Blackwater river is one of the most pristine rivers in the U.S. It’s sandy bottom, white beaches, and large sandbars are a sharp contrast to the dark tannic water that gives the river its name.
Fire is an integral part of a natural habitat but with man’s intervention with homes, towns, etc. natural fires are typically not allowed to burn.
Prescribed burns are necessary to keep the habitat as natural as possible.
These fires are only set when conditions are as perfect as possible (wind, humidity, time of year, nearness to people, etc)
Even though the young slash and longleaf pines are burned, the business end tends to make out all right.
Ebony Jewelwing Damselflies mating
To mate, the male first grabs the female by the back of her neck with claspers at the end of his abdomen - these structures actually fit into species-specific grooves in the female. From here, the pair can fly around together in tandem.
If the female is sexually receptive, she will lift her abdomen up to bring her “vagina” in contact with his “penis,” allowing the male to transfer his sperm to her.
The Mating Wheel
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies on a salt lick
Their life span of the adults is only about two weeks.
One of their host plants is the Sweet Bay
Males are always yellow, whereas females may be yellow or black. Interestingly, males prefer yellow females.
No comments:
Post a Comment