What is it Wednesday: January 5, 2022

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

January 5, 2022. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

These are tracks left behind by either slugs or land snails. 

What we are seeing is where they have traveled across the bench and eaten the thin layer of algae that is growing on the surface of the wood.

This explanation from “Tracks and Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates,” by Charley Eiseman and Noah Charney, helps us understand how this track is made: “Like other mollusks, slugs and snails possess a radula, a straplike organ inside the mouth that is covered with many small, sharp teeth. As the animal slowly glides across the surface, it moves its head from side to side while scraping up algae with its radular teeth.”

The reason why the tracks look so “squiggly” is from the motion of the head side to side as the snail or slug travels along its path. With a closer look, you can make out tiny narrow lines within each track – these are the teeth marks. (It is hard to see them in this photo, and getting a closer view makes them blurry, but you may be able to see the little lines within each squiggle.)

The only difference between slugs and land snails is that snails have shells and slugs do not. Check out this previous What is it Wednesday to find out more about these fascinating little creatures:  https://lutherlynnature.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-is-it-wednesday-june-24-2020.html

Keep an eye out and maybe you will find tracks like these or other intricate signs that animals leave behind as they go about their lives!

What is it Wednesday: December 30, 2020

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

December 30, 2020. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is a print of the front foot of a Virginia opossum. 

Possum tracks are easy to identify by their five widely splayed toes. The hind foot has an even more widely spread “thumb” that lays almost at a 90 degree angle from the rest of the toes. As with most animals, the print of the hind foot is larger, and the  prints of the hind and front feet usually overlap at least partially, as you can see in the longer views of the full track.

Virginia opposums, usually referred to as possums, are the only marsupial north of Mexico in the western hemisphere. When the babies are born they continue to develop and nurse in a pouch. Even after leaving the pouch they stay with their mother as they continue to grow, often riding on her back.  Possums have a short life – they only live about two years in the wild, four years in captivity.

When European settlers arrived in North America, the range of possums extended about to northern Maryland and southern Ohio. Their range has been steadily increasing northward, especially since the early 1900’s, and now extends all the way into southern Ontario and New England. Though they have spread into these colder areas, possums are not well adapted to winter weather and some do not survive colder winters in these places. They are great to have around however, as they are omnivores and eat many things we consider pests, including rodents and ticks!

Possums are famous for “playing possum”  - appearing to be dead when they are threatened. Not only are they stiff and immobile when this happens, but the lips pull back to show a foaming mouth and scent glands release a bad odor, often leading predators to leave the possum alone. This is not an “act” but an involuntary response, like fainting. If left alone, the possum revives after a few hours.

It is interesting how snow often reveals just how much is going on all around us, by showing the tracks of who has been coming and going. We are often unaware of how many animal neighbors we have and how active they are! Around the possum tracks are tracks of deer and birds, and nearby just out of the picture were those of squirrels and rabbits.

Tracks of raccoon, cats, foxes, and coyote are also not uncommon to see at Lutherlyn. For information on opportunities to visit Lutherlyn in the winter, and maybe catch a glimpse of this busy animal community and the tracks they leave behind, check out www.Lutherlyn.com! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: February 12, 2020

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

February 12, 2020. 

And the answer is....

These are the tracks of muskrat, seen along the edge of the frozen Upper Lake.

Muskrat are what’s known as imperfect walkers, which means that they do not put their back paw directly in the imprint made by their front paw, but near it or alongside it. This gives their track a “2x2” look – two prints next to each other, instead of a straight line of what looks like single prints. 

Muskrats also have a narrow tail that hangs low as they walk, leaving a tail drag mark in surfaces like snow. 

In addition, muskrats are active in the winter and live along the edges of lakes, ponds, and rivers, so their known habitat matches where these tracks were found. This track actually led up to a small burrow just a short distance back from the edge of the water, confirming that it was most likely made by a muskrat. It was neat to be able to use the track to find the den!

For more on how LEEP can help you identify the tracks and other animal signs in the forest, through field trips, Saturday Safaris, summer camp, special events and more, check out www.Lutherlyn.com/ee. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday archive: May 23, 2018

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

May 23, 2018. 

And the answer is....

These tracks found alongside Shawnee Run at Lutherlyn belong to a coyote. 

We often see evidence of coyote at Lutherlyn, such as tracks and scat, and occasionally hear their yips and howls at night. But they are sly and mostly nocturnal animals and are rarely seen. 

Eastern coyotes migrated into Pennsylvania through Canada through the mid-1900’s, interbreeding with wolves along the way: Eastern coyotes are larger than their western cousins, and have verified wolf DNA. They are opportunists and generalists, living in a variety of habitats and feeding on a mix of plants, small animals, and scavenged carcasses. As one of Pennsylvania’s largest remaining natural predators, coyotes fill an important role in the ecosystem, and are not a threat to humans (though it may be wise bring pet food and small pets inside to keep them safe). 

We’re glad to have these clever critters around!

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: February 7, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

the day after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on February 6, 2019. 

And the answer is....

These marks in the snow are made by the wings (and claws, in the upper imprint) of a bird. But which bird? 

The ski tip and poles in the bottom of the picture provide some size reference. The widest point of the wing marks are probably a little less than 4 feet apart, so it must be a bird with a wingspan at least that large, maybe larger. 

The claw marks could indicate a bird of prey trying to snatch a small animal poking up through the snow - something small enough that it was under the snow, leaving no tracks, like a shrew or mouse.

That narrows it down to probably a barred owl (wingspan 42-44 inches), great horned owl (wingspan 44-52 inches), or red-tailed hawk (wingspan 48-49 inches). Turkeys, osprey, and eagles all have much larger wingspans, while crows and the smaller hawks and owls have much smaller wingspans. 

The bird was probably flying towards us, picked up the animal, dropped slightly lower from the weight of the animal creating a stronger imprint with its wings, then continued flying on. 

(At least that’s one possible interpretation! Maybe you can piece together a different possible scenario from these clues.)  

When there is snow cover, we can suddenly see in the many tracks evidence of how much activity (and drama!) is constantly going on around us in nature. For more information on ways LEEP can help you gain an awareness and understanding of the ongoing activity of the natural world, through school trips, Saturday safaris, special groups and events, and more check out www.lutherlyn.com/ee .  

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday archive: April 11, 2018

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

the day after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on April 11, 2018. 

And the answer is....

The tracks in the blue circles are of a turkey, walking away from the viewer. 

The tracks in the red circle are of a rabbit, hopping towards the viewer. The two rabbit prints closest to the viewer are of the rabbit’s hind feet as they swing forward and hit the ground together side by side.

One of the (few?) nice things about the late snows we’ve been getting this spring is that they provide a great opportunity to see more animal tracks!

To learn more about the natural world all around us with LEEP check out http://lutherlyn.com/ee.

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!