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Monthly Archives: May 2016
Random Insect: Click Beetle
Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) are unique insects because of a special trick they can perform. When they find themselves stuck upside-down or alarmed by a potential predator, they can suddenly “snap” their flexible thoracic joints to create a “click” sound and launch … Continue reading
Posted in Entomology, National Parks, Random Insect
Tagged animals, great basin, insects, nature, travel
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Random Plant: Mule-ears
Mule-ears (Wyethia amplexicaulis, Asteraceae) are relatively conspicuous herbaceous plants found throughout much of the western United States. These sunflower relatives feature long, broad leaves that resemble mule ears as well as numerous large yellow flower heads. They inhabit the intermountain west and are most … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Ecology, National Parks, Organism Interactions, Random Plant
Tagged great basin, nature, plants, travel, wildflowers
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The Great Salt Lake, Utah
Beyond the Great Lakes that surround my native Michigan, the next largest lake in the United States is the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. Although the lakes of both states share similarly impressive surface areas they are incredibly different in … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Culture, Ecology, Entomology, Environment, General, Geology, Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Weather and Climate
Tagged animals, birds, desert, fish, insects, mammals, nature, travel
1 Comment
Marmot Crossing
Last week I spent a couple of nights camping at Great Basin National Park in east-central Nevada. One point of interest was a stretch of road near Baker Creek that was crawling with yellow-bellied marmots (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Marmota flaviventris). So many … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, National Parks, Vertebrate Zoology
Tagged animals, great basin, mammals, nature, travel, wildlife
1 Comment
Random Insect: Short-tailed Ichneumon Wasp
Ichneumon wasps are perhaps the largest animal family on the planet, made up of between 60,000 and 100,000 different species. Approximately 5,000 to 8,000 can be found in North America, and of these eleven are of the genus shown here … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Entomology, Invertebrate Zoology, Organism Interactions, Random Insect
Tagged animals, insects, nature
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Strut Your Stuff
Wild Turkeys (Galliformes: Phasianidae: Meleagris gallopavo) are found throughout large areas of the United States and Mexico, especially in the east. They are particularly common in the Cataloochee Valley of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Males turkeys begin courtship in … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, National Parks, Organism Interactions, Vertebrate Zoology
Tagged animals, birds, great smoky mountains, nature, travel, wildlife
1 Comment
Random Plant: Cutleaf Toothwort
Appearing in eastern woodlands in April and May, cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata, Brassicaceae) exhibits the four-petaled flower arrangement typical of members of the mustard family. Its large flowers and relative abundance early in the season make it a favorite of insect pollinators. … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Ecology, National Parks, Organism Interactions, Random Plant
Tagged great smoky mountains, nature, plants, travel, wildflowers
1 Comment
Random Insect: Scarites Ground Beetle
Of the nearly 3,000 known species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) that inhabit North America, seven of them are members of the genus Scarites. These insects can be found in lawns, gardens, and fields throughout the spring and summer. They are relatively large and grow … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Entomology, Invertebrate Zoology, Organism Interactions, Random Insect
Tagged animals, insects, nature
1 Comment
Elk of the Cataloochee Valley
When most people think of elk (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Cervus canadensis) they probably think of them as residents of the American west. From Colorado to Washington they live in large numbers, especially in protected areas like Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Ecology, General, National Parks, Vertebrate Zoology
Tagged animals, great smoky mountains, mammals, nature, travel, wildlife
1 Comment
Random Plant: Bloodroot
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis, Papaveraceae) is one of many plants known as a spring ephemeral. Spurred into action by increasing day length in early spring, these plants complete their life cycles in just a few weeks. By the time deciduous trees have leafed out in May, these plants … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, National Parks, Random Plant
Tagged great smoky mountains, nature, plants, travel, wildflowers
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