Juneau Independent

For other animals that live here, the snow can mean lots of different things.

Ants?? Why think about ant when the outside temperatures at my house haven’t been over zero degrees (F) for days? Well, thoughts about ants are one kind of nice change from mentally feeling the cold (even in my warm house). And I was prompted by receiving two messages about some interesting ants.

Spruce needles are loaded with nasty chemicals; some of them toxic and consumers must have a physiological way to avoid the toxic effects. And mature needles are tough, not easily digestible. Who would want to eat such a diet??

First, a word about definitions: we use the word "anadromous" to refer especially to fish that run up streams from the sea to spawn. That word comes from the Greek words meaning "to run up." However, since some salmon live in freshwaters and run up from lakes into the spawning streams, they also fit the definition of anadromous. So here, I will use the term "sea-run" for the familiar types of salmon.

Fall is not really a good time to look for wildflowers, but along several trails we have noticed that yarrow is still blooming nicely, even a bit past the middle of the month.

Trail-walkers here often see signs of bark-eating. For example, porcupines leave their "art-work" at the bases of hemlock trees, with patches of bark removed, exposing the wood beneath it.

e are surrounded by several invasive species of birds, some of which have been in this country so long that lots of folks think of them as native. Here’s a bit of their history and a brief synopsis for our local avian invasives.

Animals often form friendships with each other (and even with other species). Horses have favorite equine companions in the pasture, and cows and goats have similar associations. Dogs have canine buddies, cats have feline chums, and both birds and fish are known to form favored associations with other individuals.

Plants disperse their seeds in many ways. Some cast their seeds into breezes or water currents, some produce seeds with adaptations that facilitate transport on (or in) animals, and so on.

Almost all mammals have teeth, whose primary function is feeding, although they sometimes have other functions such as display or weaponry. 

Here in the coniferous forest, we don’t get the spectacular display of fall foliage colors that occurs in the eastern deciduous forest. But our cottonwoods and willows do produce bright yellows and golds.

In late summer we usually notice dark "spurs" sticking out of beach rye inflorescences. That is a spore-bearing part of the ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that infects rye flowers.