Linear view vs. Masonry View

Shiny

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Lettered Olives, Mustang Island, Texas August 2019

This photo doesn’t do these pretty Lettered Olives (Americoliva sayana) any justice. Sadly, the shine really isn’t showing well. You might be asking, how does a mollusk that lives in the shifting sand of the shallows maintain a shine? Weirdly enough, instead of the shell protecting the soft body, the soft body of this mollusk is often wrapped around the outside of the shell, thereby preserving the shine.

While these are not good examples of this feature, the brown swirls on the shells sometimes look like writing (hence, the common name).

 
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Duck Domes

Teal hunting season opened in Texas this past weekend which started me thinking about ducks, which in turn reminded me of my burgeoning collection of duck heads. Not real duck heads, eww. The first one was from an old decoy while the bit of driftwood bears a striking resemblance to Daffy Duck, don’t ya think?

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No Fish For You!

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White-banded Fishing Spider, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Tivoli, Texas September 2019

While all the other species in this genus are semiaquatic, the White-banded Fishing Spider (Dolomedes albineus) stands out as the only arboreal member. The first part of the binomial is Greek for wily or deceitful. I imagine it has something to do with their freaky ability to walk on water (thanks to the hydrophobic hairs that cover their bodies). Some of the species have a leg span of three inches and are known to capture small fish.
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Armadillo Afternoon

I spent a hot afternoon recently out at Aransas National Wildlife. There’s a small copse of oak trees near the bay where I set up my hammock and swing in the breeze while waiting for the sun to dip in the sky. Last time I was thrilled to receive a visit from a curious young deer.

This time I was fortunate to have a close encounter with a Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Though not nearly as cute as a fawn, this otherworldly-looking creature was fascinating to watch. The “little armored one” appeared unconcerned by my presence as it snuffled the ground for insects. That is some serious soil aeration!

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Aptly Named!

I was mesmerized by these gorgeous berries the other day when I visited Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) certainly lives up to its name! Appropriately, the name is not yummy berry since the fruit is tart and astringent.

The berries are eaten by birds in the fall (after other food sources have dwindled) while the foliage is browsed by deer. The roots and leaves were used medicinally by Native Americans and the berries can be made into jelly (add enough sugar and anything tastes good).

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