U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Mama wood duck and her twelve ducklings. That's it. That's the post. Have a great weekend! 🎆 Video of wood ducks swimming at Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS

WATCH: Gopher snake emerges from the tall grasses, probing the air with its tongue before silently slithering away. The gopher snake, as the name suggests, is known for hunting small mammals like rats and rabbits. They will also eat birds, bird eggs, lizards and insects. When threatened, gopher snakes are known to coil up and do their best to mimic a rattlesnake; but there is no rattle and they are nonvenomous. This snake was spotted at McNary National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Washington, near the confluence of the mighty Columbia and Snake rivers. USFWS video: Lamont Glass Video description: Camera at ground level sees long, tan snake head emerge from tall grasses; it pauses, taking some air samples, then moves away to the right showing its pattern of dark blotches.

We believe it was the great poet Rihanna who once sang, "Beautiful like fireworks in the sky," or something like that. Was she singing about fireflies? Probably. Ok, where were we? Ah yes, happy 4th of July everyone! We're nature nerds, so fireworks for us is the show put on by the synchronous fireflies. Also called lightning bugs, these glowing wonders are a type of beetle. There are only a few species of firefly in North America whose individuals are known to synchronize their flashing light patterns. Photinus carolinus is a variety of synchronous firefly that will sync up their bioluminescence to put on a dazzling display in early summer. Primarily found in Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania, this species of firefly will produce a flash pattern that is a series of 5-8 flashes, followed by a pause of about 8 seconds. This pattern is then repeated. Initially, the flashing appears random, but the period of darkness is synchronized. Scientists studying the synchronous firefly have determined that the males flash in unison as a way for the female to be certain she is responding to one of her species. As more males start joining in, the flashing will also begin to synchronize, and entire sections of the forest will pulsate with light! Photo at Great Smoky Mountain National Park by David Caldwell (sharetheexperience)

Hope your day is filled with plenty of red, white and blue. Happy 4th of July! Photos of northern cardinal, snow bunting and mountain bluebird by USFWS.

Do you have a strong passion for assessing property values and creating more opportunities for outdoor recreation focused on wildlife? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently seeking a Supervisory Review Appraiser! In this position you'll be overseeing a team of appraisers who determine the value of real estate for land conservation projects to expand public hunting, fishing, and wildlife-viewing opportunities for the public. It's perfect for someone who is detail-oriented and has a great deal of experience with real property valuation. Plus, you'd get to play a crucial role protecting amazing places for wildlife and the public. Check it out on USA Jobs at https://ow.ly/aFEU50SuSWS Photo of pronghorn buck in the sage-steppe's fall colors by Tom Koerner/USFWS

Milkweed check! 🌱🔍 How is your milkweed doing? Have you spotted any monarch eggs, caterpillars or butterflies? We found this common milkweed absolutely loaded with caterpillars! Look closely and you'll find all six. 📷 Courtney Celley/USFWS

A back full of babies, a profusion of progeny, a surfeit of scorplings. Scorpling is the word for baby scorpions! Scorpion moms give birth to live babies, which are born with soft exoskeletons. They ride on their mother’s back until their first molt, when their exoskeletons harden enough to help keep them safe. This striped bark scorpion is raising her babies in the pollinator garden at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge near Austin, TX. Photo: Janet Rogal

Conservation triumph in Wyoming! We're thrilled to celebrate the establishment of the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area in Laramie, Wyoming! On June 18, 2024, USFWS, along with partners and stakeholders, gathered to mark this significant milestone and unveil the new sign. The real cherry on top? Releasing captive-bred, endangered Wyoming toads (Anaxyrus baxteri) back into their natural habitat! This wouldn't have been possible without the tireless efforts of our locally led partners, like Dan Schlager, Wyoming State Director of The Conservation Fund, who worked together to acquire these lands for the benefit of both the toads and the local community. A huge thank you to all our partners for their dedication to preserving our natural wonders! Photos of Dan Schlager, a Wyoming toad and the new sign, by Jan Fore/USFWS

Meet the mountain mullet (fish, not hairdo!) 🐟 On our latest podcast episode of Fish of the Week!, we get to know this strong-swimming jumper and the important role they play in Puerto Rico's native fish community with guest biologist Bonnie Myers. Catch new episodes every Monday at FWS.gov or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (just search "Fish of the Week!"). If you're new to podcasts, we'd love for you to get "hooked" on our fun and nerdiest fish content. 📸 Gus Engman #AllTheFish

People connecting with nature is the bees knees... or should we say, the bees towhees? *birders will get this joke Members of the Friends of Masonville Cove, including our very own urban biologist Ela Carpenter, worked with non-profit organization Birds of Urban Baltimore - B.Ur.B and The Black AF in STEM Collective to put on a Black Birders Week celebration at Masonville Cove in Baltimore Maryland. From what we've been told, the celebration was a... flying success. 🐦🦆 Participants were able to experience how urban greenspaces support migratory and resident birds, partake in a morning bird walk, and see up close and personal how the bird banding process takes place. Photo of biologist Ela Carpenter and several participants posing with the banding station's summary board highlighting notable captures. Photo by Matias Orrego/Maryland Environmental Service