The final stage of a mayfly’s life cycle is called an “imago” or “spinner,” and clouds of these mating insects are often visible dancing in the air above a river. Spinners are usually easy to identify by their transparent wings, extra-long tails, and large eyes. The aquatic insects are born in the streambed and live […]
Puppies need exercise, but too much can cause exhaustion or even joint damage, especially in bigger dogs. As a puppy grows, the amount of daily exercise should increase by 5 minutes per month. For example, 3-month-old puppies should have at least 15 minutes of exercise each day, increasing to 20 minutes at 4 months. These […]
Each autumn, the mountains of Vermont explode into color, drawing “leaf peepers” from around the world. The brilliant hillsides also add a rich backdrop to a morning paddle on Lake Shaftsbury for Maggie, Henry, and Gilly. The amazing tapestry occurs when the chlorophyll in the leaves of deciduous trees breaks down due to changes in […]
The Atlantic coast of Maine is a harsh environment for a brook trout, yet these hardy natives have existed in the streams and ponds of Acadia National Park since the last ice age. Brook trout require cold, clean well-oxygenated water to survive, and many coastal habitats were lost to land clearing and dams. Luckily, the […]
The Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, stretching from the Dixon Entrance on the USA-Canada border north to Skagway, offers boats protection from the winds and harsh weather of the northern Pacific Ocean. However, the tides can be extreme, and ship captains and pilots need to be on their toes to avoid grounding. The waters […]
Sockeye salmon are a vital food source for Alaska’s brown bears. In one study, a single Kodiak Island bear consumed more than two tons of salmon in a summer–up to 30 fish a day. Each sockeye offers about 4,000 calories that will help the bear make it through the long winter. The seagulls hang around […]
Cutthroat trout are known for their lazy takes, as they eat adult mayflies off the water’s surface. When a mayfly transforms from a nymph to a dun (or subimago), it cannot fly until its wings dry, so it is helpless for a brief period. Trout take advantage of the situation, gorging on the immobile insects. […]
Nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum, inhabit many bonefish flats, and while the fish display the dorsal fin and profile that send a shiver down the spine of anyone who has seen Jaws, the species is usually not aggressive. In fact, swimming with nurse sharks is a popular tourist experience, as these predators can seem downright friendly to humans […]
Prince of Wales Island is the largest of the 1,100 islands in the Alexander Archipelago, which stretches for 300 miles off the southeastern coast of Alaska. Veined by short river systems that empty into the Inside Passage to the east or the Pacific Ocean to the west, the island is home to populations of wild […]
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a mammal native to Australia and New Guinea–this one was filmed in Tasmania–and like the platypus, it lays eggs. Echidnas have very short, strong limbs with large claws, and are powerful diggers. Their claws on their hind limbs are elongated and curved backward to help aid in digging. If […]