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Photography by: William Flaxington 2003 |
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Every day and every night, stories are being told. Some of these stories are about the flights of hummingbirds, while others are about the song of the robin or the new pups just born in the fox’s den. Each animal, plant, and every other thing has its story, the story of its life. Somehow all these stories weave together into one Big Tale. It is good to learn the stories of our neighbors, the animals and plants. They may teach us about ourselves and about the world we live in, if we pay attention carefully.
Wind, too, and the rocks and waters have their own parts of the Big Story. Have you ever picked up a smooth ocean rock, and thought of all the places it has been before? Some rocks come all the way from the depths of the earth. They may travel up out of the ground as fiery-hot lava. Some of them roll as pebbles down mountain streams, breaking into pieces and becoming smaller and smoother as they go. Think about this some time when you hold a pebble in your hand. It may have traveled a long way!
If you live in California, you probably know some of the story of a small, dinosaur-like animal, the Western Fence Lizard. This animal lives in most places here, exceptfor the highest mountain peaks or driest desert areas. These lizards can very often be seen doing “push-ups.” The males perform this display to drive rivals off their territories.
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Photography by: Dr. Daniel L. Geiger 2004
A Fence Lizard catches some sun on its
basking platform. |
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Fence Lizards, like other lizards, have dry scaly skin that is shed regularly. Even the eyeball covering is shed! You can tell when a lizard is about to shed, because it has a dull-looking appearance and little flakes of scales soon start falling off. After shedding, the he animals have a fresh look about them. The old skin falls to the ground, where it gets recycled back to the ground through bacteria and very small insects that digest it.
Insects have a large part to play in the story of the Fence Lizards. Because the lizards eat mostly insects, much of their time is spent waiting in ambush for flies or small bugs. However, the lizards seem to prefer certain types of insects. Just as you may have your favorite foods, so do lizards and other animals.
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Photography by: Kim Cabrera 2004
Look carefully on the ground to find footprints of the Western Fence Lizard. Compare them to the size of the penny and see how small they are |
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Each animal, plant, and every other thing has its story, the story of its life. Somehow all these stories weave together into one Big Tale. It is good to learn the stories of our neighbors, the animals and plants.
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Interesting facts that will gross you out!!
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Folks in Powys County,Wales decided to help the little guys out this past spring. Every year in the town of Llandrindod Wells, toads and other amphibians have been trying to cross a road.
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Guess who's nose this is! |
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Animal Facts and Oddities |
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Are you a good pet owner? Check out these tips about caring for dogs.
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This month we explore techniques that help develop a "photographer's way of seeing." What does a skilled photographer look for to capture that perfect picture?
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Do you have a wild sense of humor? Check out the comics and jokes on our Wild Laughs page!
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This month we look at SALAMANDERS and how they communicate with predators. How does a salamander "talk"?
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Check out what's new at the Webstore and Learn about our new Adopt-an-Animal Program |
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