Dynamic Habitats
I got a text the other day from my dad saying, “Hey if you can, bring your boots over so we can investigate the beaver pond.” Behind my parents home is a beautiful wetland system that sits right in the valley, with forested hillsides surrounding. What was once a stream has since been turned into a marsh thanks to the work of some busy beavers. With dams on either end of the marsh, the water has been held back and has created great habitat for many birds, amphibians and reptiles. The marsh is full of snapping and painted turtles, peepers that are so numerous that their peeps...
Read MoreGroundhog (Marmota monax)
It is about to turn into a very chilly weekend for us in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region after a week of warm temperatures and a lot of sun. This Groundhog (Marmota monax), or whatever else you prefer to call the rodent among its many names, has to be in a hurry to eat all it can now. The species is always highlighted when they come out of hibernation to “predict” the end of the winter and early spring seasons. However, if you watch them in autumn you will see a lot of activity out of the increasingly fatter individuals as they prepare to hibernate. A good “night” to...
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