The Hollow Journal

Ivory-on-black illustration of a gray squirrel eating an acorn on the snow above a ground squirrel asleep in its burrow.
Do Squirrels Hibernate? Where They Go in Winter
Gray squirrels keep going through winter. Many ground squirrels hibernate. A species-by-species guide to their nests, food stores, and cold-weather routines. Read more...
A gray wolf and a smaller, slimmer coyote stand face to face on sparse grass, the coyote looking up at the wolf.
Wolf vs Coyote: Size, Tracks, and How to Tell Them Apart
A field guide to gray wolves and coyotes, with a comparison table, regional size differences, track measurements, and the clues that cannot settle an identification alone. Read more...
Wood engraving of an enormous crested pigeon beside a tiny plain dove, both standing on one ground line at true relative scale.
Dove vs Pigeon: Why There Is No Scientific Difference
Dove and pigeon are not separate scientific categories. Learn why the names overlap, how everyday usage differs, and why wedding doves are usually pigeons. Read more...
Jumping spider on a weathered garden rail near a person’s hand, illustrated in a black-and-ivory natural-history engraving style.
Do Jumping Spiders Bite? A Calm Field Note
Jumping spiders can bite, but they are shy visual hunters that usually retreat from people. Documented bites are uncommon and generally cause short-lived local symptoms. The spider would prefer to... Read more...
Black-and-ivory linocut illustration of an opossum peering through a gap between weathered fence rails.
Do Not Perceive Me: A Field Guide to Creatures That Would Rather You Didn't
What "do not perceive me" actually means, where the phrase came from, and why its official mascot is always an opossum. Read more...