Notes from the Field
Interesting Nature Facts #33 – Thimbleberry
The raspberry-like thimbleberry is one of those common members of the rose family that has been used for untold centuries by the Native American tribes. Not only are the berries (usually) sweet and full of Vitamin C, the fresh shoots can be eaten fresh and leaves can...
Interesting Nature Facts #32 – Venus Flytrap
The Venus flytrap is a small carnivorous plant. The trap at the end of a leaf snaps closed on its prey, usually an insect, when sensitive hairs inside the trap have been triggered twice within 20 seconds. This way the plant does not waste energy on non-food objects....
Interesting Nature Facts #31 – Chicory
Chicory - native to Europe, this strikingly beautiful blue wildflower is now found growing wild all across North America and is a very important food for livestock, and as a coffee substitute or coffee-additive. Anyone familiar with some of the wonderful coffees from...
Interesting Nature Facts #30 – Woodpeckers
With roughly 20 species of native woodpeckers and their sapsucker relatives found across North America, woodpeckers are nature's loudest headbangers. Woodpeckers slam their beaks against wood with a force 1,000 times that of gravity. That’s 20 times more force than a...
Interesting Nature Facts #29 – Mountain Goats
Male mountain goats have evolved an unusual method of fighting in the rut season. Because their skulls and horns are not strong enough to take the impact of head-to-head collisions like their cousins the bison and bighorn sheep, they have developed very thick skin at...
Interesting Nature Facts #28 – Trilliums
Trilliums use ants for seed dispersal. Ants are attracted to the elaiosomes (external "food bodies") on the seeds and collect them and transport them away from the parent plant. MORE PHOTOS OF TRILLIUMS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a...
Interesting Nature Facts #27 – Owls
Owls don't have eyeballs. Rather, they're more like eye tubes. They're elongated and held in place by "sclerotic rings," a bony structure in the skull. Because of this, owls can't really move or roll their eyes. That's why they have heightened mobility in their necks,...
Interesting Nature Facts #26 – Roseate Spoonbill
The roseate spoonbill is a beautifully plumed wading bird with a long bill shaped like a spatula. They were almost driven to extinction by plume hunters at the turn of the century. Still rare, but recovering, they can be seen wading in coastal areas. MORE PHOTOS OF...
Interesting Nature Facts #25 – Gopher Tortoise
Gopher tortoises build enormous burrows that can be up to 50 feet long and nearly 10 feet deep, and not only just one burrow. Over the area of several acres, it can build many burrows to suit its needs over a lifetime. These tunnels keep it safe from predators, cool...
Interesting Nature Facts #24 – California Kingsnake
California kingsnakes are non-venomous, but are powerful constrictors. The "king" refers to the fact that they hunt other snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes. California kingsnakes are resistant to rattlesnake venom. MORE PHOTOS OF REPTILES MORE INTERESTING NATURE...
Interesting Nature Facts #23 – Spadefoot Toads
As suggested by the name, the American spadefoot toads have hard, keratinous protrusions on their feet, which help them to dig backwards into the ground. MORE PHOTOS OF AMPHIBIANS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora,...
Interesting Nature Facts #22 – Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep were once widespread throughout western North America. By the 1920’s, bighorn sheep were eliminated from Washington, Oregon, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and part of Mexico. Today, populations have been re-established through...