Notes from the Field
Interesting Nature Facts #117 – Parasitic Orchids
Certain species of orchids are parasitic. They are not able to produce food (sugar) using the sunlight and carbon dioxide (like other plants). Instead, they obtain food from fungi that live inside their roots. MORE PHOTOS OF NATIVE ORCHIDS MORE INTERESTING NATURE...
Interesting Nature Facts #116 – Ghost Crabs
Ghost crabs are found on many of the same beaches as sea turtle nests. They devour baby turtles while they hatching out in the sand, and drag the baby turtles into their burrows and eat them up. MORE PHOTOS OF INVERTEBRATES MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting...
Interesting Nature Facts #115 – Ocher Sea Star
The ochre star actually has 5 eyes, each located at the tip of its rays. However, they have no vision. The eyes act as sensors and are sensitive to light. Although commonly called the ocher sea star, they may be yellow, orange, brown, reddish, or purple! MORE PHOTOS...
Interesting Nature Facts #114 – Aggregating Anemone
Although they live side by side, clonemates from different groups are enemies. Warrior anemones with knoblike swellings packed with large stinging cells border each group. If a warrior comes in contact with an enemy warrior, they exchange a barrage of poison darts,...
Interesting Nature Facts #113 – Black-Necked Stilt
To cool their nests in hot weather, stilts use their belly feathers to carry water to the nests, sometimes making more than a hundred trips a day. VISIT THE BIRDS GALLERIES MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and...
Interesting Nature Facts #112 – California Mussels
To collect enough food to survive, a mussel filters two to three quarts (about two to three liters) of water an hour! MORE PHOTOS OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and places that make...
Interesting Nature Facts #111 – Temperate Rainforest
The understory and forest floor is where much of the biodiversity is found in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. Aside from the tall conifers, there are smaller trees that thrive their shade like maple and dogwood, as well as shade-loving shrubs like...
Interesting Nature Facts #110 – Fakahatchee Strand
The Fakahatchee Strand in Southwest Florida is famous for its variety of wild native orchids - particularly the ghost orchid, as well as its rare ferns and bromeliads. Part of the Northern Florida Everglades system, it has an extremely diverse eco system with plenty...
Interesting Nature Facts #109 – Horsetails
Common horsetail buds are eaten as a vegetable in Japan and Korea in springtime. All other Equisetum species are toxic. MORE PHOTOS OF HORSETAILS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and places that make North...
Interesting Nature Facts #108 – Horsetails
Common horsetail has 108 pairs of chromosomes. MORE PHOTOS OF HORSETAILS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and places that make North America so amazing. Posts include nature photos that are short & sweet,...
Interesting Nature Facts #107 – Organ Pipe Cactus
The organ pipe cactus originated in the warm, dry tropics. When the global climate warmed at the end of the last Ice Age, the cactus slowly began migrating further north. It arrived in the Sonoran Desert only about 3500 years ago. MORE PHOTOS OF CACTI MORE INTERESTING...
Interesting Nature Facts #106 – Saguaro
Saguaro! Welcome to the next installment of a new series of nature photos that will be short & sweet, and all about the native and naturalized wildlife that is all around us with just one or two interesting nature facts that you might not know about. If you want...