Author: chart1

This magnificent tree is a bald cypress, Taxodium distichum. The name ‘bald’ comes from the fact that they drop their leaves very early in the season. They prefer wet soil and are often fund along river banks. I saw this one on the banks of the Rio Frio, in Garner State Park this weekend. They are slow growing trees can can live up to 600 years, this one must be pretty old, based on its size.. They are native to the southeastern U.S., and the state tree of Louisiana. Their cones produce seeds that provide food for wild turkey, wood ducks, evening grosbeak, water birds, and squirrels or are dispersed by floodwaters.  

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

This blurry little guy is a Mediterranean house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus. Picture taking is not a talent of mine, sorry, also kind of his fault for being the same color as the wall and not very photogenic. We were both watching the rain from the protection of the balcony. It is an invasive species in the U.S., native to southern Europe and northern Africa. It is commonly found throughout the southeastern U.S, almost exclusively in urban or developed areas. They are nocturnal and eat a variety of insects.  They are considered invasive because they reproduce quickly and are highly adaptable.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

This little guy is a member of the jumping spider family (Salticidae), I’m not sure on the exact species. This is the largest family of spiders and contains nearly 6000 described species. Ain’t nobody got time to look through that many descriptions. All jumping spiders have 4 pairs of eyes, with the ones closest to the middle of their face being largest. They are commonly found throughout the U.S. and the world. The are diurnal active hunters, and as their name indicates, can jump several times their body length.  Due to the positioning of their many eyes, they have excellent vision which they use to their advantage while hunting.  It’s funny that the family name sounds so salty because I found this guy on a plate of syrup (get it? cuz it’s sweet). 

The red bird of paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, is a fairly common ornamental plant found throughout the U.S. It is popular because of its characteristics and beautiful flowers. It requires very little maintenance and blooms year-round. It is an attractive plant for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.  The seeds are poisonous if consumed. It is drought resistant and sun tolerant. Red bird can be found many places in Austin, this particular one is on campus next to Moody Hall.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

Trametes versicolor, or the turkey tail fungus, is one of the most common species of fungus in North America. They grow on dead or diseased hardwoods or conifers. They are decomposers of the polyporaceae family. They can vary tremendously in color. Individual caps cans grow up to 10 cm across, but often fuse with other caps. They are not poisonous to humans, but are also not consumed. They are currently being used in clinical trials to help boost the immune systems of cancer patients.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, is a native perennial bunchgrass that is found commonly in prairies. It is commonly found throughout the U.S. and Mexico. It grows up to 24 inches in height and each clump up to a foot in diameter. It has slender blue-green stems that turn reddish in the fall and cotton-tufted seeds that disperse in the winter. Bluestem provides food for birds and small mammals.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SCSC

 

Buckley’s yucca, or Yucca constricta, is a native plant in the agave family. It can grow up to 10 feet tall. They like high sunlight levels and do well in drought conditions. They produce white flowers in late spring and early summer. If they can reach them, deer like to munch on the flower spike. It is commonly used as an ornamental because it attracts butterflies and is a hardy plant. I found these plants at Inks Lake State Park a couple of weeks ago.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Source:http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=YUCO

 

This is the Texas ironclad beetle (Zopherus nodulosus ssp. haldemani). There is not much known about this species, as they are poorly studied. It is thought that the adults feed on lichens. The adults can be anywhere from a half inch to an inch and a quarter in length. It is believed that larval and pupal stages are spent in the dead wood of pecan trees, while adults can be found on oak and other trees or wood houses. They have a very tough exoskeleton. They can be found in central Texas and south into Mexico. They are not considered a nuisance as they are harmless and do not damage live plants.

They’re pretty cool looking. I saw this guy chilling on a rock at the Vireo preserve.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here

Source: http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/bimg170.html