Freshwater Crab
A nice example of how tropical rainforest ecosystems are equally complex underwater in rainforest streams as they are in the actual forest – no species exists in a vacuum. Note how an impressive number of hydras has found a cozy home on this freshwater crab… Photographed by RTPI President Twan Leenders for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project.
Read MoreAmerican Bittern
This is the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), a stupendously cryptic and sensationally camouflaged heron species of freshwater and brackish marshes and wetlands. During late fall and winter they can be infrequently found moving south to warmer or coastal areas where the water does not freeze. Even their movements are meant to blend in perfectly to surrounding vegetation, stalking prey including fish, amphibians, insects, mammals, reptiles, and more. The American Bittern was once a terror in the night to many early American settlers who lived in coastal regions. Its pumping, gurgling,...
Read MoreAutumn Field Surveys
While the field season never completely ends, projects shift and our attention will soon be focused on other seasonally appropriate surveys during the upcoming cooler months. As the temperatures continue to drop as well as the leaves, our stream work surveying for the elusive Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is winding down. This week we got out to take more samples and carry out more rock lift surveys. So far we have found that the stream we have been working in has a good number of Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) and has a lot of interesting macroinvertebrates, all of...
Read MoreFreshwater Mussels
Is it just me, or does it seem this mussel is sticking it’s tongue out at us? Interestingly, mussels don’t have tongues at all! The white, fleshy protrusion you see is actually referred to as the mussel’s foot. While we often don’t witness mussels moving, as they do it very slowly, this is exactly what this one is attempting to do. Mussels will use their muscular foot to inch themselves across a stream or river bed when they feel they are in danger or need to find a more suitable area to settle. Once in place, a freshwater mussel will often bury itself into the...
Read MoreBlack Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) & Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
These are a couple of entirely different catches from the RTPI/SUNY College Lodge BioBlitz photographed in Meet Your Neighbours form by Twan – the Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and the Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). In this case I can assure you the objects are much smaller than they appear which makes their splendid features, unseen by the human eye in hand, all the more startling. Can you see ALL the barbels?
Read More
