This post is made up of several pictures taken in the last few days of unusual things, at least unusual for me. The first one is a picture of a tree frog. Friday morning, after a storm in the previous night, this tiny tree frog was blown onto a window pane of the porch door. I think it is actually a Spring Peeper, as it has an X on its back. Their maximum size is 3cm, but they have quite a voice. They start singing in spring even before the snow is all gone.
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| Spring Peeper tree frog |
The next thing looks very much like a fungus, but I believe it is a slime mold. I found it yesterday afternoon. They come in all sorts of colors. A few years ago, there was a bright red one in the garden. They do feel "slimy" when you touch them and live on dead plant material. They are usually very small, but I read that they can sometime reach several square meters. Apparently when the mold is separated, the cells find their way back to reunite.
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| Slime Mold |
The next few pictures are of various caterpillars.
The preceding three are similar, but I don't think they are the same. They seem to be a variation on the same hairy theme.
The following one I have already shown in a previous post, but I find it so attractive I included it again.
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| "Wooly Bear" Caterpillar. These are very common around here. |
The most intriguing of them is this last one which looks so much like a small tree twig that it is just about impossible to see when it is standing on a branch. However you notice it when it is moving, as it proceeds like an inchworm, with a "looping" movement.
To end with, here is an other tree frog in the rain.
The following one I have already shown in a previous post, but I find it so attractive I included it again.
Tree frogs "peeping" are a spring joy. I've never seen one.
ReplyDeleteIt is only the 2nd or 3rd time I have seen one. I expect that except when they breed or hibernate, they spend most of their time in trees.
DeleteThe slime mould reuniting is a bit scary! We don;t get tree frogs just common ones that visit the garden pond. Do any of the caterpillars you show cause any danage in the garden? Some looks to be having a bad hair day!
ReplyDeleteI don't expect any of them do damage in the garden. They all were seen on trees, outside the garden.
DeleteShould the spring peeper be making an appearance now? You're in Canada, right? We've had that slime fungus before--very strange, but fascinating. Great post about some fun curiosities!
ReplyDeleteHi thank you for stopping.
DeleteThe spring peeper was not "peeping". I don't suppose they have gone into hibernation yet so they must still be around. The wind was strong and it was probably blown down from a tree in the night.
That's quite the assortment of oddities you have there. I had not known that about the slime fungus - very sci fi. I do love those little tree frogs, though. I miss them in the winter!
ReplyDeleteThose caterpillars are really weird looking but interesting and wonderful to see. I think we have much too much concrete over here to get glimpses of these creatures, so you're very fortunate to live in an area like that.
ReplyDeleteThe peeper may have simply crawled up to see what was cooking. I once saw one high up on a door frame at my parents' home.
ReplyDeleteWe get the yellow caterpillars around here, and wooly bears. Love the black one! Barefootheart's daughter should be asked to write a field guide to Eastern North American Caterpillars.
Too late! There already is a field guide to Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner.
DeleteThat guide looks very interesting. I should get a copy.
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