Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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Lake Andes NWR, Lake Andes WMD, Karl E. Mundt NWR

10/25/2026

South Dakota is home to 13 species of bats? While this is another creature that gets folks nervous and find unsettling, like spiders, this is a species to celebrate and welcome! Bats are very important in keeping healthy ecosystems. The bats that live in South Dakota have been known to eat insects exclusively. Their meals consist of eating beetles, moths, flies, mosquitoes, and night-flying insects. To view bats in action, sit out near dusk and look at the skies and see how many bats fly around. 🦇

Photo of a bat caught during a research project on the Karl E. Mundt NWR by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/23/2026

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Video of autumn aspen leaves waving in the wind on the Karl E. Mundt NWR by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/21/2026

🦉Whoooo's watching youuuuu?🦉

Here are some fun facts about owl eyes that you might not have known!

🦉Owls cannot move their eyes like humans can, instead they rotate their head around. Contrary to popular belief, their heads cannot rotate all the way around, but they can go as far as 270 degrees in rotation!
🦉Not all owls see in the same color spectrum.
🦉Their eyes are as large as a humans. Unlike humans, they have a tubular shaped eye which acts as a telephoto lens.
🦉Their pupils open widely in the dark, their retinas contain many rod cells which is a perfect for their vision at night.
🦉Unlike cat pupils that are a slit that opens to a circle, owl pupils always maintain their circular shape when dilating.
🦉The color of an owls eye can help identify what time of day they hunt. Dark eyes mean they prefer to hunt at night, it helps camouflage the eyes. Orange eyes mean they are active during dusk and dawn. Yellow eyes are diurnal, active in day and nighttime hours.

Photo of great horned owl eyes up close by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/19/2026

Even though the name is red admiral, the colors say ! Breeding of these butterflies occurs in the late spring to early summer and they can have two broods between March and October. Taking a liking to nettles, their eggs are green and camouflaged on nettle leaves. Their chrysalis will mimic a dead leaf that dried out. To see more of these in your yard all summer, be sure to plant nectar flowers of course, but also nettles!

Photo of a red admiral butterfly on the Karl E. Mundt NWR by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/17/2026

Pheasant opener starts today! This is a friendly reminder that all of our Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) are open to the public for recreation activities, which includes hunting, fishing and trapping.

Fall is the season where many outdoor enthusiasts come from all over to partake in hunting activities on public lands. We wish all our visitors to be safe and mindful of others enjoying their public lands. All hunting, fishing, and trapping activities require a state issued license (and stamps). Please refer to the state regulations for bag limits on WPA lands. Any refuges open to hunting have designated areas of these activities allowed and may have specific regulations on top of the state's regulations. If anyone has any questions about WPA or refuge recreation information for Lake Andes WMD, please contact our office at 605-546-8156.

Photo of a Waterfowl Production Area sign on Trout WPA by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/16/2026

Even though it's this is not an alien duck! 🦆👽

mammals typically have two eyelids (upper and lower), but most birds have three eyelids. The normal upper and lower eyelids remain the same, moving in an up and down fashion like ours. The third eyelid however, moves across their eye horizontally as shown here. This is a translucent or semi-transparent eyelid which is also called the nictitating membrane. The translucent appearance still allows the bird to see when the membrane sweeps across their eye unlike a regular blink with the upper and lower lids. Why do they need this you ask? Think of it as a windshield wiper for their eye. It helps remove dust, debris, anything that could damage the cornea, and a way to keep the eye from drying out.

Photo of a wood duck nictitating membrane sweeping across the red eye by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/14/2026

🦋Here's a butterfly for you, but it's one we all know and love very well! Monarchs are preparing for their long migration journey to overwinter in Mexico. They can fly over 100 miles in one day if the conditions allow it. It can take some monarchs just two months to complete their journey! While some in certain states do not migrate, ours do. Planting nectar flowers that bloom in the fall, like this white heath aster, will help bring monarchs to your pollinator garden or field.

Photo of a monarch butterfly on white heath aster on the Karl E. Mundt NWR by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/12/2026

🕷️When one comes across a banded garden spider, one does not exclaim, "Eek!" Instead, the proper response is, "welcome friend!" 🕷️

These spiders may be intimidating because of the size they get (and because well they are spiders), but in reality they are helping you out more than you think. Real pests such as mosquitoes and grasshoppers that bite you or eat your garden, are a delicious meal for banded garden spiders. Pictured here, you can see that there's something off about this spider though. Notice that two of her front legs are missing! She's doing her best to survive with a quarter of her legs missing but she's trying and that's what counts!

Photo of a large banded garden spider on the Karl E. Mundt NWR by Liz Julian/USFWS

10/10/2026

Today is World Migratory Bird Day! If you have not yet seen the beautiful embroidered artwork from this years artist, look no further! The artist, Luísa Lacerda, is a multi-talented artist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil who loves birds and creative arts. She captured these birds perfectly with thread. If you are seeking a FREE poster, we have them at our office! Stop by Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm to collect this artwork. We will be closed Monday the 12th in lieu of the holiday.

Celebrate birds this not only this weekend but all the days of the year!

Photo poster by Luísa Lacerda, World Migratory Bird Day 2026

10/08/2026

🍄‍🟫Autumn's Gift - Maya Anthony🍂
"As leaves fall, a carpet thick,
Mushrooms rise, quick as a flick,
Autumn’s gift, nature’s trick,
In the woods, they stick.

With the chill, they come to life,
After summer’s heated strife,
In the cool, they’re rife,
Part of the forest’s fife.

In hues of brown and amber gold,
Mysteries in their folds,
In the autumn, bold,
Stories untold, they hold."

Photo slide from October 1977 of fungi on a tree trunk by USFWS

Address

38471 291st Street
Lake Andes, SD
57356

Telephone

+16054877603

Website

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lake-andes

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