As predicted, dragonflies have been steadily emerging from the deep. I’ve seen numerous Common Whitetails and Common Baskettails, fresh out of their nymphal skins, fly off to a safe place to further dry and harden before starting their life cycles anew; feeding, mating, and ovipositing in the Wetlands. Hatchling Yellow-bellied Sliders continue to be seen hiking down the paths and trails of the Museum heading for the Wetlands or other suitable bodies of water in which to take up residence.Read more
Posts tagged: #black bear
The Finer Points…
…of identification of the Black Bears at the Museum of Life + Science. If you’ve spent any time around the Black Bear Exhibit you probably already know that we have four Black Bears on display, Mimi, Virginia, Gus, and Yona. You may also know how to tell them apart from one another, Mimi has two thin white lines on her chest, Virginia has a large white “V” on her chest, Gus is long and lanky, and Yona is the smallest ofRead more
Beaver in the Bear Enclosure!!??
If you happen to be at the Black Bear Overlook and see a smallish (compared to the bears) gray-brown mammal pop its head up, look around, and then scoot along the grass, it’s not a beaver, it’s a Groundhog. Several people have come up to me in the past month and told me that they had seen a beaver in with the bears. Although beavers and groundhogs are both mammals, rodents, and look somewhat alike, the critter in the bearRead more
After the Snow
Just three shots of what Explore the Wild looks like two days after the unusually early snowfall of December 25-26, which is already beginning to melt. Enjoy the snow while it lasts.Read more
An Identification Guide to the Bears: at the Museum of Life and Science
As Ranger at the Museum of Life + Science I spend a lot of time in Explore the Wild, Catch the Wind, and on the Dinosaur Trail. I’m asked many questions on a variety of topics from “Where’s the restrooms?” to “Are there fish in the Wetlands?” While stopping by the Black Bear Exhibit, I’m frequently asked how many bears are in the Black Bear Enclosure, where they are, and who’s who among them. With that in mind, I decidedRead more
Cold?
If you have any doubt as to whether or not it’s been cold outside in the past week or so, I’ve taken a few digital images that may help to convince you that it is. OK, OK, we’re not in Watertown, NY where, as I write this, it’s 13° F, or Duluth, MN where it’s currently 0° on the Fahrenheit scale. We’re in the south, and down here, if the day’s high temps never climb out of the thirties, it’sRead more