Wildlife

The zebra swallowtail is a striped butterfly with long tails, tied entirely to pawpaw trees. How to identify it, where it lives, and why it is local rather than rare.

Elk poop is oval pellets in winter and a soft patty in summer. How to tell it from deer, moose and cattle droppings, how fresh it is, and what elk sign reveals.

Mountain lion scat is segmented with blunt ends and packed with fur. How to tell it from coyote and bobcat scat, why it is rarely found, and what to do if you find it.

A group of snakes is called a den, nest, pit or bed. What a hibernaculum really is, what a breeding ball means, and why finding one snake does not mean there is a nest.

A group of bears is called a sloth or a sleuth. Where both names came from, why bears are solitary, and when dozens really do gather at salmon runs.

Toad poop is a firm dark dropping packed with insect parts. How to tell it from frog and rat droppings, and why the real danger to dogs is the toad itself, not its waste.

A group of squirrels is called a scurry or a dray. What a dray actually is, why squirrels are solitary despite the terms, and when they really do share a nest.

A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope or a flutter. What a puddle club is, why monarch roosts hold millions, and what a group of caterpillars is called.

A group of frogs is called an army, and a group of calling males is a chorus. Where army came from, what a knot of toads is, and why hundreds of tiny frogs appear at once.

Spider poop is a small dark splatter that dries hard on walls below webs. How to tell it from mouse droppings and mold, whether it stains, and how to remove it safely.