little hitchhiker
looking at me?
the smallest toes
one last look
Showing posts with label reptiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reptiles. Show all posts
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Oh, Tiny Skink
We've been having fires in the stove this month, since the weather has been cool and rainy. This past weekend, a little hitchhiker caught a ride in the wood basket and joined us inside for a few days!
I kept seeing her here and there--first at the foot of the stove, then under the couch, then on the stairs. We finally got her cornered, and Dave coaxed her into a bowl so I could bring her outside. I spent several long moments watching her in the bowl, remaining motionless until she stopped her frantic wiggling and came to a rest. She stared at me. I stared at her.
I took a few pictures so I could zoom in later to wonder over her tiny details. Perfectly interlocking scales on the back of her head. Did you know that had elbows, like us? And digits, too: miniature toes, complete with claws a fraction of the size of a grain of rice. She was so amazingly constructed; I shivered thinking that there were hundreds of thousands of perfect little lizards wandering around the gardens and hedgerows of New Zealand, invisible to us. And that's just lizards--there are millions of perfect little spiders, perfect little songbirds, all types of perfect little critters, not just here, but everywhere. Amazing. One Great Dewdrop, indeed.
She got frantic again. It was cruel to keep her too long in a bowl. I let her go.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Kiwi House
On the way home from Tongariro, we stopped at the Otorohanga Kiwi House to view live kiwis and other native New Zealand bird and animal species.
They keep their kiwi birds in little habitats, and they allow visitors to view their feeding times. We arrived just in time for the kiwis' 1:30 p.m. meal. Since kiwis are nocturnal, they keep the habitat light during the night to simulate day, and then put on very dim lights for a few hours during the day to simulate moonlight.
Kiwis are the most ridiculous birds. First, they can't fly. They look like little wingless dumplings. They have incredibly strong legs and feet, which they use for digging, scratching, and fighting. Instead of a reasonable beak shaped like a hook or a bill or maybe a triangular cone, they have two chopsticks stuck into the front of their faces. Even stranger, they have little nostrils at the end of their bills, instead of at the top near their faces. They use their chopstick bills to probe into the leaf litter, snuffling around for insects and worms.
And how do they move? Let me share a brief, ridiculous example. You can't make this stuff up.
In addition to the kiwis, the place had numerous other species, the majority of which were birds (New Zealand doesn't have any native land animals).
There were also a few tuatara and some geckos and skinks. Even though the tuatara looks like a lizard, it's actually a completely different type of animal, from the order Sphenodontia. In fact, the two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of this order, which flourished at the time of the dinosaurs!
On the one hand, I was really happy that we stopped at the kiwi house. I'm sure I never would have encountered a kiwi in the wild, much less a tuatara or some of the rare ducks. I think that establishments like the kiwi house help foster an attachment to rare animals that you can't get without actually being in the presence of something incredibly alive and incredibly rare.
Having said that, the less rare but far more memorable, sexy, and flashy kiwi birds generated considerably more interest in the American, German, and Kiwi tourists than some of the far more rare ducks and birds elsewhere in the exhibit. Is this just another tourist trap, albeit in a feel-good form?
Also, I was unclear of the origins of the animals. I think (or I would like to believe) that all of them live in captivity because they can't survive in the wild, for whatever reason. Still, it makes me a little sick to my stomach to see wild animals in cages.
I took this picture of a harrier through the mesh of his enclosure.
I went to take another picture, and my camera auto-focused on the bars.
How appropriate?
They keep their kiwi birds in little habitats, and they allow visitors to view their feeding times. We arrived just in time for the kiwis' 1:30 p.m. meal. Since kiwis are nocturnal, they keep the habitat light during the night to simulate day, and then put on very dim lights for a few hours during the day to simulate moonlight.
Kiwis are the most ridiculous birds. First, they can't fly. They look like little wingless dumplings. They have incredibly strong legs and feet, which they use for digging, scratching, and fighting. Instead of a reasonable beak shaped like a hook or a bill or maybe a triangular cone, they have two chopsticks stuck into the front of their faces. Even stranger, they have little nostrils at the end of their bills, instead of at the top near their faces. They use their chopstick bills to probe into the leaf litter, snuffling around for insects and worms.
Stuffed (dead) kiwi bird from the visitors' center... the kiwi house didn't allow photography of their kiwis.
And how do they move? Let me share a brief, ridiculous example. You can't make this stuff up.
In addition to the kiwis, the place had numerous other species, the majority of which were birds (New Zealand doesn't have any native land animals).
Putangitangi, the sheldrake duck. This little guy was wandering around like he owned the place.
The pukeko, another of New Zealand's ridiculous flightless birds.
The kaka parrot. We have a flock of kaka living in the forest next to our house in Tuateawa. They have a very distinctive, croaking scream.
There were also a few tuatara and some geckos and skinks. Even though the tuatara looks like a lizard, it's actually a completely different type of animal, from the order Sphenodontia. In fact, the two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of this order, which flourished at the time of the dinosaurs!
I'm very special. Also, my eyes look evil.
On the one hand, I was really happy that we stopped at the kiwi house. I'm sure I never would have encountered a kiwi in the wild, much less a tuatara or some of the rare ducks. I think that establishments like the kiwi house help foster an attachment to rare animals that you can't get without actually being in the presence of something incredibly alive and incredibly rare.
Having said that, the less rare but far more memorable, sexy, and flashy kiwi birds generated considerably more interest in the American, German, and Kiwi tourists than some of the far more rare ducks and birds elsewhere in the exhibit. Is this just another tourist trap, albeit in a feel-good form?
Also, I was unclear of the origins of the animals. I think (or I would like to believe) that all of them live in captivity because they can't survive in the wild, for whatever reason. Still, it makes me a little sick to my stomach to see wild animals in cages.
I took this picture of a harrier through the mesh of his enclosure.
I went to take another picture, and my camera auto-focused on the bars.
How appropriate?
Monday, February 1, 2010
What Makes New Zealand So Special?
I've been excited about visiting New Zealand since I was in high school and the first Lord of the Rings movies were released. I was captivated by the amazing scenery, and I enjoyed watching the documentaries about filming the movie in NZ as much as I enjoyed the movies themselves.
Since I made the decision to go to New Zealand, I've tried to learn a little about the land and its native species. I've lived my entire life in New York and New Jersey in the United States. My frame of reference, my concept of "outside," is a forest of oak and pine or maple and beech, or a gorge lined with hemlock. I expect to see grey squirrels in the oak trees, white-tailed deer wandering through the pines, and blue jays zooming through the canopy (or terrorizing the chickadees).
New Zealand is completely different (not surprisingly--it is on the other side of the globe). What is surprising are the extent to which and the reasons why it is unique.
New Zealand is completely different (not surprisingly--it is on the other side of the globe). What is surprising are the extent to which and the reasons why it is unique.
Coromandel rainforest, photo by James Shook, 2005
Click the link below for more about New Zealand's otherworldly ecology!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Little Garter Snake
I ran into this little garter snake while I was out walking on the Black Diamond Trail last weekend. Literally--I wasn't quite paying attention to my surroundings, and I nearly stepped on her!
I couldn't believe how aggressive she was. I bent over to look at her, and she struck my finger! I was plenty startled and yelped loudly enough to make a lazy deer look up from his munching. Fortunately, she just banged her snout against my hand and didn't actually bite. She lunged again as I was trying to take a second picture.
The photos were taken with my unremarkable cell phone camera (yeah, I know... cell phone in the woods). I really should start carrying my camera with me everywhere, like I used to... or... not: better to pay attention to brave little garter snakes than nearly to step on them.
I couldn't believe how aggressive she was. I bent over to look at her, and she struck my finger! I was plenty startled and yelped loudly enough to make a lazy deer look up from his munching. Fortunately, she just banged her snout against my hand and didn't actually bite. She lunged again as I was trying to take a second picture.
The photos were taken with my unremarkable cell phone camera (yeah, I know... cell phone in the woods). I really should start carrying my camera with me everywhere, like I used to... or... not: better to pay attention to brave little garter snakes than nearly to step on them.
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