8 The "Flying Deer", as we call them here (Lucanus cervus) is without a doubt the most spectacular insect in our land. The male which is the one that can have remarkable 8cm antler-shaped mandibles. Sadly it has not been going well for this insect here. There is an organization (E.I.S.) that is collecting info about it's range in order to protect it somehow. The Stag Beetle likes consuming the sap from wounds on oak trees. That is the best place to look for them. You are right, Syd--there ought to be plenty, but with hiking and gardening...I just do not come across them. Nice foto BTW.
ONE - 1 - large garter snake hanging about my zucchini today! I don't mind them just startled me when it moved.
Hi sjoerd. Most of these sort of creatures are on the wary side and for sure they hear us long before we get a glimpse of them - and away they go. Theres probably more about than it seems. Just a comment this - there is so much less generally about in wildlife today than there was. Going back to when fields were smaller and mostly with a hedge round them far more birds about. Before intensive farming more or less anywhere these fields sloped down to a low area would be a pond teeming with all manner of creatures - water would be unpolluted - Fish Frogs Newts Grass Snakes Slow Worms etc - would likely also have its "resident" Moorhens. Same thing applied/applies to the wild flowers - many more about then. Syd.
65 Pelicans have, without a doubt the largest bill of all the birds with a length of 65 cm. The flexible mandible is used as a scoop net to scoop-up schools of fish in one move. The large bills are also handy for it to transport twigs, branches, stones and other plant material to "decorate" the edges of their nests with. That's a nice foto, SYD.
Hi sjoerd. Its a shame this interesting topic has ground to a halt and since you cannot double post I will comment to hopefully kickstart it again. Pelicans I know little about but have seen them "alive and kicking" in one of Londons parks - St James. An area of trees, grassland and with a large lake running along it - this with Pelicans living happily on it. They always look so ungainly to me but are amusing to watch. Syd.
26 The number of rings in the tail of a Ring Tailed Lemur Glad you brought this back to the top Syd, an interesting thread. There are differences of opinion about the actual number of rings but a local wildlife park insists that they all have 26 rings. always starting white and ending black at the tip. I am happy to accept that, they are such cute animals but you have to watch your pockets. These pics are at the little local park a few years ago.
Hi raddang. This is one of those "love 'em at first sight" animals - they have that very attractive look about them. Another firm favourite with me is the Koala Bear.
600 A bumblebee queen can have as many as 600 worksters in service...especially at the height of the summer months when they are going full steam ahead. The majority of the bumbles work inside the "hive" taking care of the larvae and other household chores; however, there are some that forage. They will frequent many different flower sorts and can fly during some of the less than optimal days...weatherwise.
Hi Sjoerd. One of my very favourite insects the Bumble Bees - always a great pleasure to see them busily "Bumbling" about in the garden. Ref them working in inclement weather to see this has surprised me very often over the years. Like so many insects they rely very much on we gardeners to help keep them going.
1 One mozzie can ruin your whole night. They love to buzz...or more correctly--the reverse of that. Mozzies are active during the dark hours and locate each other by listening carefully to one another's buzzing. The buzzing tone of the males is much higher-pitched than that of the females. If the female wants to mate, she will increase her wing beating rate, which makes a higher tone, and the male comes to that sound. At the moment of pairing, they both buzz precisely the same-- one could say that mozzie-love is then, synchronised buzzing.
5 - 10% The European flatfish (Platichthys flesus) has eyes on one side of its body. 5 - 10 % of this sort of fish has their eyes on the left side. This fish is born with one eye on each side of its head just like other fish. When it is ~ten centimetres long, it begins swimming on its side and one of its eyes migrates over its back...usually to the right side.
200 The Oenothera has a seed pod that holds ~200 seeds which are used to produce an expensive oil. The plant comes originally from America and whilst grown in gardens here it is considered a weed by some folks. They bloom during the night time and are frequented by night moths. It begins opening just before the sun goes down and has a large, floppy petalled bloom. I find them lovely. There are other varieties but this one that I am talking about now is the common, dark yellow one. The tint of yellow is remarkable and very bright. The plant is sometimes known as an "evening candle" here. There are other names, to be sure, but that common name really does seem descriptive to me.
