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Is it true that Missouri, Arkansas and Australia are the only places in the world that spoonbill are located?

David Nelson Lute, age 12, Warsaw

"Spoonbill" is a common name for paddlefish, Polyodon spathula. Both names refer to the fish’s big snout, which resembles a paddle or a spoon. The snout makes up about one-third of the fish’s length.

The fish range throughout the Mississippi and Missouri river basins. Waters in which they have been found touch parts of 22 states.

The only other representative of the paddlefish family lives in the Chang River (formerly named the Yangtze River) in China. Those paddlefish may grow 20 feet long. Though not as large, our paddlefish sometimes reach 6 feet long and weigh more than 100 pounds.

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Do daddy longleg spiders bite?

Sonya McDaniel, Theodosia

Even though they may look like spiders, daddy longlegs really aren’t. But, like spiders, they belong to a group of animals called arachnids.

Daddy longlegs eat insects and fruit, but they don’t bite humans.

Their mouths may be too small to bite through our tough skin. Some say the venom of daddy longlegs is highly toxic, but this hasn’t been proven. Some species will give off a bad odor.

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How many bobcats live in Greene County? What do they sound like, and do they live in wooded areas? If you come in contact with a bobcat, will it hurt you?

Jessica Brown, Springfield

It’s hard to know for sure how many bobcats live in Greene County, but Missouri’s total bobcat population is between 10,000 and 15,000. They live in a variety of areas, from the Ozark hills to the western prairie. In fact, bobcats have been seen right in Kansas City.

Bobcats don’t make many sounds, but they do purr and hiss, much like a housecat. Bobcats try to avoid people as much as possible, so it’s pretty rare to see one. A bobcat can be dangerous if cornered or if it’s infected with rabies. Otherwise, it will take great pains to stay away from you.