Paws Wet Nose

10/15/2026

❄️🦭❄️

A baby seal can begin life inside a hidden snow cave on top of sea ice! In the Arctic, ringed seal mothers create secret shelters called snow lairs by digging into snowdrifts that form above their breathing holes in the sea ice.

These icy nurseries help protect newborn pups from freezing winds and from predators such as polar bears and Arctic foxes. The mother can enter from the water below, allowing her to nurse and care for her pup while keeping it hidden above the ice.

This remarkable behavior helps ringed seals raise their young in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Note: The image used in this post was created using AI for educational purposes only.

Sources - NOAA Fisheries, National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Polar Bears International.

09/20/2026

🐧🐝🦋🐞🐜

That goldfinch working over a spent coneflower head isn't settling for scraps. It's found one of the more reliable food sources standing in your entire yard through the leanest stretch of the year.

Goldfinches have bills shaped almost like small forceps, purpose built for prying seeds out of a tightly packed seed head, which makes coneflower and black-eyed Susan close to ideal targets once the petals have dropped and the center cone dries out. That timing lines up with something else specific to this species. Unlike most songbirds, goldfinches hold onto their duller, non-breeding plumage well into spring rather than molting into bright color early, which means they're relying on foraging through the coldest months without the seasonal camouflage advantage other birds get. A yard full of standing seed heads becomes a dependable, low effort food source exactly when insects and fresh vegetation have mostly disappeared and options are genuinely limited.

The structure of these particular seed heads is part of what makes them so functional through winter specifically. Coneflower's stiff, spiky center cone holds together through repeated freezing, thawing, and snow cover without collapsing the way softer plant material would, which is why you'll often see a finch clinging sideways to a stem in the dead of winter, still working through individual seeds one at a time. Black-eyed Susan's cone center behaves similarly, staying upright and accessible long after the surrounding petals have gone brown and curled.

There's a second layer of value happening below what's visible in this photo. Coneflower and black-eyed Susan both have hollow or pithy stems, and many native bee species use exactly that kind of standing stem to overwinter, tucked inside until temperatures warm enough in spring for them to safely emerge. Cutting everything back in October doesn't just remove a food source for birds like this goldfinch, it can eliminate the shelter an entire generation of pollinators was counting on to survive the season.

None of this requires letting your whole yard go wild through winter. It just means the impulse to tidy everything up in October is worth resisting for these two plants specifically. Leave them standing until late winter or early spring, once new growth is about to emerge and the birds and insects relying on them have had their season, then cut back for the fresh start ahead. 🐦

09/10/2026

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 🦊 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 ❄️ 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗵, 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗻𝗼𝘄 ❄️❤️

She was a rust-coloured puppy pouncing on grasshoppers in July, and she is nearly grown now, thin-legged, out alone at dusk, still unsure about the dog.

If she took a hen this summer, that was her. A fox will, and the coop shut at dusk is the answer. An adult cat is rarely worth the fight to her. A kitten left out at night can be.

Sometime this fall, most likely October, she will simply not be there. Young foxes leave to find ground nobody owns. Females settle a mile or a few off. Her brothers go farther, and tracking studies have followed a few fifty miles or more. By Christmas the yard is quiet.

Most do not see a first birthday. The studies put the losses well over half, some as high as eight in ten, to cars and mange. She knows where the mice live.

In January you may hear a scream in the dark that sounds like someone hurt. It is a fox calling for a mate. It may be her. 🦊

09/01/2026

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 🐕🐾❤️

Greenland Dogs have been essential working animals in the Arctic for centuries.

Traditionally, teams of these powerful sled dogs pulled people, hunters, food, equipment, and other supplies across Greenland’s frozen landscape, serving a transport role somewhat like horses did in many other parts of the world.

The sled-dog tradition was brought to Greenland by the Thule people, ancestors of today’s Inuit, around the 13th century. Dog sledding later became deeply connected with hunting, travel, exploration, and everyday life in northern and eastern Greenland.

Today, Greenland Dogs are still used as working sled dogs in designated regions of Greenland, where the breed is legally protected from mixing with other dog breeds.

08/23/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲! 🐕🐾🐈🦋🌸

08/09/2026

𝗠𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 “𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆“ 𝘁𝗼𝗼 🙀🐾😻

07/26/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗸! 🐾❤️

05/05/2026

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀! 🐕🐾❤️

Hundreds of beagles have begun leaving Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, in the first phase of a transfer that will see 1,500 dogs rescued from the facility following a purchase brokered by Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy. The mission was backed publicly by Ricky Gervais, who helped bring the story to a global audience of millions. 🐶❤️🚨

The first 300 dogs left on 1 May 2026, touching grass and breathing fresh air for the first time in their lives. Transfers have continued every day since, with dogs being flown and driven to rescue partners across the US. Over 700 adoption applications have already been received. The dogs are being vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered and socialised before being placed with families.

Ridglan Farms operated for over 60 years, breeding beagles specifically for pharmaceutical research laboratories. Court testimony revealed 311 eye surgeries were performed on dogs without anaesthesia. The facility surrendered its breeding licence as part of a deal to avoid prosecution. After ten years of campaigning, tear gas, arrests, and a worldwide rescue effort, the dogs are finally coming home.

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04/12/2026

A gentle reminder from one of nature’s most misunderstood neighbors:

✨ I’m shy — I avoid people whenever I can.
✨ I hunt rodents, not pets or children.
✨ Movies made me look scary… nature didn’t.

Foxes play an important role in keeping ecosystems balanced by controlling rodent populations. Most of the time, they simply want to live quietly and stay far away from us.

If you see one, consider it a small gift from nature — observe from a distance and let it continue on its way.

Let wildlife be wild. Let them live quietly. 🌿

04/09/2026

𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀… 🐕🤔

Police were called.
Officers rushed to the scene.

But when they arrived…

It wasn’t a person at all.

It was a dog.

Just standing there… calmly on the rooftop… watching the neighborhood like it owned the place.

This happened in Goshen on April 1, when police received reports of something unusual moving along the top of a home.

Turns out, the dog had pushed through a window screen, climbed out, and made its way onto the roof.

From there?

It started pacing along the ridge… barking at cars… completely ignoring anyone trying to call it down.

Officers tried verbal commands.

Nothing.

So they switched tactics.

Treats.

After a short standoff, the situation ended peacefully, and the dog was safely brought down and returned home.

No injuries.
No damage.

But that wasn’t even the strangest part.

While this was happening…

A bird flew through the same open window, briefly tore through the house, and even “harassed” one of the officers before flying back out.

And yes… despite the timing…

This wasn’t an April Fools’ joke.

Just one of those moments that feels made up…

until it actually happens.