After I took the following four photographs I realized that they are all of the same subject but at different levels of zoom. They were not shot in the same sequence as they appear here but minutes apart with other photos in between. There was obviously something that drew my eye to that spot. And, a sleepy wolf. What do you think this wolf is dreaming about, the breeding season to come? a rawhide chew? a run through the woods?Read more
Search Results for: wolf
Another winter update, w/wolf on the side
Hazel Alder, which grows on the north side of the Wetlands, typically blooms in February. It looks as though it’ll be right on time. There are both male catkins and female flowers (small reddish spikes at top of photo) forming on the plants. The fertilized flowers will become tiny “cones” which look very much like miniature pine cones. Over at Bird Viewing (the feeders) I saw a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches after not seeing them for several weeks. And, aRead more
Red Wolf: Strange Behavior.
Animal Department Director, Sherry Samuels’ recent post about Red Wolf #1369 leaving us for the Pacific Northwest prompted me to post the sequence of photos below. The photos are from this past week and appear to be strange behavior by our female #1287 towards our departing male on October 18, a Thursday. The female persists in running around the male trying to engage him in play. He obviously isn’t in the mood to play. After several minutes of tolerating her… On aRead more
Wolf Spider
I usually see wolf spiders on the ground, this small wolf (about 3/8″ from head to tip of abdomen) was crawling about on goldenrod next to the Wetlands, sending silk airborne to be caught up somewhere, and presumably anchored there. The silk never made it very far. It kept getting caught up on people as they walked by on the path. Any comments as to species, or exactly what this spider was doing?Read more
Ode, Lep, Vespid, and Herp
Top Photo: Blue dasher obelisking. ODE Certain dragonfly species, when perched in bright sunshine, may raise their abdomens upward to varying degrees to align with the sun. They do this, according to researchers, to minimize the surface area which is exposed to direct sunlight, thereby avoiding overheating. The behavior is called obelisking. An obelisk is a square or rectangular structure, usually stone, tapered to a point (picture the Washington Monument). Researchers thought the dragonfly’s abdomen resembled an obelisk when describingRead more
Life Goes On
Top Photo: Considered invasive wherever they’ve been introduced, American bullfrog and red swamp crawfish are known for their ability to alter and take over habitats. Here’s some photos to guide you through the dry times (we’re in a drought, but life goes on). Even though we’ve been high and dry in our wetland the cattails continue to grow. Many birds have fledged in the past several weeks, like this young Carolina wren. This is an adult common grackle staking outRead more
Fox, and a lot More
Top Photo: Gray fox pup. Things are moving fast out on the outdoor loop through Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind. New life, travelers, and old friends are all making the scene. A gray fox has decided to den in a rocky depression between the Red Wolf Overlook and the Lemur House (the red wolves themselves have put out 5 young this spring). I’ve counted 3 fox pups but may have missed one, confirmation on the three. A coupleRead more
Estrus
Top Photo: Carolina our female red wolf right, Jacques left. A quick note for red wolf watchers: Our female is showing signs she is in proestrus which may last from 9-16 days, depending on what source you reference (I read one study which says proestrus lasts 6 weeks in red wolves. I’m sticking with 9-16 days, though in truth, I’ll leave the length of proestrus to the experts). However long proestrus is, our female, Carolina, is there. I don’t knowRead more