Top Photo: Considered invasive wherever they’ve been introduced, American bullfrog and red swamp crawfish are known for their ability to alter and take over habitats. Here’s some photos to guide you through the dry times (we’re in a drought, but life goes on). Even though we’ve been high and dry in our wetland the cattails continue to grow. Many birds have fledged in the past several weeks, like this young Carolina wren. This is an adult common grackle staking outRead more
Posts tagged: #Red Wolf
Red Wolf
Top Photo: A new world opens up to the red wolf pups. Born on May 5, our three male and two female red wolf pups are now freely moving around their enclosure. They’re staying fairly close to the security of the den, but moving further each day. The photos here deal with a brief few minutes when Carolina, the pups’ mother, called the pups out for a feeding and brief play period. Jacques, for unknown reasons, asserted his dominance overRead more
Estrus
Top Photo: Carolina our female red wolf right, Jacques left. A quick note for red wolf watchers: Our female is showing signs she is in proestrus which may last from 9-16 days, depending on what source you reference (I read one study which says proestrus lasts 6 weeks in red wolves. I’m sticking with 9-16 days, though in truth, I’ll leave the length of proestrus to the experts). However long proestrus is, our female, Carolina, is there. I don’t knowRead more
Red Wolf Time Approaches
Top Photo: Carolina on the left, Jacques on the right. Each year, usually around the middle or third week of February, I notice the red wolves exhibiting mating behavior. They may begin earlier, sniffing, nuzzling and scenting but I typically witness them actually coupling somewhere around the 14th – 17th of February. Our new red wolf pair, Jacques and Carolina, have yet to show anything in the way of courtship or pre-copulatory behavior, but I’m sure it’s right around theRead more
Welcome Jacques and Carolina
Top Photo: Red wolves Jacques (left) and Carolina. We have two new red wolves residing at the museum as of Wednesday (11/19/25). While they familiarize themselves with their new surroundings please give them the benefit of low volume conversation while at the Red Wolf Overlook. Now, down to business. Who’s who. Our new 6 year old female Carolina looks to be slightly larger than our male, maybe a bit taller as well as heavier built. She has a “neat” coiffedRead more
Farewell to the Oka and Martha Pack
Top Photo: Red Wolf family in September 2025 at Museum of Life and Science before departing for Wolf Conservation Center. Martha on the left, Oka on the right and Ember, Proton, and Scuppernong in the middle. Oka and Martha came to us through the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY in the fall of 2024. They’ll be heading back to their old stomping grounds this fall, November to be exact. This, after having a litter of three strong andRead more
The End of July
Top Photo: Male eastern tiger swallowtail seeks nectar from buttonbush flowers alongside Floating Walkway in wetlands. Eastern tiger swallowtails have essentially two flights here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. I see them in spring, centered around April, then again in July and August. The spring brood or flight is made up of smaller individuals than the summer flight. This may be due, at least in part, to environmental factors. The spring butterflies had been feeding, as larvae, from earlyRead more