A strange creature indeed.

One of the benefits of doing this quest for 1,000 species has been my discovery of many creatures that I have never noticed before.   A classic example of this was a Pseudoscorpion.  A co-worker captured this member of Arachnida in his house and delivered it to me alive.  The largest of these tiny creatures only reach about one-quarter of an inch in length and have a flattened pear-shaped body.  They lack a stinger like that of a true scorpion and have 8 walking legs, plus 2 very long arms ending in pincers, much like the pincers of true scorpion.  Some species even lack eyes.  They are usually found in leaf litter, behind bark or under rocks, and occasionally within houses where they sometimes arrive having hitched rides on houseflies and other flying insects.  Some species live with mammals and birds, feeding on their lice and other parasites, and are often found in chicken houses where they feed on the lice.  They prey on a number of small insects, mites and larvae, which is why they sometimes survive in human homes where they eat booklice, clothes moths, dust mites and ants.  There is a tiny venom gland in their pincers that is used to subdue their tiny prey, but they are harmless to humans as they are simply too small to bite us. 

Depending on species, Pseudoscorpions can live for several years.  Because they are harmless to humans and eat many small pests, they are considered beneficial to humans.

Large and in Charge

Autumn is a great time for insects and spiders.  The nights and days are still warm enough to find new species, which most of which are mature and large.

A Giant Walkingstick that was captured by Brad and Kendra Ikenberry in Lawrence, Kansas.

This very large Golden Garden Spider is a common sight this time of year in Kansas.

This Obscure Bird Grasshopper was almost 3 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone and the Tetons

I just returned from a trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  The waterfalls, geysers and mountains were beyond belief.  The mammals and birds were diverse and amazing.  The trip also included drives through rural Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Grizzly bears and river otters eluded me, but most other expected mountain mammal species were observed.  New bird species included most of the usual western mountain species, with the biggest surprise being a pair of Harlequin Ducks.  

An American Black Bear being too busy ripping grubs from a rotting log to look up for the picture.

This is an American Dipper standing on a rock in the middle of a Yellowstone stream.

Luck was on our side as we arrived at this location just in time to see Bison crossing a river in Yellowstone.

Here is a young Common Raven standing along a road in the park.

This is a view of the Grand Teton Mountains on one foggy morning.

Canada Canoe Trip

I just returned from a canoe trip to Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.  You have to ask yourself, why anyone would want to spend a week living in a tent, putting on the same basic clothes every day, in a place filled with mosquitos and leeches, with the possibility of encountering bears, moose, and wolves.  The answer is the awesome beauty and unspoiled wilderness, the extremely quiet nights, and the great company.

Some of the best memories were:  the unbelievably quiet nights except for the occasional calling of Common Loons, the breeze rustling the birch leaves, and waves licking the rocky shore; picking wild blueberries and putting them in your pancakes the following morning; and eating Walleye caught from the lake and in the frying pan in less than two hours.

One afternoon, a porcupine wandered into camp and swam across the lake.  Another evening you could hear the calls of Gray Wolves somewhere across the lakes.  Overall, wildlife was sparse due to the immense expanse of thick wilderness – too much space and cover to hide in.  I did manage to see or hear approximately 50 new species on the trip.

Many thanks to Bill and Diana Carriger, and Diana Busey for organizing the trip and letting me borrow their equipment.

A family of Common Loons cruising by our campsite.

This is a timid Eastern Chipmunk that wandered into camp.

Here is a Green Frog. The call of this species sounds like a loose banjo string

This is one of several Red Crossbills that frequently visited our camping sites.

 

Summer Herp Field Trip

I attended the summer Kansas Herpetological Society field trip to Morton County, Kansas this last week-end.  The event also had trips to Black Mesa State Park, Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico.  I learned a great deal about amphibians and reptiles, and also witnessed how tenacious herpetologists can be.  They are very dedicated to their trade, fearlessly wading through murky pond water and deep mud to set turtle traps, and driving remote country roads into the wee hours of the morning, not returning to camp until 4 AM.  I was able to add 13 new herp species.  I also added some new insect, mammal and bird species on the trip, bringing my year total to 722.

This is a Green Toad and Red-spotted Toad caught on rural roads in New Mexico.

Here are members of the group attacking a small pond to capture new species.   Over 100 Barred Tiger Salamanders were caught in the pond.

This is one of several Texas Horned Lizards found on the trip.

A Longnose Snake captured in Morton County, Kansas

 

 

 

 

Snakes, Spiders and Bats, oh my…

It appears that many of the creatures I seek this year are the sources of common human phobias.  While sometimes scary, these species generally perform an important role in our environment.  So, if they could speak, they would say “don’t hate because I’m scary, but be very glad that I am not bigger than you.”   The July heat and humidity has really brought out the insects.  I am now up to 620 species for the year.

While walking on our morning break from work, we found this Eastern Red Bat on the sidewalk west of the Topeka State Capitol building.  With a little gentle prodding, it flew into a nearby tree.  Photo by Tom Sparling with his smartphone.

This Nurseryweb Spider was found in my yard and was about the size of a quarter.

 

Janeen Walters and I found this small Brown Snake (not a very creative name) hiding under a log in her yard.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The insect world, much like the HBO series called the Game of Thrones, is comprised of villains, heroes, and unpleasant creatures.  Stopping to notice and identify these small denizens of our backyards has really opened my eyes to the diversity and complexity of their world.  All three of the following specimens were found and photographed in my yard.

Everyone loves butterflies so how could this Great Spangled Fritillary not be the good.

Japanese Beetles were accidently introduced to this country in 1916 and have been a nuisance to gardeners ever since.   They feed on nearly 300 different species of domestic plants; a big-time nominee for the bad.

 Most people would consider the Wheel Bug to be the ugly, even though it does feed exclusively on other insects.  Also, it also can deliver a painful sting if handled carelessly.