This interesting artifact is the cast skin, or exoskeleton, of a dragonfly nymph that has emerged from the water and molted into adulthood. Well, it’s…
A Closer Look at Exoskeletons
‘Tis the Season for Little Green Men
Hello World! After spending somewhere between two and five years underground, this cicada sheds its hard outer covering one more time in preparation for its…
Buttons
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, freshwater mussels were harvested from many local waterways to supply material for a booming button industry. But as…
Artie the Turtle
Ah, 1978. Things were sure were different then. Jimmy Carter was president. I remember this because I drew his portrait, and all those pearly white…
The New Blanding’s Turtle Pond
People laugh when I say this, but you really can tell when a reptile is content. Its body posture, for example, is relaxed but not…
Turtles
February 27, 2015 Bird Tracks A female midland painted turtle, Chrysemys picta marginata, showed up unexpectedly last week in the Hickory Knolls turtle pond, threatening the well-being of the endangered Blanding’s turtles that reside there. I’m not gonna lie, we like to have fun here at the ‘Knolls. Even though the duties can be demanding
Turtles
Pam’s Perspective From the… Pam Otto is the Manager of Natural Programs and Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District June 7, 2013 Over the past three or four weeks, we’ve gotten several calls about turtles. Turtles wandering through back yards. Turtles wandering through front yards. A turtle that, at first glance, appeared to
Mussels
It’s April, and the spring migration is in full swing. Flashy neotropical migrants like scarlet tanagers have begun their epic journeys from South America and should be spotted here within a month. Meanwhile, the magnificent white pelicans have arrived at Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia on their annual stopover from points south. And then