Star-nosed mole What it looks like: The star-nosed mole has dark brown fur and large, clawed feet. At the end of its nose, there are 22 tentacles that help it find things by touch. It also has a long, thick tail. Where to find it: Star-nosed moles like wet areas with soft soil where they can easily dig their burrows. In fact, some of their tunnels even exit underwater. What it eats: Star-nosed moles love worms, small insects, and small water invertebrates. What eats it: Hawks, owls, skunks, and even fish will eat the star-nosed mole. Interesting facts: The star-nosed mole has poor eyesight. Its unusual nose helps it to smell—even underwater. Star-nosed moles have 44 teeth.

Annual Cicada What it looks like: Annual cicadas have large eyes and transparent wings. They are between 1 and 2 inches long and greenish- brown in color. Where to find it: Cicadas lay their eggs in a slit in the bark of a tree. When the eggs hatch, they nymphs drop to the ground and burrow deep into the soil. When they are ready to molt, they dig out of the soil, crawl up the tree, and shed their skin. They are then an adult. You can also locate them by the noise they make. What it eats: Nymphs eats the juice of tree roots when underground. Adult cicadas eat liquid nutrients from plants and trees. What eats it: Moles like to eat cicadas, as do birds. In some countries, people eat cicadas! Interesting facts: The nymph can burrow into the ground up to 8 feet. Periodical cicadas emerge every 17 years. The last periodical cicadas in this area of Ohio emerged in Annual cicadas are often called “dog- day” cicadas as they emerge in July or August when the weather is hot.

Yellow spotted salamander What it looks like: Yellow spotted salamanders can grow to be almost 7 inches long. They have plump, black bodies with bright yellow spots. Where to find it: Yellow spotted salamanders live in forests and must have a pond nearby in which to lay their eggs. They spend most of their time underground and therefore, are rarely seen. The best time to see a yellow spotted salamander is in early spring on a cold, rainy night. What it eats: Yellow spotted salamanders eat worms, slugs, and other insects. What eats it: The yellow spotted salamander has several defenses that keeps it from being eaten. Its skin secretes a toxic liquid and it can drop its tail, if necessary. Occasionally, they are eaten by frogs and snakes. Interesting facts: They hibernate below ground for much of the winter. Salamanders return to the same pond in which they hatched to mate and lay their own eggs. Young salamanders spend the first part of their life in the water and then crawl up on to land when their legs form.

Painted turtle What it looks like: Painted turtles are somewhat flat shelled turtles with red and yellow coloring on their legs, head, and underside of their shell. They can grow to be about 10 inches long. Where to find it: Painted turtles like to live near ponds or rivers with muddy bottoms where they will spend the winter hibernating in the muck. They also like to bask in the sun on logs, often 2 or 3 in a group or stack. What it eats: Painted turtles are omnivores. They will eat snails, small fish, crayfish, tadpoles, and water plants. What eats it: Most animals won’t eat a painted turtle due to its protective shell. However, raccoons and other mammals like to dig up turtle eggs and eat them. Interesting facts: You can tell male painted turtles from females by the length of their front claws. Males have much longer claws. Females can lay between 4 and 15 eggs at a time. When hibernating, painted turtles can go up to 3 feet under the mud at the bottom of a pond or stream.

Red worm What it looks like: Red worms are small, thin worms that are pinkish-red in color. Where to find it: Red worms like loose soil with lots of plant material. They are great composters and live well in a garden. What it eats: Red worms eat all plants. They help break down rotting plants and help make the soil better for growing things. What eats it: Birds love red worms, especially after rainfall when they wiggle onto sidewalks and driveways. Other animals like skunks and raccoons will also eat worms. Interesting facts: Red worms are also called red wigglers. Red worms are the best worms for compost piles. Red worms are annelids. All annelids have segmented bodies. Leeches are also annelids.