DNR News Releases

Search for a News Release

Press/Media inquiries: PIO@dnr.iowa.gov

DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: snakeReturn

It's NOT a Rattlesnake!

• 9/23/2022 4:56:00 PM
• View Count 17035

Rattlesnakes can be scary. They have fangs and venom and can potentially kill or maim you if startled or threatened. Rattlesnakes are very uncommon in Iowa with the Timber Rattlesnake being the most widespread species.

What's a Mudbug?

• 7/12/2022 3:15:00 PM
• View Count 11490

If you’ve ever been out hiking and noticed a tiny volcano made of mud, you’ve seen the home of a mudbug!  Actually, mudbug is just another name for crayfish...just like crawdad or crawfish!  We have 8 species of crayfish in Iowa, but in this article we’re going to talk about 3 species that commonly dig burrows. 

New Hartford man charged with harboring endangered species

• 6/7/2018 12:58:00 PM
• View Count 3637

NEW HARTFORD, Iowa -- On Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at approximately 5:50 PM, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers, with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol, executed a search warrant at 309 Packwaukee Street in New Hartford after anonymous complaints about endangered species housed within the residence.

Why Do Snakes Shed Their Skin?

• 8/25/2015 9:13:00 AM
• View Count 153809

All animals shed their skin. Some just do it in more grandiose (and visible) style. While humans “shed” millions of skin cells every day, snakes and other animals shed a layer of skin in one continuous piece, a process called ecdysis, which occurs between four and 12 times a year.

What Do Snakes Do in the Winter?

• 1/9/2015 5:43:00 AM
• View Count 15831

Snakes, being cold-blooded, rely on their surroundings to regulate body temperature. Like other ectothermic animals, they bask in the sun to warm up, seek shade or water to cool down. So, when conditions are not conducive for temperature regulation, they brumate.

6 Cool Things You Should Know About Snakes

• 10/28/2014 8:37:00 AM
• View Count 31267

One of Iowa’s most misunderstood creatures, snakes are a vital part of our ecosystem. Undeserving of a reputation as one of Iowa’s scariest critters, snakes serve an important role in nature.