Bold Jumping Spider

Invertebrates > Jumping Spiders

The Bold Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax), named ‘audax’ (daring or bold) for its fearless and inquisitive nature, is one of the most recognizable and beloved arachnids in North America. Instantly distinguished by its velvety jet-black fuzzy body, striking...

Boreal Chorus Frog

Amphibians > Tree Frogs

The Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) is a tiny, charismatic harbinger of spring across the northern plains and boreal forests of North America. Emerging from winter dormancy while ice still coats northern marshes, its loud, vibrant breeding chorus—famously...

Masked Shrew

Mammals > Eulipotyphla

The Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus), often called the Common Shrew of North America, is a tiny, hyperactive dynamo that ranks among the smallest and lightest mammals on the continent. Possessing a furnace-like metabolic rate that requires it to consume up to three times...

Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Mammals > Insectivores

The Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda) is one of North America’s most remarkable small predators, holding distinction as one of the extremely few venomous mammals on Earth. Possessing a ferocious metabolism that requires it to consume up to three...

White-footed Mouse

Mammals > Rodents

The White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is one of the most abundant, ecologically influential small mammals in North American deciduous forests. Renowned for its large, soulful black eyes, exceptionally soft fawn-brown coat, and immaculate snowy-white underbelly...