting capacity. They also respond to threats with body flips, tail lashes, and vocalizations.

Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)

The Northern Dusky Salamander, a resident of eastern North America from New Brunswick to South Carolina, adapts its living environments depending on its geographic location. 

In the north, it thrives in rocky woodland streams, seepage, and springs, while in the south, it gravitates toward upland stream sloughs, floodplains, and muddy areas. 

The lungless salamander sports an upper body hue shifting from reddish-brown to gray or olive and a white or gray underside sprinkled with dark spots. Variously colored stripes embellish its body and tail. 

Its diet depends on what's available, reflecting its nature as a feeding generalist. Despite being prone to predation, its ability for tail autonomy offers some level of protection, compensating for its lack of chemical defense mechanisms.

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

The Northern Flicker is a unique bird that stands out from other members of the woodpecker family. Unlike many of its tree-dwelling counterparts, this type of woodpecker spends much of its time on the ground, searching for ants and beetles. Its beak, which is slightly curved and pointed, acts like a little shovel, helping it to unearth its prey. 

The Northern Flicker's distinctive fluttering and gliding pattern creates a 'flickering' effect when in flight.

This bird lives in North America's woodlands, Central America's parks, and even some city edges in the Caribbean. Northern Flickers can thrive in diverse habitats and add a splash of color to their surroundings.

Its brown back with black bars and white rump patch are notable features, along with the yellow or red hues on the shafts of its feathers.

Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

The northern map turtle, also known as a common map turtle, is aquatic. It got its name from the patterned markings on its shell. The markings look like contour lines on a topographical map. Commonly, map turtles have varying sizes.

A male northern map turtle weighs between 150g to 400g, while females weigh between 0.67kg to 2.5kg. Furthermore, a female’s carapace length grows up to 27cm while males stop growing at 16cm. 

They like to stay in large bodies of water like ponds, rivers, and lakes. Northern map turtles are endemic to St. Lawrence River drainage basin areas around south Quebec and Ontario to northern Vermont, extending into the Great Lakes. You will also find it in the Susquehanna River system in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Delaware River. 

Their strong jaws facilitate their flesh-eating nature. They feed on mollusks, insects, and crayfish. Females can easily crack open mollusks and snails because they have stronger jaws and wider heads.

Sadly, IUCN listed northern map turtles as endangered in Kansas, Kentucky, and Maryland.

Lake Santeetlah, North Carolina

Lake Santeetlah is between the Great Smoky Mountains and Nantahala National Forest. The lake and surrounding areas provide a sanctuary for an impressive biodiverse collection of flora and fauna to thrive undisturbed. It is an ideal destination for nature lovers and wildlife photographers.

Duke versus North Carolina

Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Michigan State: college basketball royalty all, but none of these storied programs has a rivalry to match the super-scintillating “diaper-dandy” drama of Duke Blue Devils versus North Carolina Tar Heels, baby! It’s impossible to even say their names without hearing the overexuberant voice of announcer Dick Vitale, who chalks up the magic of the rivalry to three Ps. Proximity: their two famous home courts (Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Dean Smith Center) are but a short drive from each other down Tobacco Road (Google Map it) in North Carolina. Power: this neighborhood tug-of-war became a national obsession because both teams are always so ridiculously good. Every Final Four from 1988 to 2001, except one, included Duke or UNC; in every NCAA tournament since 2004, except one, either the Blue Devils or the Tar Heels has been a number one or number two seed. Obscene, if you are not a Duke or UNC fan. The natural order of things, if you are. And it must be said, fans of these two teams and the Atlantic Coast Conference are basketball crazy, hence Passion.

Colourful northern cardinal (Bird)

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), known colloquially as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and all major islands of Hawaii  since its introduction in 1929. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands. It is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Northern cardinal (Bird)

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), known colloquially as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and all major islands of Hawaii  since its introduction in 1929. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands. It is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.