Beyond the feeder. Guides to the mammals, reptiles, and other wildlife that share your backyard, from squirrels and raccoons to deer and foxes.
Yellow lizards in the US are harmless, from sandy spiny lizards in the Mojave to striped juvenile skinks in the East. Here is how to name the one you saw, and what the yellow spotted lizard from Holes really is.
Sea turtle symbolism centers on longevity, patience and safe passage. What the honu means in Hawaii, what the turtle carries in Native American teachings, and how each sighting is read.
Otter poop is loose, 2 to 4 inches long, full of fish scales and crayfish shell, and left on raised rocks beside water. Here is how to tell it from mink, raccoon and beaver.
A crocodile dream usually points to hidden danger or betrayal. What chasing, biting, black crocodiles and killing one are each said to mean.
Dreaming of turtles points to patience, protection and slow progress. What water, houses, hatchlings and groups of turtles each mean.
Seeing a skunk is read as a message about boundaries and quiet confidence. Here is what each kind of sighting means across traditions.
What seeing an otter means in Celtic, Native American and East Asian tradition, plus the otter spirit animal, dreams and crossing your path.
Crossing your path, at your window or in a dream: what squirrel symbolism means in Native American, Celtic, Norse and Christian tradition.
True black flies are humpbacked, 1/8 inch long, and breed only in running water. The small black flies indoors are something else entirely.
A spider dream points to something you are building or something you feel caught in. The common scenes, the biblical reading and what other traditions say.