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Charlotte Keene/St. Louis Public RadioNot everyone's pet is a fuzzy, four-legged friend. Sometimes it's a ball python, or even an alligator. But owning an exotic reptile isn't for everyone, and having an unusual friend carries additional responsibilities. -
Andrew Tade/KMUWAs part of their annual migration to South America, purple martins from across the region are putting on a nightly show just north of the Wichita airport control tower, gathering to roost in a cluster of trees. And their chatter can be heard pretty clearly, too.
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The plains spotted skunk is becoming harder to find in the central U.S. states it calls home. As federal officials consider the skunk for federal protections, researchers and environmentalists are hoping to learn more about the long understudied species. -
Lakes and ponds need nearby wetlands to stay healthy. In some places in Missouri, there isn't the room to do that, so conservationists are bringing the wetlands to the water. -
Before the southeast Missouri smelter shut down in 2024, air monitors showed the surrounding area exceeded federal sulfur dioxide standards. -
Hot cattle translates to less milk and profits for dairy farmers. As the summers get warmer, dairies are looking for ways to keep cows comfortable and monitor heat stress. -
Passing on the family farm to the next generation is typically an involved process, both financially and emotionally. A turbulent agricultural economy the past few years has made that transition even more difficult. -
Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak. -
A parasite that causes severe diarrhea has sickened more than a thousand people in Kansas and Missouri. Federal officials are still investigating the cause of the outbreak, but it’s making some people scrutinize where their produce comes from. -
When Congress allowed Affordable Care Act tax credits to lapse, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of Americans — especially self-employed farmers and ranchers. That added cost is multiplying the stress on their already stretched balance sheets. -
The pondberry shrub is rare in the wild because of the way it reproduces and the loss of its wetland habitats. It faces destruction from a non-native beetle and the fungus it carries. -
Animal rescue leaders say new rules meant to prevent the spread of the livestock parasite make sense. But they are also costly for overcrowded shelters in Texas, which transfer many pets to other states. -
A new type of wheat dotting Kansas fields has a special use: making pasta. Wheat acres have continuously declined in Kansas. The noodle-focused wheat variety could change that. -
A sting from an Asian needle ant can cause anaphylaxis. The ant tends to prefer forests and wood-rich areas, has a distinctive stinger, and has a lighter reddish-brown color on the legs.
