Creature Comforts

The prothonotary warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. For many years the Jackson Audubon Society has maintained nesting box trails for these birds. They can be seen around the Lefleur’s Bluff State Park and the Fannye Cook Natural Area. Today we have Chralie Pfeifer from the Jackson Audubon Society to talk about these birds and their migration to these nesting sites.

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Pet Day is always an enjoyable episode on Creature Comforts. Dr. Troy Majure and Libby Hartfield answer your pet and wildlife questions, along with the latest happenings in nature. Tune in and send your pet questions to [email protected].

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Today on the show we welcome back Dr. Brent Hendrixson, professor of biology at Millsaps College. He is back on the program to tell us about some of the scorpions and spiders found around the state. Not all of these creatures are venomous but we will talk about staying safe when these creatures are around. Also on we share some great news about the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

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Today on the show we welcome Dr. Jim Franks. He is a senior research scientist at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and studies some of the large fish of the gulf. The Bluefin Tuna and Tarpon are the subject of his latest research projects and he joins us to talk about their current situation. Also Dr. Majure and Libby Hartfield answer some of your summertime pet and wild animal questions. 

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Today on the show we welcome Dr. Will Selman, Assistant Professor of Biology at Millsaps College to talk about the various turtles of Mississippi, especially the box turtle. He has conducted several studies of turtles around the state and will share some of his findings, talk about the endangered turtles of the state, and answer your questions about these cold-blooded reptiles.

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Naturalist Joe McGee joins Creature Comforts to let us know what the frogs of Mississippi are up to this time of year. Since his last visit in January many things have changed and the summer frogs are here calling into the nights sky. From cricket frogs to fowler's toads Joe has a sharp ear and keen eye to help set these leapers apart.

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Armadillos are not listed among the six Mississippi nuisance animals but some home owners would say different. If unchecked Armadillos can cause serious damage to a yard or home, but most often these nocturnal creatures are seen as roadkill. Today on the show we talk with Dr. Cathy Shropshire about this unusual mammal and try to answer the question: Why did the armadillo cross the Mississippi River?  

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The weather is warmer and now those charming bio-luminescent creatures are lighting up the night’s sky. No matter if you call them lightning bugs or fireflies’ people are reporting seeing them around the state. Today we talk with Lynn Faust who literary wrote the book on Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. We talk about what is happening with these bugs this time of year and an upcoming event where you can watch their wondrous light show up-close.

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Herpetologist Terry Vandeventer is very passionate about Mississippi snakes and joins us to talk and answer your snake questions. No stranger to the program Terry always brings a great perspective about the proper way to interact with snakes. Education is the key, but there are a few tips to remember when you see a snake in nature.

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On April 20th State Lakes and State Park Lakes were reopened to fishing and boating. But social distancing should still be practiced. Today on the show we have Larry Bull, Assistant Director of the Fisheries Bureau, at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. He will talk about how anglers should handle fishing during the coronavirus pandemic and how his office is helping to make sure everyone is lawful and safe. 

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