Animals

These harbingers of spring are more unique than anything you’ll find in a basket

The scaly intruder required a slow-motion security escort

After a surprise gap year overseas, the stowaways have returned safely to Florida

Her longevity hints at a century-long lifespan most of her species will never reach

Welcome warmer weather—and new life—with little donkeys, goats, cows, and lambs

Why the region’s secret—and imperiled—freshwater ecoweapons deserve your respect

The prehistoric fish with a toothy grin is fueling floodplain restoration efforts on the Mississippi River

The long-legged, brightly colored orb weavers are growing more common across the South. Here’s what to do—and what not to do—when you cross paths with one.

After a multi-decade restoration effort, the charismatic herbivores roam Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Virginias—and fall is the best time to spot them

An unlikely coalition helps the striking raptors soar again

Safeguarding Helene-threatened salamanders, cultivating gulf oysters, boosting mallard habitat, and spreading native grasslands—the work of this year’s under-the-radar Southern eco-heroes is more important than ever

A kayaking guide at South Carolina’s Murrells Inlet enjoyed a rare sighting of a harbor seal—and has the photos to prove it

The sale of the bay pinto filly, who will remain wild, generated a fittingly round number for the event’s centennial anniversary

Along ancient sand dunes, a long-studied, whip-smart bird still astonishes biologists

The Virginia tradition connects generations of Saltwater Cowboys, the descendants of Misty herself, and two islands where wildness reigns

Near sunset on every summer night, Austinites gather to watch bats pour by the hundreds of thousands from underneath a downtown bridge

Lots of freedom to move—and a remarkable bond with his owner

These two nightjars—mainstays of the Southern soundscape—are easily confused

The mounds may look insignificant, but they’re the craftsmanship of local crustaceans called lawn lobsters

Once, the red wolf roamed every Southern state. Today, only seventeen remain in the wild on a swampy peninsula in Eastern North Carolina, a number on the rise thanks to the passionate team of biologists determined to help them thrive once more