Rufous-eyed Streamside Tree Frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis)
Here is a Rufous-eyed Streamside Tree Frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis) from Costa Rica, posing ridiculously wonderfully as so many tropical amphibians do for Twan. This photo reminded me that last week I actually heard some Spring Peepers going out there in the wet woodlands on one of the very warm days. Autumn has been about as warm as it can get for us. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFall Fun Facts
Have you ever noticed how some deciduous trees retain their leaves while others around them are bare? I learned some interesting facts the other day about why that might be. Trees such as this gorgeous oak tree may retain their leaves once they die, referred to as marcescence, for a number of possible reasons. For one, retaining dried up, brown leaves could help protect the oak’s acorns or buds from bitter frost. It could also protect the growing buds from getting nipped by whitetail deer early in the spring. In addition, I’ve heard that for saplings it could be important to...
Read MoreMonarch Caterpillar
Here we have a case of the disappearing leaf. The culprit is not too hard to find, and easy enough to identify. This Monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) is chowing down on swamp milkweed leaves in the bright afternoon sun. Sensational!
Read MoreDaddy Longlegs
Those really are some long legs after all…although I believe it is more accurate to call this a harvestman, or opiliones. The story of this being one of the most venormous animals in the world if not for the fact it does not have the requisite fangs to bite humans is a myth on many levels! I did not even notice until posting this photo that it seems to be missing one of those legs… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreRaindrop Explosion
It is not quite “stop and smell the roses”, but if you pause and take in what is immediately around you then you may end up with some beautiful surprises. I have tried to do this more recently, and avoid staring at the birds or bugs that I know well, those flashy flowers, or some cool weather phenomenon. A recent day saw just a few drops of rain falling from a passing shower. A raindrop landed on this leaf, “exploding” and leaving us with this…the very basis of life! There was not a single drop on any other nearby surface that I could find. This was it, and it...
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