Texas Brown Tarantula

Texas Brown Tarantula, Aphonopelma sp.

The tarantula of the family Theraphosidae is the heaviest spider by weight, but there have been no direct fatalities for this family of spiders. While containing sizable fangs, their main attack is through irritating, urticating hairs which are dislodged at the attacker. As they are easily kept in captivity, and are rather docile, tarantulas are becoming increasingly popular in the pet trade.

Eyes of the Texas Brown Tarantula

Texas brown tarantulas start migrating in late spring through mid-summer. During this time, males wander to find the females who stay in their den. Although they have eight eyes, they are all clustered together. Rather than be used to see distances, the eyes mainly help detect the difference between light and dark. Tarantulas are much more tactile using touch and chemical cues to move around. It is in part for this reason that, especially during migration, you may see many tarantulas, and they may not move out of the way.

My photo above was recently used alongside an intriguing story about a wayward tarantula in Nature in a New York Minute by Kelly Rypkema. I highly suggest you not only read the story, but explore the site as well for more information on wildlife in city of New York!

Relating to last week's post, hummingbird week has been postponed until next week!

Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus

The Eastern Chipmunk can be found inhabiting temperate forests throughout most of eastern North America up through southeastern Canada. While they prefer open forests, they are not an uncommon sight near rural or suburban homes. Living in shallow burrows, they do not leave dirt near the entrances like many other Sciurids, but carry the dirt away and conceal it with leaves and rocks. This helps prevent predators from finding their burrow which can extend over 30 feet in length. During the cold winter months, this species of chipmunk does not hibernate, but rather enters torpor for a few days at a time. Torpor is one of three major classifications of dormancy in mammals with torpor as a shorter duration and differing rates of body temperature and metabolic rate than estivation and hibernation.

Photography credit to my brother once more.

Adirondacks Mountains III

Sunset on a river of the Adirondacks Mountains

The Adirondacks Mountains are a beautiful combination of protected mountains, forests, rivers, and lake. The name comes from an Iroquois word meaning "eater of tree bark", a term from the neighboring Algonquin tribe used in a derisive manner. The area is covered with pine forests, spruce, hemlock, and hardwoods. It is a known portion of bear country, with black bear and white-tailed deer as the two largest species of wildlife found in the region.

As mentioned earlier, credit for the photos of the Adirondacks this year go mainly to my brother.

Eastern American Toad

Eastern American Toad, Bufo a. americanus

The Eastern American Toad lives in wide variety of habitats from wetlands to forests, to lawns and fields. Unlike some other Anura, this species does live near permanent or ephemeral ponds. This particular species is easily confused for the Fowler's Toad, but can be distinguished by the spots on its belly and the number of warts per spot on its back. Compared to other "toads", the Eastern American Toad is within the family Bufonidae, known as the true toads family, in that all members of this family have gained the common name of toad. While the word toad is often used as a description for any member of the order Anura that is rough skinned and terrestrial, they are not all, in fact, toads, nor are toads recognized as a separate classification. 

Another thank you to my brother for capturing this beauty. He blends in well with the autumn leaves!

North American Beaver

Tree cut by North American Beaver, Castor canadensis

The North American Beaver attacks woody plants not just for building material, but also as a source of food. In terms of preference, there is significance to the diameter of the tree and the type of tree, but not the distance of the tree from the lodge. The selection of the tree, and the location of the tree relative to slop and position, all play a role in decision of which trees to fell, and what pattern of cutting to use. While it various per region, there is an overall preference for deciduous trees such as aspen, willow, birch, and maple. As such, the trees felled by the beaver can alter the composition and structure of the habitat they live in. The dams built by the beavers may also dramatically change both the geology and hydrology of a region.

A great comment was made by Harmon Everett on my last post about the impact beavers had on North American History. I highly suggest you take a look over on Google+!

North American Beaver

Dam of North American Beaver(s), Castor canadensis

The North American Beaver is a highly abundant, nocturnal rodent known for removing trees and making dams. In the north they live in a lodge made from sticks, grass, moss, and mud, while in the south they can often be found burrowing into cut water banks. Of the lodges built, there are three different types including those built on islands, those on lake shores, and those on the banks of ponds. If the water is fast, the dam will contain a curve to provide stability, but if the water is slow, the dam will be built straight.

A special thanks to my brother, who took pictures while in the Adirondacks Mountains this year, using my camera, that I didn't even remember having with me. For the next week or so, the other photos related to the mountains will most likely be his.

Mammatus Clouds

Mammatus cloud formation at the passing of a storm,

Characterized as rounded, sagging, pouch-like structures, mammatus clouds are a rare formation created by sinking air on the underside of cumulonimbus clouds. They are not, in fact, a sign of a tornado, but rather an indication that the worse of the weakening storm has passed.

The drooping structures are formed from precipitation particles occurring in high concentration due to momentum loss. The updraft that carries the precipitation enriched air loses that upward momentum causing the air to start spreading horizontally. The heavily saturated air sinks below the lighter surrounding air. Temperature increase as the subsiding air descends evaporating precipitation particles; however, more energy is required for evaporation than subsidence produces resulting in the sinking air being cooler than its surroundings.

Mammatus clouds will dissolve in time, but the lifespan depends on the contents. If the sinking air contains snow crystals or large drops of precipitation, greater energy for evaporation is needed resulting in long lived clouds.

More of my photos of this phenomenon can be found here showing the progression of formation.

Adirondacks Mountains II

Autumn in the Adirondacks.

For today, just another scenic shot of the Adirondacks Mountains from my trip last fall.

Adirondacks Mountains

Autumn in the Adirondacks

Approximately six million acres, the Adirondacks Mountains region of New York is a combination of forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains. The region is an unconnected range formed by the movement of glaciers over millennia. The rocks are old, but the domes are considered new ranging between 1,000ft and 5,000ft at peak. The southernmost part of the taiga, also referred to as boreal forest, is found within the range. As an established park as of 1892, it is one of the largest areas of wilderness protected in the eastern United States. The area offers a large range of recreational activities from camping, to fishing, to skiing, and hiking among other options.