My cell phone does not ring when a call is received; my incoming is a coyote's call. Allegiance to my high school alma mater notwithstanding (Go, Raiders!), I am above all else a nature nut. I work in nature seven days a week, dream about it, write about it, and probably bore Annie to tears talking about. So for me a coyote call ringtone is a perfect fit.

The source for such exotica is the web site enature.com, and the several dozen ringtones available-from amorous frogs to elk and howler monkeys on the make-can be downloaded to a cell phone for free. While this is a fun feature on the eNature site, free animal call ringtones is far from its best feature.

The eNature site launched in 2000 and was acquired by the National Wildlife Federation in 2001. The site has been managed by Shearwater Marketing Group since May, 2007. Content includes a wealth of information on plants and animals native to the United States. Some 6,000 individual species currently are listed, and this is the same data base used for the printed editions of Audubon Field Guides.

Features available for accessing the depth of information in that data base are too numerous to mention here, but my favorite menu item is "Local Nature". Sub menu options include "Zip Guide", "Local Endangered Species", "Gardening for Wildlife", and "Personal Wildlife List." Entering 76301 in the Zip Guide, for example, opens data banks on 260 species of birds common to central Texas. The same search offers similar lists of wildflowers, reptiles and amphibians, mammals, butterflies, and trees.

I do not recommend toting a laptop with wireless internet access into the field unless you intend to set up camp for several days. Web-based field guides will not soon replace good old battery-free books that can be stuffed into a pocket. But for those days when you cannot get outdoors for whatever reasons, eNature and other sites offer excellent resources for research and field-trip preparation.

And where else are you gonna find a howler monkey for your cell phone?