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NATURETALK

NRT'S FUN BLOG ABOUT ALL THINGS NATURE.
READ ON TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NATURE IN YOUR WORLD.

All About Hot Dogs

5/28/2020

2 Comments

 
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As I’m sitting here trying to figure out what to blog about next, my eye keeps wandering over to my dog who seems to be panting profusely with this new wave of warm weather. The two of us lived in Texas, so I’m well aware of how much heat she can handle before we need to take it easy, but it’s still good to know about the different ways I can keep her safe as the temperature rises as well as amenities I can provide to keep her happy and comfortable.

​It’s no surprise that with a large number of people being forced to stay at home, sometimes all alone, that the number of dogs in shelters has gone down dramatically. This is a great relationship, but it also means that many people are spending their first Summer with their furry friends and may not be fully aware of some of the dangers that come with increased daily temperatures. Just like us, dogs get tired, dehydrated and over-heated. Some dogs are even susceptible to sunburns! Here are a few tips and tricks to keep your four-legged (or less) companion happy and healthy all Summer long.

​Car Safety

​Never leave you dog in the car! This may seems like it gets repeated over and over and over again, but the dangers of a hot car cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to both human and dog safety. Even on days that don’t seem that warm, our cars create a greenhouse effect. This means that the sunlight coming into our cars gets absorbed by our seats, dashboards, etc. and then they radiate heat back into the car that becomes trapped inside. A lot of heat comes into our cars, but not much actually leaves the vehicle. This is why even on cool days, if the sun is out, it can sometimes be a pleasant surprise to get into a car that has been sitting somewhere without shade. The heat isn’t leaving! Even having the windows a crack is not enough for all of this heat to escape safely.
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​There are ways to reduce how much heat is absorbed by your car, but when it comes to the lives of our furry friends the safest and best option is to just not leave them in the car at all. In Massachusetts, not only is it illegal to leave your dog in a car unattended, but it is also legal to enter a vehicle if it is “reasonably necessary to prevent imminent danger or harm to the animal” that is in a car.
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Constant Water Supply

​No matter where your dog is, make sure they have access to fresh water. This often means having a bowl in the house and a bowl outside in the yard. If you do have multiple sources of water around your house, be sure to keep them clean and refill them daily. When we leave water outside for long periods of time, it becomes a great place for insect larvae to grow, especially mosquitos. Water left in the sun can also become home to harmful algae that can make our dogs sick.
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Available water is also important to consider when you are traveling and hiking. If you are driving somewhere, it may not be practical to have an open container of water, but make sure that you are frequently offering water to your pet. The same goes for hiking. When packing supplies for the day, account for the water that you will need as well as the water that your dog will need. We can’t always rely on natural water sources to be suitable for drinking, so it’s important to be prepared.
 
Here is a list of water bottles just for your dog that will make it almost impawsible to leave the house without proper hydration: https://petlifetoday.com/best-dog-travel-water-bottles/

Another great idea for keeping your dog calm and cool in the summertime is to fill a kiddie pool with water. Of course, not everyone is going to have the space or means to do this, but if it’s something that is an option for you and your furry friend it’s a great way to provide a little oasis right at home!

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​Keeping Cool

Making sure your pet has a place outside to cool off is very important. A spot to lay down under a tree or even an umbrella will give them somewhere to relax and bring down their temperature. It’s also very important that you don’t over exercise your dog on hot days. Dogs don’t often know when they’ve had enough of the heat, especially if they are high energy dogs. It’s up to you to know when they need a break.

Another thing to consider when walking your dog is the temperature of the asphalt on the road and on the sidewalks. If it is too hot for you to touch, it is too hot for your dog. Walking on hot asphalt can burn the pads of your dog’s feet. You can avoid this by seeking out places to walk on grass or even buy doggie booties to keep them safe. If you are someone who usually walks your dog in the middle of the day, it can be helpful to adjust your schedule so that you are walking during the cooler times of the day.

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You can also consider giving your dog a haircut in the Summer months. You’ll want to consult your veterinarian about this. Some dogs have thick coats that actually act as insulators and can keep the cool air in, so you’ll want to see if your breed of dog will benefit from a haircut or if it is better to leave them unshaved.

Additional Resources

If you are looking for additional resources on how to keep your dog safe and healthy during the Summer months, check out these great websites. Not only will they talk about temperature considerations, but also things like fleas, ticks, and anything else you may have questions about:
  • ​8 things you can do to protect your dog this summer
  • American Kennel Club Summer Safety Tips​
  • Purina Caring for your dog in Summer
  • ASPCA Hot Weather Safety Tips
  • Global Animal Tips to Keep Your Pets Cool
2 Comments

Nature Journal Notes

5/27/2020

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Welcome nature journalers! It’s hard to believe that the month of May is coming to an end, but the recent weather is certainly a reminder that Summer is right around the corner!
 
Spring migration is winding down, which means our feathered friends are ready to settle in and start raising their first clutch of young birds. As we get further into June, you will probably notice that the symphony of bird songs will decrease as birds shift their focus from attracting mates to providing resources for their hatchlings. It is quite possible that you’ll even be able to hear the squeaking of baby birds as they beg for food!
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Young House Sparrow begging for food in nest
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American Robin collecting food to bring back to nest

​Not only will parent birds stop singing as much, but they will also start gathering food. Recently, the Robins in my neighborhood have all been wandering around with big caterpillars hanging out their beaks, which is an indicator that they have nestlings to tend to! If you are patient enough, you can watch parent birds bring food back to their nests to figure out where it is. I will warn you, though, birds are clever and if they know you are watching them, they will postpone feeding the nest as long as possible.

​Observing parent birds gathering food and visiting their nests is a great nature journaling activity. It can help us to learn to sketch birds at various stages of their lives, to identify different nest structures, and to notice new behaviors and patterns. Not only do birds have unique calls and colorations, but nest structure is often different for different types of birds as well!

​Here are some local birds and what to look for when searching for their nests (taken from Clare Walker Leslie’s The Nature Connection).

​Red-Eyed Vireo: Nest hangs from a tree branch, is usually comprised of plant fibers and birch bark strips, and is lined with pine needles and spider silk.

Red-Eyed Vireos get their name from their bright red eyes, which can be easily seen on the picture to the right!


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Red-Eyed Vireo sitting on nest
Chickadees and Woodpeckers: Both birds will nest in holes in trees. Chickadees will occupy old holes, whereas woodpeckers will excavate a new nest hole.
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Black-Capped Chickadee poking head out of nesting cavity
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Woodpecker poking head out of nesting cavity

​Baltimore Oriole: These nests are woven together and will hang from the ends of tree branches. They are often made of plant fibers, string or hair. I’ve been watching a pair of nesting orioles pull the straw-like material from the lining of a hanging flower basket over the past couple of weeks. I have yet to figure out where their nest is!

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Baltimore Oriole building hanging nest
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Robin nest with distinct blue eggs
Robins: Nests are made of rootlets, pine needles, string, grass and mud! They often make their nests on porches, low trees, and even right along sidewalks.

​If you think you've found a Robin's nest, you can look inside for the bright blue eggs that they lay!

​Phoebes and Swallows: These nest are easy to identify because of how unique and gravity-defying they seem to be at times! Made of mud, these semicircular nests are caked onto the sides of buildings underneath eaves that provide additional shelter!
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A group of swallow chicks in their nest just about ready to fledge
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An Eastern Phoebe nest tucked snuggly between a pipe and a house overhang
Hawks, Ravens, Crows and Eagles: These raptors and the like will make large nests out of pretty substantial sticks. Often found toward the tops of trees.
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Adult Bald Eagle keeping watch next to nest with two juvenile eagles
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Crow sitting on nest made of sticks

​You can help some of your local bird species by providing nesting materials for them to use! Lay out supplies such as wool yarn, dryer lint or even hair from your hairbrush and see if anyone stops by to pick them up! We have a felt dog ball in the backyard that has recently been torn to shreds by some Tufted Titmice who used it for nesting material!

In your nature journal this week, see if you can identify some of the birds that might be nesting near your home, or in your favorite green spaces. You can record what behaviors they are displaying that indicate they may be nesting. If you are able to get your hands on a pair of binoculars you can track their movements to try to figure out where their nest is! You can even take note of what kind of food the parent birds are taking to their young (caterpillars, grubs, dragonflies, etc.). Make a list of what materials are used for the bird’s nest as well as any additional observations you make. Be sure to be making sketches while you watch!

Bonus Challenge: We all know that parent birds have to bring food to their nests, but can you figure out what they need to remove from nests as the nestlings grow? You can either find a nest to observe, or do some research online to learn this surprising fact about birds!

​I hope you are all able to observe some new bird activity and as always, if you find anything interesting and would like to share your recordings/observations, be sure to email them to us at education.nrt@gmail.com. Happy journaling!

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Nature Journal Notes

5/20/2020

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​Another day, another opportunity to get outside and get journaling! Over the past two weeks we’ve talked about different ways to track changes in the season and embrace the month of May! It is the perfect time of year to get outside and see what lives near and around our homes as animals and plants prepare for the summer months. Thank you to everyone who has been sharing your nature journaling journey with us, it is incredible to see all the wildlife you’ve been able to explore.

​​Below are some great examples of what community members have been observing during the exciting month of May. On the left, Janet Bednarz documents a cluster of Toad Trillium and  Ostrich Fern Fiddleheads at the NRT! This is a wonderful example of how creating a contour drawing can help to capture the shape and essence of a subject before adding details such as texture and color. On the right is a popping depiction of the different stages of blossoms from one single branch on a local shrub. Thank you for sharing!
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This week we are going to focus on something that isn’t always obvious when we step outside – the insects in our lives! It may be hard to believe, but insects are the most diverse group of animals on this planet and there are over 900,000 documented species of insects around the world. It is predicted that at any given moment, there are more than one quintillion six legged critters wandering this planet at once and for every pound of human weight that is on earth, there are 300 pounds of insect weight!

​For anyone wondering, a
quintillion looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000!
You’re probably thinking, if that were the case, wouldn’t we have to be constantly surrounded by insects? Well, we are! Because of their small size, ability to move quickly, and excellent camouflage skills, insects are tricky to spot but they really are everywhere! This week’s task is all about finding some six-legged invertebrates and getting to know them through journaling.
Some Basics
Not all of the small, scuttling macroinvertebrates wandering around are insects. There are some key characteristics that distinguish insects from other bug groups. Two of the major things you can look for when trying to identify an insect are:

1. Three major body parts as adults. Head, thorax and abdomen.

​2. Six, jointed legs, three on each side of their body.

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Bonus: All insects have an exoskeleton, but that can be difficult to tell from just looking at them!
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Try to find some small, crawly critters near you and figure out if they are in fact insects, or possibly something else!
​When it comes to journaling about insects, there are many different approaches you can take. One way to start finding insects near you is to open your ears. Many insects make distinct sounds by rubbing different parts of their bodies together. Think crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas. You can follow these sounds to try and find exactly who is making what noise. It may be helpful to have an insect guide on hand, so that you know what to look for and where these insects are most likely to be found.
Once you are ready to draw your insect, you only really have to draw half of them! Insects are bilaterally symmetrical, which means that the right side of their body and the left side of their body is exactly the same. For drawing purposes this means that you only have to focus on half of the insect while it is in front of you and then you can recreate the other half as a mirror image at your leisure. Below is a great example of the steps you can take when drawing an insect from Clare Walker-Leslie and Charles E. Roth’s Keeping A Nature Journal.
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This week, challenge yourself to go on a bug hunt (idea taken from Clare Walker Leslie’s The Nature Connection).

​What you’ll need:
  • Sketch Pad
  • Collecting Jars with holes in the lid (Tupperware works!)
  • A pond or butterfly net
  • Writing utensil/ journaling supplies
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​Head out to your backyard, or a local green space and see what you can find! Once you’ve caught your insects, you can sketch them, make note of how large they are, notice what their eyes look like, observe if they have wings or antennae, and take note of anything else you see! After you’ve gotten everything you can from them, be sure to put your insects right back where you found them.
This activity can be done without catching any insects and simply by observing them in their natural habitat – whatever works best for you!
 
Good luck finding some interesting insects and as always if you have any observations or journal entries you’d like to share with us, please email them to education.nrt@gmail.com. Happy nature journaling!
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Monarch Madness

5/14/2020

1 Comment

 
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​May is known for the number of birds that travel north for the Summer to nest, but there is another great migration taking place that people may not be aware of. The butterfly migration! Most notably is perhaps the Monarch butterfly who makes a 3000 mile journey from Mexico all the way to the Northeast U.S. and even as far as Canada.
​Differently than bird migration, the butterflies that we see in Massachusetts are not the same butterflies that started the journey in Mexico! There are about four generations of Monarchs that make the migration possible. The butterflies that start the trip will stop somewhere along the way to mate and lay their eggs on milkweed plants. After this, the adult’s journey will end, but their eggs will hatch and once the larvae has gone through complete metamorphosis, they will continue to head north. This cycle repeats until the final leg of the trip, when the butterfly has reached the northernmost point in its journey.
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Monarch butterfly egg on underside of Milkweed leaf
Although it takes many generations to make the trip north, in the Fall, it is one super generation that flies the entire 3000 mile journey south over a period of about 3 months. Unlike many insects, Monarchs are not able to overwinter in cold climates, which is one of the reasons they are thought to make this incredible journey twice throughout the year.
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Monarchs cover an oyamel fir in Mexico
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Once in Mexico, millions and millions of Monarchs huddle together in just a few mountains in the Oyamel Fir Forest. The butterflies rest grouped together in the Oyamel fir trees, also known as sacred firs. These trees create a microclimate for the pollinators so that it doesn’t get too hot or too cold while they are there from October to late March. The forest also maintains perfect humidity for these delicate macroinvertebrates allowing them to stay hydrated and not dry out. The millions of Monarchs roost together in the forest and in the evenings during their migration to trap heat and conserve energy that they need for flying long distances.
​There is not much known about why there is one super generation that seems to dramatically outlive the other generations of Monarchs, or why the butterflies make this long journey. There are, however, many ongoing scientific research projects looking at the benefits of these migrations. Some theories are that the butterflies are following their food sources or that the migration could even be a way to weed out parasites within the population!
For more information on Monarch migration check out these great resources:
  • National Geographic 
  • Journey North
  • Monarch Watch Migration and Tagging
  • Pollinator.org
  • Monarch Watch Peak Migration Times
​If you are looking to attract Monarchs to your garden this Summer, their number one food source is Milkweed! Adult Monarchs will visit a number of flowers, but they primarily lay their eggs on Milkweed plants and that is the only food source for Monarch caterpillars. For Monarch caterpillars, Milkweed is not only a great supplier of nutrients, but it also fills them with toxins. These toxins are harmless to the caterpillars but will poison anything that tries to eat them! A Monarch caterpillar’s bright colors are a warning for predators to stay away. Animals that have bright colors to indicate toxicity or venom are called aposematic.
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Monarch Caterpillar
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Common Milkweed in full bloom
Much is being done around the country to encourage the migration of Monarchs as they are one of the key pollinators in the country and serve as a key indicator as to how climate is affecting our planet. Remember when I mentioned that Monarchs huddle in the Oyamel Fir trees to maintain a very specific climate? Any increase or decrease in these temperatures will greatly impact the Monarchs' successfulness. By monitoring Monarch populations, we can start to gain an understanding of how the world is being affected by climate change. When you provide a garden habitat that is helpful for Monarchs you also encourage other pollinators to visit. Pollinators are responsible for 1/3 of the food that is put in front of us! For more ways to encourage pollinator and specifically Monarch friendly gardens check out Monarch Joint Adventure!
​In Massachusetts, we can start to expect Monarchs to show up from now until mid-June, so keep your eyes open for those bright orange beauties! If you have Milkweed in your garden, be sure to monitor the leaves for the different stages of the Monarch's lifecycle!
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Nature Journal Notes

5/13/2020

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It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through May and we haven’t even gone on an official Nature Quest! This idea is taken from Clare Walker Leslie’s book, The Nature Connection, which perfectly lays out all the best ways to embrace nature in each month. There’s a lot going on in the month May, birds are arriving for the Summer, flowers are blooming, animals are going through metamorphosis and so much more! Here are some things you can do this May to help you embrace the changing world around you (all from The Nature Connection).

1. Take a walk outdoors and imagine you lived 2,500 years ago!
  • What might have changed in 2,500 years? Would it look so different? What definitely wouldn’t be here? What would you be wearing? You can think about the different decades and centuries and how things have changed from even just 5 or 10 years ago! You may find that some things were probably still around, even hundreds of years ago.

​2. Lie under a tree for fun
  • We’ve all got a bunch of free time these days, but do we have enough tree time? Sitting under a tree and looking up is a great way to get outside and have a moment of peace and quiet all to yourself. This time of year, many trees are in full bloom and are exceptionally beautiful to observe. Try to find a tree in bloom. Sit back and listen to the bees buzzing as you watch the delicate petals give in to gravity and float to the ground.
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​3. Imagine you live in some magical place
  • An escape sounds like a great idea right about now! Give in to your imagination and create a world that is all yours. What kind of animals would there be? What would they look like? Would they act in any certain way? What kind of plants would there be? You can even describe your world and include it in your nature journal!

​4. Make a collage or mobile of your local leaf shapes
  • How many different shaped leaves can you find outside? Collect some of your favorite leaves and find a unique way to display them! You can stick them between two pieces of contact paper, or iron them in wax paper. You can even paste your leaves onto a pre-cut piece of cardboard in any shape that you can imagine! Collect sticks and twigs to create a mobile with your leaves! Keep track of all of the colors, shapes and types of leaves you find.
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​5. Learn about some of the leaves you should not pick
  • You can create a personal survival guide outlining which plants you should avoid to be safe and what they look like! Poison Ivy is a huge nuisance in our area and can cause severe reactions in some people. Figure out what you can look for to identify this pesky plant! “Leaves of three, let it be” is my favorite Poison Ivy tip – can you think of any others?
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6. Relax with a good book
  • Try to find a book that has some kind of nature or animal related theme. Some suggestions from The Nature Connection are:
    1. Redwall by Brian Jacques
    2. Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
    3. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear

​All of these activities can be recorded and documented in your nature journal!
 
Another great way to keep track of what’s going on around you through journaling is to go on a Nature Quest! This is a simple way to get you looking around and seeing what is happening in the natural world. Go for a walk and just take in your surroundings. Be sure to use all five of your senses. What do you hear? What can you see? Is there anything that jumps out at you? Think about how what you are observing holds clues to what season we are in right now!
 
One way set up your nature quest is with a guide in your journal. Pick four or five things you are hoping to find and make a checklist. Next, go outside and try to find them! Keep track of those sights, smells, and sounds happening all around you as well as anything you can feel or even taste! Make a list of other things you find that you weren’t expecting!
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​Try to go on one nature quest this week to see what’s happening in the middle of May! If you find anything unique, or want to share your journal pages, please email education.nrt@gmail.com. We always look forward to seeing what the community finds!
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Springtime Snakes

5/7/2020

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With warmer weather comes a plethora of ectothermic animals in Massachusetts that rely on the outside temperature to regulate their internal body temperatures. In the wild, ectothermic animals get heat energy from the sun. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates are the ectothermic animal groups. Birds and mammals are endothermic, which means they can produce their own body heat and maintain a constant temperature. We can find fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates throughout Massachusetts, but they become much more obvious as soon as the weather warms up.
 
One of my favorite signs of longer days and hotter afternoons is the sound of snakes slithering away as I walk various hiking trails. These legless reptiles will often make their way onto paths between forests and fields to bask in the strong midday sun. Many people find snakes to be a little bit scary, but in reality, these stealthy animals are pretty harmless, especially in Massachusetts, and should be more worried about us than we are of them.
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Snakes are often depicted in books, films and throughout history as having some kind of mystery associated with them. The serpent is one of the oldest and most widespread symbols in mythology and perhaps one of the most well-known symbols is that of the serpent eating its own tail in ouroboros. The first documented depiction of ouroboros spans all the way back to the 13th century BC, where this image was portrayed on the tomb of King Tut. It’s clear that the snake, or serpent, has left humans fascinated for hundreds of years, but what is it that makes them so intriguing?
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Snakes are fairly elusive during the day and many of them are even nocturnal, meaning that they only come out at night. Because they are difficult to see and wonderful escape artists, they aren’t the first animal that comes to mind when we think of Massachusetts. Surprisingly, there are actually a total of 14 species of snakes that can be found throughout the state!

What is it about snakes?


​Where are their legs?!

The first thing we notice about snakes is that they have no legs, but up until 150 million years ago, snakes actually did have legs! Some snakes even have a pair of vestigial legs that appear as tiny bumps on the animal’s pelvis. A vestigial feature is a trait that an animal has that no longer serves a function. Many times, the bone structure of animals will reveal vestigial features that can be clues to what these animals used to look like and how they evolved over time. By looking at gene expression in snakes and vestigial appendages, scientists can start to understand how they lost their legs over time.

When an animal group evolves, one reason can be because individuals with specific traits are more successful and better able to survive. Can you think of how not having legs could help a snake's survival in the wild? What are some things that they may be able to do more easily because they don't have legs? What could be a disadvantage of not having legs?
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Why are there so many deflated snakes on the ground?!

Another intriguing thing about snakes, and all reptiles, is that they never actually stop growing! Each snake species has an average size that they reach at maturity, but they will never truly stop increasing in size. The rate at which they grow dramatically decreases once they reach maturity, but as long as they can continue to eat, they will continue to grow. We can see this happen when snakes shed, which is just another very cool and slightly mysterious thing that snakes do. Interestingly enough, all animals (even humans!) shed throughout their lives, we just don’t do it all at once like the snake. Unlike humans and other animals, a snake's skin will stretch, but cannot grow with the snake. When the snake skin is no longer able to stretch with the snake, it will become a shed and the snake will wriggle its way out. Many of us have come across snake skins in the wild and they can be a little bit unsettling if you aren’t sure what they are. The more a snake eats, the more it will shed, but on average, snakes shed about 2-3 times per years. Perhaps the ability to completely shed their skin and “transform” many times throughout their lives is just another reason that humans have been so fascinated by snakes throughout history.

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Some people think of snake sheds to be similar to that of an insect's exoskeleton, which is a hard external covering of invertebrates that gives them protection and structure because they have no bones. A snake shed and an exoskeleton casing look very similar, but snakes actually have many, many bones! A snake can have anywhere between 200-400 vertebrae, or backbones, and two ribs attached to each of those. For comparison, adult humans have 206 bones in their bodies.
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​How can they fit so much inside their mouths??

One other thing that may come to mind when you think of snakes is their ability to stretch their mouths open extremely wide! Snakes are not able to chew their food, so they have to swallow everything they eat whole. When we look at a snake's jaw, the muscle and ligament composition is very different than that of a human, or an animal that chews its food. The tendons in a snake's jaw are meant for flexibility and elasticity, whereas animals that chew their food have strong muscles for chomping.

A common misconception about snakes is that they dislocate their jaws to swallow their food whole, but in reality they don't have anything to dislocate! As mentioned before, snake jaws are built very differently that human jaws and they are naturally extremely stretchy. That being said, you can watch snakes rub the bottom of their jaws along rocks after eating large meals to make sure their jaws are aligned properly. 
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There's so much more!

There are a lot of extremely unique adaptations that snakes have, from their coloration all the way to their individual behaviors. There just isn't enough blog space in the world to talk about all of it! Some great resources for looking up snake facts, both locally and worldwide are:

- Mass Audubon's Snakes of Massachusetts

- National Geographic Snake Facts
- Live Science Snake Facts

Snakes can be tricky to spot in the wild, and I often notice them after I've scared them away, but if you keep your eyes and ears open, you may just be able to spot one on your next walk. They love basking in the midday sun to get energy and they are great at camouflaging with their surroundings. Next time you go for a walk on a sunny day, take time to watch the ground near and around where your stepping for any movement!
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Nature Journal Notes

5/6/2020

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Last entry was all about birds, and we received some awesome examples from community members who were able to capture the essence these fast, feathery creatures! Thank you! It feels like within the last two weeks the local bird activity has increased dramatically. It’s hard to know if this is because I was journaling about them so they seemed more abundant, or if there are more birds around, or a little bit of both. Either way, it has been such a joy to watch them and try to learn more about their unique behaviors and lifestyles.
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As we talked about last week, one way to hone in our observation skills is to focus on something very specific. Last week it was birds, and the idea was to start with something like a photograph and then move on to trying to capture them in the natural world. Another way to focus our observational skills is to create journal entries around the various seasons. Seasonal changes can be a really helpful reference, especially when looking at the phenology of an area. Phenology is a branch of science that studies the relationship between climate and periodic animal and plant lifecycles such as budding, migrating, and blooming. Nature journals are an incredible tool for looking at when these major seasonal changes begin to happen over a long period of time.
 
There are a couple of different ways you can cater your journaling to fit a specific season, so I will go through a few of them. Everything I talk about will be taken from either The Nature Connection by Clare Walker Leslie or Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth, both are exceptional resources if you are looking to learn more about nature journaling!
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Each year, especially in Massachusetts, we can count on a fairly dramatic changes in weather, landscape and wildlife activity with each new season. Lucky for us, this means we all have a pretty great base understanding of what to expect during the different times of the year. We are in the height of Spring at the moment, so I will be focusing on springtime phenomena, but a lot of these activities can be done during any time of the year! As a reminder, when you are in the field, be sure to record time, temperature, cloud coverage, weather, and any other details you think may help you when looking back through your data.
 
Springtime in New England is known for being a damp season filled with showers, as we have definitely been experiencing over the last couple of weeks. With an abundance of fresh hydration, comes some really incredible opportunities for nature! This is when our amphibian friends thrive in vernal pools, our decomposers do some of their best work, and our plants are finally energized enough to start sprouting out of the ground! Here is a list of things you can do in the Spring to try and capture some of these incredible changes:

  • Grab some rain boots and explore a pond, stream, or vernal pool for new activity! You can bring some kind of collection tool, i.e. a net, Tupperware, or jar, and scoop up what you are finding. This makes specimens easy to observe and allows you to return them safely home when you are done.
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  • Flip over some logs! With moist weather, comes the perfect opportunity for amphibians to become more active as well as many insects and decomposers! Salamanders, frogs, and insects alike find shelter under damp logs and leaf litter.
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  • Look for new shoots! Some plants are already in full bloom and others are just beginning to sprout up from the earth. Grab your journaling supplies and sketch what new life you are beginning to see.
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  • Start a collection! Find some nature related objects that remind you of Springtime! You can bring your findings inside, sketch them, and put them on display. Label your objects so that other people know what they are.
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​Another great way to make observations in the Springtime is to focus on a specific branch, plant, or small area and draw it every other day. You’ll find that a lot changes in just a short period of time. You may start by sketching a budding branch and in just a couple of days have a limb completely covered in flowers! By revisiting the same vegetation, you can document when budding begins and how long it takes for a bud to turn into a flower, or for leaves to begin to unfurl. All of this is great information when looking at phenology.
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Not only are nature journals perfect for observing the natural world, but they are also a way for us to become more connected with our surroundings. Human input is an important part of the journaling process and your reflections and feelings help to make stronger connections with the natural world. Springtime is known for rebirth and growth and it’s also a great time to check-in with yourself. Take some time while journaling to reflect on your own feelings and how Springtime makes you feel. Take in the colors, fresh air, new signs of life, and animals noises. What does this mean to you? You can draw or write down what the longer days and changing environment symbolize for you in your journal.

For next week, I challenge you to document some of the change that is going on around you. You can do this by looking for signs of Spring that you know are happening, or by observing one specific piece of nature and revisiting every day or every other day to see how it evolves. I also challenge you to make some personal connections to what Springtime has to offer and check-in with yourself in the coming week. As always, if you would like to share some of your journaling efforts or have any suggestions for our community, feel free to email education.nrt@gmail.com. Until next time!
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