Illinois Animals

Is a dog, cat, hamster or fish a little too ordinary and pedestrian of a pet for you? Before you decide to add an exotic animal companion to your household, take a look at the list of animals the state of Illinois says you're not allowed to own.

Whenever you see a reference to the endangered species list it usually covers the standard suspects: gorillas, black rhinos, tigers, elephants, etc. You know, the animals that you're highly unlikely to encounter in the state of Illinois. You may not know it, but Illinois actually has endangered species of our own.

You may have never, ever thought about this one, and that's okay. But, now that it's been asked, you just realized that you have never seen a baby pigeon in Illinois ever. Here's why.

Explore the vital role of mother deer in safeguarding their scentless fawns and what you should do if you see an abandoned fawn in Illinois.

Learn about the horsehair worm, a fascinating parasitic creature often mistaken for hair in bodies of water throughout Illinois.

Some dogs hate to swim, but there are others that enjoy jumping into the pool every day. One Jack Russell dog in Illinois is so tiny he's found a new way of getting out of his owner's pool.

This is just too good to not watch!