All Creaturesの January/February 2021 の目次

JANUARY MARKS the beginning of a new year, for those of us who use the Gregorian calendar, anyway. It’s a time to kick off change, an invitation to wipe the slate clean and set new goals. For me, it’s always felt like an open door to opportunity and possibility. Unlike the hibernating creatures (page 46) that settle in stillness and slumber during these winter months, I’m usually motivated to move my body, take on a project I’ve long put off, make space in my closet or try something new. This January, however, I feel differently. We couldn’t have predicted a year like 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic cast a shadow of uncertainty and anxiety, risks and protocols. But it also offered perspective. I spent months in lockdown at home with my…

MARYANN GOGNIAT EIDEMILLER of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, didn’t consider herself an artist. She had never studied art and only dabbled in graphite drawing and clay sculpture before her career as a journalist took off. Maryann hadn’t drawn anything in decades. Then, in the summer of 2017, she bought a portrait of her Pomeranian, Josie, through an animal rescue’s fundraiser. “You could have drawn that yourself,” her family told her. They had been trying to get her back into drawing, giving her art supplies and reminding her of her talent. But it was the portrait that really inspired her to pick up a graphite pencil again. “I thought I’d start by drawing people’s pets to raise money for rescues and shelters,” Maryann says. “We’ve always had a house full of special needs…

NATIONAL BIRD DAY JANUARY 5 A sparrow flew into Judy Gabriel Behr’s window. She didn’t think it would survive. Her husband had other ideas (page 22). GROUNDHOG DAY FEBRUARY 2 Robert Boggs was inspired by his mom’s love of all creatures, including Crisco, the rescued groundhog. Read his tribute to her on page 44. NATIONAL WILDLIFE DAY FEBRUARY 22 Which animals hibernate and how do they do it? Plus, why it’s important for us not to disturb them (page 46).…

I happened to look up from my dusting just as a sparrow smacked into the window and fell, stunned. We had recently repositioned our ficus tree in front of the window to get more sunlight. Could the bird have been aiming for it? Please, God, let him be all right, I prayed as I hurried outside, hoping to see the bird shaking off his misadventure. My husband, Dennis, followed close behind. My heart sank when I came around the corner and saw that the little bird was lying perfectly still on the ground. Deathly still. My stomach churned and I looked away. I couldn’t bear to touch him, but I couldn’t stand the thought of just leaving him there to be eaten by cats or foxes. “Oh, no,” Dennis said.…

Two more dives. That’s all my husband, Larry, and I had left in St. Lucia. We’d spent a week here in paradise. It was almost time to go back to Kentucky. Almost, but not quite. “What a gorgeous day!” I said as we boarded the dive boat. On the agenda was viewing a wrecked ship plus whatever tropical life we would encounter: fish, coral, maybe even some sea turtles. “Look who’s here.” Larry pointed to another couple waving to us, the Brits we’d sat with at dinner the night before. They were novice divers who wanted to hear about the hundreds of dives my husband and I had done between us. “Everyone buddy up,” the dive master announced. “Two by two.” Our new friends turned to us. “What do you…

A massive wildfire ignited in the Sierra Nevada this past September, rapidly engulfing more than 340,000 acres on the mountains and coming within a dozen miles of the California ski resort town Mammoth Lakes. Wildlife fleeing from the flames soon appeared on city streets: coyote, deer, foxes. And bears. Lots of bears. Bears wandering the streets. Roaming golf courses. Sleeping on lawns. Mammoth residents knew what to do. They locked up the trash, put out water to drink and made lots of noise when the four-legged troublemakers got too close. “I’m brokenhearted for the bears. but I’m encouraged to see our community deal with it so well,” says Steve Searles, 61, who has lived in Mammoth for more than four decades. “People are doing a stand-up job.” Actually, that’s because…

IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS, Mom, and your old neighbors still don’t understand your garden in Greenville: lush southern magnolia; evergreen gordonia; dirt brimming with native pollinators, snakes and bees. You made it an Eden. I’ve done my best to care for the plants and animals you left behind, but folks here think it’s overgrown, too wild. Then again, I’ve always felt safe in wild places. When I was a boy growing up in the house Dad built in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’d hike through the deep woods together. You’d say, “Look, a robin’s nest,” or “Robert, up there! That’s a Carolina wren.” You knew everything about the outdoors—which birds called to one another through the trees, how to turn creeping vines into baskets. You were a country girl, through…

On cold, dark days, are you tempted to curl up for a long winter’s nap? Some animals do, but for them, it’s critical. Here’s what you need to know about hibernation and the creatures that do it. What Happens? Wild animals have developed a variety of strategies to help them survive adverse winter conditions such as frigid temperatures, snow and ice, and a scarcity of food. Some hide food stashes in preparation for the cold months. Some migrate to warmer climates. And others hibernate—a means of low ering their metabolism in order to conserve energy and store fat. Hibernating is not the same as sleeping. These animals enter an extended state of torpor (decreased physiological activity). Their body temperature drops, and their breathing and heart rate slow, often dramatically. An…

I’d finished running errands, but I was taking my sweet time getting home. The dog we’d agreed to foster—our first—would be there by now. No doubt already stinking up the house. Chewing stuff. Shedding everywhere. God, what am I getting myself into? Dogs were my wife Nicole’s thing. I didn’t need a fur ball around to make me happy. Just the opposite. For years I’d told myself I’d never get serious with a woman who owned a dog. Then I met Nicole, a waitress at one of my favorite restaurants. We started dating. It was a few months before she introduced me to Lotus, her big slobbery Olde English Bulldogge. “I would be a mess without her,” Nicole said. “She’s gotten me through so much.” By then I was crazy…

Native American Long ago the earth had no land, only water, so the spirits lived above it, on an island in the sky. One day Sky Woman fell off the island. When the animals below saw her falling, they wanted to save her and decided to bring soil up from the bottom of the ocean. Little Muskrat dove deep and grabbed a handful of mud. When she got to the surface though, she realized there was nowhere to put it. Turtle volunteered to put the mud on her back and said she would hold up the land and all the people. Sky Woman was saved, and the land on Turtle’s back became North America. Hawaiian Honu-po’o-kea believed she was the only sea turtle in the world until she met Honu’ea. They fell in love…

FUN FACTS: Meerkats rotate roles within their group, or “mob.” The hunter forages for food, its crescent-shaped ears keeping out sand and dirt while it digs; the baby sitter cleans the den and protects the pups; and the sentry stands on high ground on the lookout for predators. Roots, tubers and fruits keep meerkats hydrated in areas where water is scarce. While they sunbathe, a thin patch of dark skin on their underbellies regulates their body temperature.…

Q My betta fish’s fins don’t really expand or fan out a lot. What’s wrong? —Katie T. , Boston, Massachusetts A Bettas usually love to fan out and show off their colorful fins. If yours is exhibiting clamped fins—holding them close to his body—something could be wrong. Fish can get sick. You may not notice a big change in his appetite or behavior, since most fish are good at masking illness, but the lack of fin movement can be a sign your fish is not feeling well. Most of the time, pet fish are sick due to chronic stress from poor water quality or improper temperature. To provide your fish with a healthy environment, make sure your betta is in a proper tank with a low-flow filter and a heater.…

IT WAS COLD that Tuesday night in January, even for Butte, Montana. I was at my mom’s house, cleaning up after dinner, when my sister, Penny, called from Southern California. “I can’t believe there are no shepherds here for adoption,” Penny said. We’ve always been a German shepherd family, and Penny wanted a young male to continue the streak. She’d visited all the shelters in her area. Not one had a shepherd. “It’s going to work out, honey,” Mom said. By the time we hung up, it was 25 degrees below zero and snowing hard. I bundled up for the mile walk home with my German shepherd–wolf mix, Duke, who accompanied me to Mom’s every week. “Something tells me you should walk down Park Street tonight,” Mom said, patting Duke…