Yearly Archives: 2013

Ohio Haircap Moss

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Though the forest is mostly brown these days, there are a few spots where green can be seen, like on patches of Ohio Haircap Moss. It is found on soil, logs and rocks in hardwood forests of Eastern North America, New Mexico and Europe.

Mosses have no vascular system, which is a network of tubes that transport water and nutrients. Plants without vascular systems cannot grow very large. These are actually “carpets” of individual plants. They are rarely taller than one inch high.

Another characteristic of mosses is that they require water to reproduce, rather than having a flower, like most plants. Mosses are primitive plants and like their ancestors, they are aways found in moist situations. They colonized on land almost half a billion years ago.

The leaves have a unique adaptation that allows them to better withstand dry conditions. Under moist conditions, leaves spread away from the stem and permit a maximum use of light when moisture is adequate.

However, under dry conditions, the leaves curve and twist around the stem. This behavior minimizes water loss. The central stems form tough, pliable strands that “back in the day” were used to make small brushes.

Never underestimate the power of moss. Recent research indicates the the arrival of the first land plants triggered a series of ice ages, by cooling the Earth’s climate due to reducing the atmospheric carbon levels.

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European Sowbug

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Even in the Winter if it is not too cold out, by heading out into the woods and turning a few logs, you can find European Sowbugs. Though the high temperatures have only been in the 30s for the last few days, there were plenty of these interesting creatures to be found.

Despite the “bug” in its name, the sowbug is actually a terrestrial crustacean and is more closely related to lobsters, shrimp and crayfish than insects. This is not a native species, although it is found throughout much of North America; it was introduced from Europe.

Sowbugs love dark, damp places and are commonly found in yards under wood or rocks. Compost heaps are another great retreat for this animal. They also often crawl through spaces in the foundation or through gaps around basement windows and end up in the basement where they can survive quite well if the basement is unfinished.

They feed primarily on dead plant and animal matter, including rotting wood. Sowbugs are considered beneficial because they are effective decomposers.

The European Sowbug has a smooth texture and has a wide, flat, oval-like shape. When disturbed it tends to freeze before moving off. They cannot “roll up” like their relative, the Pillbug.

Like a kangaroo, female sowbugs have a pouch called a marsupium, in which the eggs are incubated until they hatch. The young leave the pouch and typically molt soon after. It may take a number of months to mature and the mother sowbug will often stay close to her young until they are adults.

In some parts of the world, it is believed that eating sowbugs can help ease an upset stomach. Although not proven, this might be true, because sowbug shells are high in calcium carbonate. Sowbugs have the amazing ability to store very high concentrations of metals in the pancreas. This trait has been used by scientists to study metal contamination of various environments.

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Wood Frog

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What’s the toughest frog in the land? My vote goes to the Wood Frog. It is the only frog found north of the Arctic Circle.

As the temperature drops below freezing each winter, the Wood Frog drifts into a deep hibernation; its breathing and heartbeat grind to a halt, and as much as 65% of the water in its body gradually crystallizes into ice. How’s that for tough?

Earlier this week we had a day with temperatures in the 50s and constant rain. During the night Wood Frogs migrated over to their breeding ponds. The male frogs call day and night in a duck-like, raucous quacking chorus.

The days following the migration have been cold, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. The frogs have not been calling and stay hidden, awaiting higher temperatures.

I found this cold, dark example today under a log near the pond. It appeared to be in a trance and hardly moved, but it will be ready for action once it gets a bit warmer.

After laying eggs, Wood Frogs leave the pools of water to spend the rest of the year in wooded areas, often quite some distance from standing water. They blend in well with fallen forest leaves.

The Wood Frog grows to about three inches long. Its color ranges from pinkish-orange to tan to dark brown. It is easily recognized by its dark “robber’s mask.” It’s ability to withstand cold make for a pretty awesome amphibian.

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Virginia Opossum

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As I approached this thicket of bamboo, I saw a creature run for cover into the brush – so I followed it.

The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial (pouched mammal) found in North America. It quickly ascended a tree. They are active at night (this was the first wild one I’ve ever seen in the daytime) and they do not hibernate in winter.

These animals are most famous for “playing possum.” When threatened by a dog, fox, or bobcat, an opossum will sometimes flop onto its side and lie on the ground with its eyes closed or staring fixedly into space. It will extend its tongue and generally appear to be dead.

An adult Virginia Opossum is about the same size as a house cat, but with much shorter legs. These animals have long, pointed noses, round, hairless ears and a chunky body. Opossums are excellent tree climbers and spend much of their time aloft. They are aided in this by sharp claws, which dig into bark, and by a long semi-prehensile (gripping) tail.

They are considered a primitive mammal have a small brain and many teeth (about 50). The Virginia Opossums is are one the shortest-lived mammals for their size – they rarely live longer than 18 months.

Opossums eat insects, snails, rodents, berries, over-ripe fruit, grasses, leaves, and carrion; occasionally they will eat birds, snakes, eggs, corn or other vegetables.

At birth the young opossums are tiny; they are so small that 20 could fit into a teaspoon. Each one crawls to its mother’s pouch. After two months, the young are ready to leave the pouch for increasing lengths of time. They follow their mother on her food-gathering trips, occasionally riding on her back. After another month, the young are independent.

The opossum has been around for at least 70 million years and is one of Earth’s oldest surviving mammals. Despite a rapidly changing world, it manages to survive in modern times. Not only is it surviving, but this “old school” animal’s range has been expanding steadily northward into Canada.

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Black-capped Chickadee

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Black-capped Chickadees are one of the most easily recognized birds in Northern Ohio. Their inquisitive behavior and friendly demeanor make them a regular visitor to birdfeeders.

They are small, with a solid black “cap” and “bib.” Males and females look alike. Their vocalizations are of one of the most complex in the animal kingdom.

Depending on slight variations in the phrases, their call can convey separate, unique messages: in addition to acting as a contact call or as an alarm call, chickadees also use their voice to relay information about an individual’s identity or to indicate that they recognize a particular flock.

These birds spend most of their day searching for food. They move along stems and branches of trees and shrubs, searching crevices for insects. In Winter, insect and spider eggs make up half their diet while seeds, berries and other plant matter account for the other half.

When food is plentiful, Black-capped Chickadees store it away. They stash food under bark or in patches of lichen. A single chickadee may stockpile hundreds of food items in a day, placing each item in a different spot. Not only can they remember thousands of their food hiding places, but they can also remember where they have hidden their stored foods for up to a month.

On cold winter nights, Black-capped Chickadees conserve energy by lowering their body temperature by 10 to 15 degrees F.  While this may seem counterproductive, “nocturnal hypothermia” probably reduces energy expenditure by as much as ten percent.

A compact, cheerfully sociable bird, the energetic Black-capped Chickadee does not migrate – allowing us to enjoy it all year long.

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Greenshield Lichen

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A lichen is special, because it is not one organism, but two. It is a complicated relationship between a fungus and an alga.

The alga provides nutrients through photosynthesis, while the fungus (which the alga lives inside of) protects the alga from the elements. The result is a new organism distinctly different from its component species.

Lichens are also fascinating because of the diversity of their shapes and colors. They often occupy niches that, at least sometime during the season, are so dry or hot that nothing else can live there. I sometimes see yellow lichens on rocks in the desert, like this one found on Mount Charleston (NV) a couple of years ago.

The successful alliance between a fungus and an alga allows each to do what it does best and thrive as a result of a natural cooperation. Greenshield Lichens are usually greenish-gray. They look a lot like tiny leaves.

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Greenshield Lichens live on tree trunks and rocks, preferring shady, damp places – look for them in the woods. Lichens do not damage trees, but over time, a colony of lichens can break down rocks and put nutrients back into the soil.

Lichens are very sensitive to pollution and are an indicator of air quality. Got lichens? Then you’re breathing clean air!

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Brook Stickleback

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Today I encountered a fish that I’ve never seen “in person” before, but I knew exactly what it was. This species is easily identified by the four to six spikes on its back.

The Brook Stickleback has a pugnacious attitude. It aggressively defends its small territory from other fish. Despite its toughness, it is small and only grows to about two inches.

Its unique dorsal fin composed of an average of 5 short, isolated, backswept spines – followed by a more typical-looking back fin. This feature makes it distinguishable from all other Ohio fish.

In Northeast Ohio they can be found in small streams. They prefer cold, clear water with submerged vegetation. Sticklebacks eat tiny aquatic insects and crustaceans. They help control mosquitoes by eating the insect’s larvae.

The Brook Stickleback is a nest building species. Males have the ability to produce mucous from their kidneys, which they use to bind together a nest made out of bits of vegetation.

This fish is proof positive that very cool creatures sometimes come in rather small packages.

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American Beaver

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The beaver is North America’s largest rodent – it can weigh up to 65 pounds. It is often cited as one of the prime forces motivating exploration and European settlement of the United States and Canada, due to the value of its fur.

Unregulated hunting resulted in a drastic drop in beaver numbers; by 1830, there were none left in Ohio. Wildlife management practices were instrumental and effective in allowing the beaver to return to Ohio and establish a thriving population today.

The beaver has dark chestnut-brown fur, a large, flat, scaled tail and webbed hind feet. It has several special adaptations that are not visible, like valves in its nose and ears that close when it swims. It also has oversized lungs that allow it to retain enough oxygen to stay underwater for 10 to 15 minutes.

The beaver’s behavior is among the most unique and interesting in the animal world. American Beavers alter the existing habitat to suit their needs. Once a beaver has located an ideal habitat, it proceeds to construct an elaborate and effective dam.

Behind the dam, the beavers build an intricate domed lodge made of twigs, logs, and mud, that has at least two underwater entrances. American Beavers live in extended family colonies. This grouping is usually made up of an adult male and female and four or five of their offspring.

They like to eat the bark of aspen, willow, birch and maple trees. Beavers also enjoy the roots of aquatic plants, especially pond lilies. They tend to be most active in the evening and at night. Like all rodents, they need to gnaw to keep their ever-growing front teeth worn down. I could hear this one chewing from where I was standing.

Their broad, flat tail is used to navigate through and under the water. It also functions as a warning device to other beavers. A loud slap of the tail on the water’s surface is an alarm, telling of some type of disturbance or danger in the immediate area.

Beavers don’t just live off the land — they modify it to fit their needs. Only humans change the landscape more. A beaver’s hard work creates valuable wetlands which provides habitat for themselves as well as other wildlife.

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Skunk Cabbage Melting Ice

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Skunk Cabbage brings a whole new meaning to the words “power plant.” This ice was thick enough for me to walk on today, yet these spikes had pushed right through it. This plant’s ability to generate heat enables it to grow and flower while snow is still on the ground – even though the plant is not frost-resistant – because frost never touches it.

There are only a few thermogenic (heat generating) plants in the world and in late Winter Skunk Cabbage can produce enough heat to stay between 60 and 95 degrees above the air temperature.

Instead of producing a colorful flower to attract insects, cold-tolerant bees and flies are drawn to the plant’s carcass-like smell. Heat causes the smell to travel farther than normal and once they arrive, pollinating insects have a place to warm up.

That purplish spike serves as a bud that holds and protects the flower when it emerges out of the ground.

To me, Skunk Cabbage is the first sign of Spring around here, so seeing this unique, yet smelly plant is a welcome sight.

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Pileated Woodpecker

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Sometimes the best way to find cool wildlife is not by watching, but rather by listening. As I walked through the woods, I heard a noise that got my attention. The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent.

Males can be differentiated from females by their red “mustache” and red crest extending from the forehead, rather than starting at the crown of the head.

This crow-sized bird is quite secretive and more often seen than heard. Its call is often described as a maniacal jungle animal sound, somewhat like a monkey.

Pileated Woodpeckers excavate holes in trees for food storage and nests. The cavities are also utilized by other animals, such as ducks, owls, snakes and squirrels. Unlike  the cavities created by other woodpeckers, the holes they create are rectangular, rather than circular in shape.

Pileated Woodpeckers stay with the same mate for life. Pairs of these birds establish forest territories of 150 acres or larger in woodlands where many large trees are present. They drum on trees with their beaks to attract mates and to announce the boundaries of their territories.

This one is using its powerful, chisel-like beak to pry off tree bark in search of its main food, Carpenter Ants. It uses its long, sticky tongue to poke into holes and drag out the ants. They also eat wood-boring beetles, as well as wild fruits and nuts.

Seeing one of these birds is always a noteworthy experience. I have a pair that live in my neighborhood and sometimes they visit my backyard.

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