View the November 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Tamarack trees. Photo © Chloe7992|Dreamstime.com. Tamarack! You answer promptly, Wondernose, and you are correct. Another name, larch, would have been...
Wondernose
Wondernose: What animal has the biggest families among the mammals—up to twenty-one in a litter?
View the October 2023 Nature Friend Magazine You say your dad’s sows sometimes have even more piglets than that at a time? All right, Wondernose, I’m not thinking of domesticated animals. And our...
Wondernose: What animal is half cat and half weasel?
View the September 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Now, Wondernose, you must understand I’m not saying our mystery animal actually is part cat and part weasel. I am only describing what it looks like....
Wondernose: What animal has most of its stomach in its legs?
View the August 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Sea spider. Photo © Francesco Ricciardi/iStock.com. That’s almost too weird to be true, isn’t it, Wondernose? But we don’t make up these stories. Let me...
Wondernose: What animal has no bones in its nose—only 40,000 muscles?
View the July 2023 Nature Friend Magazine African elephant. Photo © Neil Weiler. Right on, Wondernose! You guessed the answer instantly—which is no surprise, really. A nose containing 40,000 muscles...
Wondernose: What animal has scarlet and bright blue skin on its face and haunches?
View the June 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Male mandrill. Photo © Freder/iStock.com. This sounds like a very fantastic creature, doesn’t it, Wondernose? It is one of the most brightly colored mammals...
Wondernose: What animal has teeth like triangular bread knives?
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Bull shark. Photo © Willyambradberry/Dreamstime.com. Sounds like the kind of teeth you’d like to avoid, doesn’t it, ? Triangular, razor-sharp, with serrated...
Wondernose: What is the world’s second smallest ferocious carnivore that can kill rabbits with ease?
View the April 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Oh, these little animals are quite the hunters! Mostly they are up and about at night. Weighing only from 2-10 ounces (60-280 g), these animals have long,...
Wondernose: What mammal is named after a pig and a deer?
View the March 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Pig-deer (babyrousa). Photo © iStock.com. I couldn’t resist it. Having discussed an animal that is not a deer, yet is named after a deer and a mouse...
Wondernose: What bird helps fishermen find their fish?
View the February 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Northern Gannet carrying seaweed. Photo © Rinus Baak/Dreamstime.com. Our mystery bird is big, white, and goose-like. It’s a strong flyer and will fly in...
Wondernose: What animal can kill and eat porcupines, remaining unharmed even if it swallows the quills?
View the January Nature Friend Magazine Fisher. Photo © Mikael Males/Dreamstime.com. You seem quite surprised, Wondernose. Apparently you didn’t know there’s an animal that isn’t deterred by a...
Wondernose: What animal has been described as looking stupid, self-satisfied, and cat-like?
View the December 2022 Nature Friend Magazine Snowy Owl. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. So you think that’s an insult to your cat! You don’t consider your cat to be stupid. All right, let’s not focus on the...
Wondernose: What animal is named after both the mouse and the deer?
View the November 2022 Nature Friend Magazine Mouse deer. Photo © Lerwit Sasipreyajun/Dreamstime.com. No, this is not a deer mouse, Wondernose. You see, our mystery animal is neither a mouse nor a...
Wondernose: What animal has flippers that are up to fifteen feet long?
Humpback whale. Photo © Dreamstime.com. Flippers. That makes you think of seals and sea lions. Is the answer to our riddle some kind of huge sea lion, you ask?No. Unlike the sea lion, our mammal...
Wondernose: What bird is named for its beard?
Coppersmith Barbets. Photo © Dreamstime.com. You might think our mystery bird’s name will start with the word “bearded”—as in “Bearded Warbler” or “Bearded Flycatcher.” But no, our bird’s name is...
