Animals

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

Leslie Charleville uses the Japanese printing method of gyotaku to preserve everything from fish to crabs to, yes, gators

One is rainbow-colored, one looks just like a worm, one is a miniature rattlesnake—all are part of our region’s wild tapestry of life

It’s coyote breeding season, and the adaptable canines are on the move

How well do you know your Southern animals? Choose the correct group name for each of the below

These beautiful and rowdy little guests have descended on the South for the winter

Talk about a chick magnet

These dogs were born and raised to hunt, play, and thrive in the South