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Stump
the Naturalist!
We get tons of questions from people about
wildlife, attracting birds and butterflies to your yard, and many
more!
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We love it when you stump us! See some questions we've been asked
below. If you have a question about wildlife in South Dakota,
butterfly gardens, bird feeding, hunting, fishing or outdoor skills,
e-mail us by clicking here:
Stump
the Naturalist!
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Some questions
from our Stump the Naturalist Files |
| I found a baby bird. Now what do I do? |
If you care, leave it there.
Read more
here. |
| South Dakota is
one of the only states that hunts its state bird. What are the other states
that hunt their state bird? |
To the best
of our knowledge, the only other ones are:
Willow Ptarmigan - Alaska
California Valley Quail - California
Ruffed Grouse - Pennsylvania |
| I would like to purchase
some mantid egg sacs for my son to hatch and release. I'm wondering if there
are any ecological concerns with doing so. |
No problems. The most common species available through
horticultural sources are exotic species, such as the Chinese mantid,
established in warm parts of the country for 200 years. They are not
generally able to successfully overwinter around here except in urban areas
during unusually mild winters. They are unlikely to compete with our native
mantids that are generally found in lightly disturbed or undisturbed steppe
(a rare habitat in SD). Source: Paul J. Johnson, Ph.D.Professor of
Entomology, SDSU |
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How do elk scratch? |
Elk
scratch using their hooves and antlers. They will also rub up against things like trees
and fence posts. |
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How do porcupines mate without getting hurt?
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The female porcupine flattens her tail against her back. The underside of her tail has
no quills. The male proceeds to mount her from behind. He will put his forearms on the
underside of her tail and hold it down in order to get close to her. Porcupine bellies are
also quilless. Thus, nobody is getting accidentally stuck with quills.
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What year did the coyote become South Dakota's state animal?
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The coyote became South Dakota's state animal in 1949.
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How can I find out the times of sunrise and sunset in my hometown?
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Try this website:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/ |
| What is a group of alligators called? |
After birth, hatchling alligators form groups called "pods"
and may stay in the same vicinity of their nesting site for several years. ~Information
gathered from http://home.cfl.rr.com/gatorhole/ |
| What is a group of frogs called? |
A group of frogs is called an Army. ~Information from http://allaboutfrogs.org |
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