Pages Tagged With: "animals"
As part of its duties overseeing Delaware’s environment and wildlife, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control regularly responds to fish kills. These die-offs can occur in bodies of water as disparate as an ocean or a neighborhood stormwater basin and can consist of just a few fish or literal millions.
Invasive species threaten to outcompete native species, could carry disease and generally risk disrupting the fragile ecosystem. In this piece from Outdoor Delaware, experts offer an overview of what qualifies as an invasive species, how these plants and animals can harm the environment and what Delawareans should know about them.
You don’t need to know much about mosquitoes to appreciate efforts to prevent the insects from spreading and sucking blood. But how exactly does the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control go about controlling the mosquito population? Learn all about mosquito control in this article from Outdoor Delaware.
Prior to 2016, black bears had not been spotted in Delaware in more than a century. Over the past eight years, however, four different juvenile male bears have ventured into Delaware, capturing the public imagination. Is this a trend residents can expect to continue?
Around two-thirds of American households have pets, mostly dogs or cats, and many consider them just as much a part of the family as human members. But for a few people, even some of the more unique animals sometimes owned as pets like snakes, parakeets and hamsters aren’t enough — they want to keep wildlife. Find out why animal experts say it’s generally bad to take in wild animals in this offering from Outdoor Delaware.
Delaware’s beaches are home to a dizzying array of wildlife that might surprise even many Delawareans, from fish to birds to crabs to mammals and more. This summer, visitors to the state’s beaches will have a chance to observe many critters in their natural habitats.
The bald eagle population plummeted greatly in the middle of the 20th century but has since rebounded. In 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control conducted a count of eagles’ nests in the First State.
This Mother’s Day, Outdoor Delaware is highlighting some of the state’s most fascinating animal parents, from the pouch-packing Virginia opossum to the solo-singing spring peeper.
Delaware doesn’t have many “true” hibernators, but it does have its share of critters that use long naps as a winter survival strategy.
An intimate moment with a white-tailed deer is captured by Delaware photographer Kimberly Barksdale.
With help from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Faithful Friends Animal Society has opened a new shelter in New Castle.
Angela Flynn, winner of our Ocean Photo Contest, shares with Outdoor Delaware about her beach adventures and love of photography.
The annual Delaware State Fair is underway and here’s what you can look forward to at the DNREC Building this year.
Join DNREC designer Christy Shaffer as she takes us on an illustrated journey to discover the beauty of herons found in Delaware.
A photo of three turkeys trotting down a misty country road took first prize in the 2022 Delaware Watersheds Photos Contest.
If you’re swimming in Delaware waters, particularly in the ocean, you’re probably swimming near sharks. But they actually have more to fear from us than the other way around.
The diamondback terrapins at Port Mahon in Kent County could use a hand during their upcoming nesting season. Learn more about how you can help.
By Dr. Ashley Kennedy Last April, returning home after a day of work outdoors, I loosened my hair out of my ponytail and felt a familiar but unwelcome bump on my scalp. Based on the size and location, I immediately guessed what it could be – an adult American dog tick which often bites
Delaware’s Endangered Species – there here are 86 animals on Delaware’s endangered species list, including the American kestrel, the northern long-eared bat and the barking tree frog.
The red knot, monarch butterfly and Delmarva fox squirrel are among the nearly 100 animals on Delaware’s endangered species list. Learn more about what DNREC is doing to ensure thriving wildlife diversity in Delaware.
Calling all birders – experienced or not – to help the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve have a Big Year!
Looking for something different on your plate? We asked DNREC folks to share their most wildly delicious recipes for harvested game.
The Delaware Sportsmen Against Hunger program is once again providing venison to people in need, an annual tradition during the holidays.
A photo of the iconic great blue heron took first prize in the Watersheds Photos Contest, sponsored by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship.
Photo Contest Winners! See nature’s beauty at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center near Smyrna.
DNREC scientists are unlocking some of the mysteries of Delaware’s secretive marsh birds. Clapper rails, saltmarsh sparrows and other species are facing many challenges. How are they faring?
There are 19 species of snakes slithering around Delaware. Which ones should you watch out for and what are the best ways to avoid them?
zzzzz … slap. Sound familiar? The whine of buzzing mosquitoes followed by swats is a tell-tale sign of summer in Delaware. There’s plenty you can do in your backyard to reduce populations of these pests. Our Mosquito Control Section has tips to share, along with the mosquitos to watch out for.
Delmarva fox squirrels are rare in Delaware, but just because you haven’t seen one of these large, silver-gray, fluffy-tailed squirrels yet doesn’t mean you won’t, especially if you live in Sussex County. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has moved 123 squirrels into the area over the past few years as part of a translocation program aimed at bolstering the formerly endangered species’ numbers.
They have long striped tails, intense eyes and they’re full of antics. Meet the lemurs – and the other animals – at the Brandywine Zoo’s new Madagascar Exhibit.
Now is a great time to grab your binoculars to witness the spectacle of the return of our migrant bird species throughout the state. Outdoor Delaware sat down with our staff birders to talk about spring birding and what makes it so special.
They find lost children and suspects, sniff out illegal drugs and perform many other law enforcement tasks. But instead of two legs, they have four. They’re enforcement officers like any other with our Natural Resources Police.
Many of us are scared of bats. But they’re far more beneficial than harmful – and they’re not out to get us.
You can help us create the first-ever Delaware Amphibian and Reptile Atlas by submitting photos and locations of Delaware’s reptiles and amphibians, or as we call them, “herps.”
Toliara is a radiated tortoise who lives at the Brandywine Zoo. Radiated tortoises are reptiles and considered among the most beautiful in the world. His ancestors emerged on land shortly after dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago.
The American kestrel is a pint-sized yet ferocious aerial predator notorious for taking out tree swallows or bluebirds in mid-air. About the size of a mourning dove, this raptor is the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America. But the species is also in danger. Kestrel populations have been falling, with the Mid-Atlantic region experiencing the greatest decline.
Are you planning to go for a swim? If so, you may encounter jellyfish because they love warm water. And there are several species of jellies you should keep a watchful eye on as you venture out for a dip.
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife manages nearly 50,000 acres of land that provides habitat for a multitude of wild plants, animals, fish, insects and rare species of all kinds. And it spearheads several important wildlife and habitat conservation and education initiatives, including the Wildlife Species Conservation and Research Program and the Delaware Shorebird Project.
