Katydids – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies The lifespan of a katydid is about a year This wild desert creature is called a Katydid. These grasshopper looking insects can grow to five inches in length. They are generally green, and have long hind legs and long antennae. Their antennae can actually be longer than their body. Katydids are a challenging […]
Black Skimmer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern It takes less than a month for a black skimmer to learn to fly! This is what it looks like inside a flock of black skimmers. Let’s unpack what we are looking at. This seabird is mostly black, with a white head. It has a unique beak. The base of the […]
American White Pelican – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The beak of American white pelicans can be as long as 15 inches! American white pelicans can grow to be over five feet in length! Part of that length is their beak, which can grow to be fifteen inches long! Adult wingspans can approach ten feet. These birds typically […]
American Oystercatcher – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The orbital ring of an oystercatcher is orange-red This exotic looking bird is called an American oystercatcher, and it can be found in North, Central, and South America. This bird has a distinctive large orange beak that is used to access and consume shellfish. Obviously, oystercatchers catch oysters, but […]
SOUTHERN STARGAZER – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Stargazers cover themselves in the sand This eyeball belongs to a rarely seen creature called a stargazer. There is a northern stargazer and a southern stargazer. Both look about the same, and the only way you can really tell the difference is the tail of the stargazer, as well […]
Most blow flies live in temperate to tropical regions. The larvae of blow flies are used for a medical treatment called “maggot therapy”. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) uses laboratory raised fly larvae to treat stasis ulcers, postsurgical wounds, pressure clots, and diabetic foot wounds. The larvae eat only the dead tissue, which improves the healing potential of […]
MANTIS SHRIMP – IUCN Conservation Status: Varied The mantis shrimp has one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom This creature is thought to have the most complex visual system in the animal kingdom. How can we break down such a complicated biological system? Let’s start by talking about photoreceptor cells. These cells are used […]
The White Mountain National Forest covers almost 800,000 acres! This month Wild Boyz Photography’s theme is “landscapes”. This landscape is from the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. This vast forest encompasses almost 800,000 acres! Most of that is in New Hampshire, but the White Mountains continue on into western Maine. The White Mountains cover roughly ¼ of […]
This slot canyon hike is located in the southern California desert This might be one of the best “short” hikes out there. It is only a 0.8-mile hike. You can hike the trail in 15 minutes, but you won’t want to. There are too many amazing views. Besides being a short hike, this is also a relatively easy hike, […]
Table Rock is in Grafton Notch State Park This wild landscape photo is from Grafton Notch State Park is western Maine. This is a 3,000-acre wilderness that is beautiful any time of year, but especially in the fall. This photo was taken this October, during the peak of fall foliage. DONATE Grafton Notch is known to have […]