aquatic (adj.) living or growing in or on the water
canid (n.) a member of the dog family
extirpate (tr. v.) to cause a species to become extinct because of human activities
fencerow (n.) one or more rows of trees or shrubs that mark the edge of a field or a boundary between landowners’ properties
habitat (n.) the type of natural environment in which an animal lives
hibernate (v.) to enter a deep “sleep” in which the heart beat, breathing rate and other bodily functions slow down to conserve energy
home range (n.) the area where an animal spends most of its time
logjam (n.) floating logs and branches that have drifted together into a tight pile
mammal (n.) an animal which is warm-blooded, has hair and feeds its newborn young with milk produced by the mother
musk (n.) strong-smelling, oily substance produced by specialized glands
prey (n.) an animal which is eaten by other animals; (vb.) to capture or devour an animal
oxbow (n.) an old bend in a river that was cut off from the main channel when deposits of mud, sand and silt settled at the narrowest point
riffle (n.) a shallow, fast-moving stretch in a creek or river
rendering (v.) a “cooking” process in which raw fats and tissues from animals are separated into purer components like meat by-products, oils and other useful materials
silt (n.) sediment; soil particles which settle on the bottom of a stream, lake or other body of water, often to the detriment of the ecosystem
soil erosion (n.) movement of soil particles, usually by water or wind
species (n.) a particular kind of plant or animal
tile (n.) plastic, metal or clay pipe which is buried underground to collect and carry water from the soil. The outlet usually drains into creeks or other waterways
windbreak (n.) a narrow strip of trees, shrubs or grass planted along the border of a field to reduce the speed and erosive action of wind