In light of recent findings about Moon Jellies I thought I’d do something a little more in depth (pardon the pun) about these unique animals. Our Northwest shores are blessed with an abundance of invertebrate life. Sea Stars (starfish) are our most famous and favored non-backboned representative, but when it comes to lacking backbone nothing does it better than a jellyfish. Jellyfish are classified under the phylum Cnidaria, (pronounce the word without the C) a huge group of 10,000 or so animals that also contain the hydras (class Hydroza), sea anemones, and corals (class Anthoza). For the most part Cnidarians are marked by two distinct characteristics: radial symmetry and a relatively large internal space for digestion. Generally speaking, if you cut a cnidarian in half you get a pair of mirror images with a large space in the middle for digestion of food, tentacles on either side, and a mouth in the middle. True jellyfish are in the class Scyphoza, but many Hydroza are so similar to jellies they are commonly referred to as jellyfish.
Generally speaking jellyfish are distinguished by a mobile lifestyle and more fully developed tentacles. The other guys in this phylum prefer a settled existence anchored to the marine substratum. With the exception of certain hydras all are lovers of the marine environment.
Like sea stars we have plenty of jellyfish and most have varying common names so sources vary. To avoid confusion the following list only includes those animals most people would instantly recognize as a jellyfish. Sizes refer to the measurement of the animal across its medusa, the bowl shape body common to most jellies.
No, it’s not a joke, but it’s not a beaver either. The fascinating creature in question is called a Mountain Beaver and although it is a rodent, the similarities with a real beaver pretty much end there. The Mountain Beaver, Aplodontia rufa, is a muskrat sized rodent of ancient lineage. Relatively common yet mysterious beasts, they are rarely encountered due to their subterranean existence and nocturnal dining habits. Most people are not even aware that the strange animal even exists. And thanks to a physiology that harks back to the early days of mammalian evolution they are almost exclusively residents of the damp Pacific Northwest.
Also called a boomer or giant mole, the animal is a stout 12 – 14 inches long, and possesses a short, stubby tail. The tail, not much more than an inch long and tucked against the body, is pretty much invisible except on close inspection. Most are brownish in color, but that varies to black with silvery tips. A pair of tiny black eyes rest above a large blunt snout and below a pair of quarter sized, mouse like ears. Perhaps its most distinctive feature, however, are the long clawed feet in front and back. If you have ever seen one of these guys those claws are probably the main thing that sticks in mind.
Lizards, of course, are something you expect to see. In this case a sagebrush lizard found, along with many of its cousins, hiding amidst the rocks in a beautiful place called Hulls Gulch outside of Boise. It’s a beautiful hiking area with wide vistas of great views. But it also revealed a pleasant surprise in the Great Horned Owl nesting in the side of a sand cliff. We tend to think of these impressive birds as building reclusive homes hidden far above in the recesses of giant trees. In Idaho, however, at least one of them prefers a cool refuge in a sandy cliff. I believe the little one on the right is a young chick. Owls are always a wonderful and unexpected sight.
I had a chance to visit Idaho recently and happened to run into a couple of very interesting creatures that I have not seen since I left Afghanistan some time ago. The large black beetle is called a Darkling Beetle. Not sure where that name came from because this insect’s claim to fame has nothing to do with the dark, but it does have a lot to do with odor – a really bad odor. If you annoy or frighten one of these guys they assume that comical looking headstand and produce an acrid smelling substance from the back of their abdomen. And take my word on this – it’s bad; it’ll make you choke like tear gas, and I’ve had a sniff or two.
And then we have the notorious camel spider. Most people associate this animal with the Middle East or other locations but we have several species in the US adding to the thousand or so other species throughout the world. They are not poisonous but do have a painful bite. Not too much to worry about from this little fellow from the Potato State; he was less than a half inch long. For more in depth information and better photos go to the Camel Spider Homepage
Spring is the season for hay fever and bears. I’m not sure which is worse, since I have terrible hay fever, but there’s surely no doubt about which is more dangerous. Our ursine friends do more than present a chomping threat, though. They seem to have a sense of humor, too:
Thanks for dropping by. As you can see the format of Northwest Wildlife Online has changed in order to keep up with the huge number of mobile viewing devices. This new magazine and blog format also allows greater interaction with readers. Although this site is primarily devoted to wildlife of the Northwest US I have not dropped the pages about Afghan and Saudi Wildlife. These topics now have their own site. So please visit: Afghan Arabia Wild at www.Afghan-ArabiaWild.com.
A nudibranch belongs, not surprisingly, to an order of invertebrates called Nudibranchia. They are called nudibranchs because, well, because they are nude. You have to admit it’s a more elegant term than just calling them sea slugs, which is what they actually are. These guys are considered naked because they do not have a shell or mantle cavity. Both sea slugs and the garden slugs sliding around your backyard are gastropods, a word originating from Latin meaning “stomach foot.” They are members of the Mollusca phylum, a huge and fascinating group of animals that also includes octopus, squids, clams, oysters, limpets, and a host of others.
Photos of various NW millipedes. Note: The “mini-millpedes” in the lower right were less than 1/2 inch long and as yet not identified.
MARVELOUS MILLIPEDES
John M. Regan
Around 10,000 species of them crawl around the world, these strange creatures with the impossible number of weird little legs. Moving slowly and surely in their fascinating way millipedes are the archetypal creepy crawly bug. They are a big hit in the pet trade, though, as well as nature and science fiction movies. Mild mannered, harmless, and relatively slow they are an ideal subject for natural observation and there is a lot to learn about these extraordinarily interesting invertebrates.
Once upon a time, just a couple of weeks ago, we had three beautiful cats. Two of them, Oreo and Cody, we had for over ten years. The other was a stray we found on the side of the road a couple of years ago that we named Maxine. Then one morning I left the house to go to work and was confronted by a coyote trotting down the road right in front of my house. The animal paused at the end of my driveway and stared at me with a “waddya you lookin’ at?” expression. I threw a stone at the coyote and together with my dog we chased it away. A day or two after that I spotted another coyote just down the road from my home. Within a week all three of our beautiful cats were gone.
Were the coyotes to blame in the first place?After speaking with neighbors and doing a little research I have to say yes.My first reaction was, naturally, outrage.My wife and I adored those cats.They added color, liveliness, and personality to our home; they were affectionate pets who truly loved our company as well.For the first time in my life I was deeply angry at a wild animal (except for the time a zoo chimp spit on me), and I understood the anger ranchers and farmers harbor about wolves, coyotes, and other predators.
You’re walking along the rocky Northwest ocean shore line and you see then by the billions and gazillions. Barnacles, barnacles, and more barnacles. The cling to every rock, pylon, piece of drift wood, shell, and just about anything else touched by the sea. These non-descript bits of life and their protective shells seem to encrust everything. But what they are and how they do it is a reveals just how fascinating and complex the simplest organism can be.
Once upon a time, just a couple of weeks ago, we had three beautiful cats. Two of them, Oreo and Cody, we had for over ten years. The other was a stray we found on the side of the road a couple of years ago that we named Maxine. Then one morning I left the house to go to work and was confronted by a coyote trotting down the road right in front of my house. The animal paused at the end of my driveway and stared at me with a “waddya you lookin’ at?” expression. I threw a stone at the coyote and together with my dog we chased it away. A day or two after that I spotted another coyote just down the road from my home. Within a week all three of our beautiful cats were gone. 