by Rich Leighton | Jun 7, 2021 | Interesting Nature Facts, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Nature Photography, Pacific Northwest
Five very interesting things about moss: 1. Moss was the first plant on earth. 2. Moss don’t have roots, but rather thread-like rhizoids that help them stay snugly anchored in place. 3. While most mosses love wet habitats, some can be found in deserts and even growing...
by Rich Leighton | Jun 2, 2021 | Insects, Interesting Nature Facts, Invertebrates, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife
While tachinid flies at first might look like large housefly, they have a very different lifestyle. These large spiky flies enjoy a plant-based diet, feeding on nectar from flowers and other botanical treats. But when it comes to laying eggs, it gets much darker and...
by Rich Leighton | May 28, 2021 | Crustaceans, Interesting Nature Facts, Marine Invertebrates, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Pacific Northwest
Did you know that barnacles are a type of stationary crustacean? Barnacles are in the same family as shrimp, crabs and lobsters and like most crustaceans, they are omnivorous predators that eat whatever they can catch with their modified “feeler” feet (called cirri)...
by Rich Leighton | May 23, 2021 | Herps, Interesting Nature Facts, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Reptiles, Snakes
Most people know garter snakes as common and mostly harmless, but they are in fact mildly venomous. These beautiful snakes are what is known as rear-fanged, meaning they have enlarged back teeth connected to what is called the Duvernoy’s gland that they use to help...
by Rich Leighton | May 18, 2021 | Food, Foraging, Fruits & Berries, Interesting Nature Facts, Natural History
Blackberries are one of the most delicious wild berries you can find on almost any continent and belong to the rose family, Rosaceae (notice all those thorns?). Did you know that what we call the blackberry isn’t actually a berry though? It’s technically an aggregate...
by Rich Leighton | May 13, 2021 | Amphibians, Herps, Interesting Nature Facts, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Nature Photography
The word salamander comes from the Greek word for fire lizard. While not a lizard or a reptile, salamanders are amphibians and related to frogs, are nocturnal and have been around since at least 40 million years before the first dinosaur! While these amazing animals...
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