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Creature Feature

The Natural Resources Council of Maine works to protect important wildlife habitat for our vast array of animals that live in our state. Our Creature Feature is a way to highlight those animals and share "cool facts" and other important information about them.

NRCM's Creature Feature highlights birds, fish, mammals, and other wildlife that play an important role in the nature of Maine. We have featured "creatures" that are directly affected by our work to protect our clean waters (sea lamprey, Atlantic salmon, lobsters, etc.) and protect wildlife habitat in Maine's North Woods, including in our new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (moose, Canada lynx, black bear, etc.)

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Muskrat
July 21, 2026 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Muskrat

Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Cool Fact: Muskrats often build feeding platforms next to their lodges where they eat their meals. Muskrats are medium-sized semi-aquatic rodents that are…
fish jumping out of the water
May 26, 2026 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon

Atlantic & Shortnose Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchu & Acipenser brevirostrum Cool Fact: Sturgeon have been around for more than 200 million years Atlantic and shortnose…
Red-winged Blackbird perched on bare branch
April 28, 2026 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Cool Fact: Red-winged Blackbirds can reach flight speeds up to 30 MPH and will travel as far as 50 miles to…
March 31, 2026 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Spring Peeper

Spring Peeper Pseudacris crucifer Cool fact: Spring peepers survive the winter by becoming dormant under leaf litter and under logs, relying on the same sugars they…
cardinal sitting in snow covered tree
November 20, 2025 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cool Fact: Or in this case…”cold” fact—Cardinals don’t migrate or fly south for the winter like most other birds. They will…
wood turtle on gravel surface looking at camera
March 19, 2025 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Wood Turtle

Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta Cool Fact: * The temperature of the developing eggs determines whether the offspring will be male or female. If eggs incubate…
Bobcat walking in front of camera looking at it
December 16, 2024 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Bobcat

Bobcat Lynx Rufus 3 Cool Facts: Did you know that the bobcat’s fifth toe is raised on its front feet, so there is no fifth…
groundhog racing through grass
June 4, 2024 | NRCM member Jayne Winters

Creature Feature: Woodchuck

Woodchuck Marmota monax Cool Fact: Woodchucks are also called whistle pigs (because of the alert whistle they make when alarmed), earth pigs, land beavers, and…
Black-capped Chickadee perched on branch
January 8, 2024 | NRCM

Creature Feature: Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus Cool fact: Studies have shown that the Black-capped Chickadee grows new brain cells every fall, in part to help it remember…
Loon swimming on pond
August 31, 2023 | NRCM

Creature Feature: Common Loon

Common Loon Gavia immer Cool Fact: In the non-breeding season when they are on the ocean, loons show modest gray upperparts and white underparts, but…