Explore the Outdoors!
There are many well known birds that start with the letter K. Some of these birds include the kakapo, kiwi, kingfisher, and kookaburra. But have you ever heard of the Karoo Scrub-Robin, the Kirk’s Francolin or the Knysna turaco? In fact, there are more than a hundred birds starting with a K and you can…
Crayfish (also sometimes called crawfish and crawdads) are freshwater crustaceans that live in lakes, ponds and rivers all over the world. Crayfish have many enemies and the most abundant predators of crayfish are larger freshwater fish! Many different fish feed on crayfish and/or their spawn in natural freshwater environments. Studies on the stomach contents of…
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that live in streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. They are related to shrimp, crabs and lobsters and are an important part of the food web in their ecosystem. Crayfish are mostly herbivorous animals and eat a variety of plant matter like algae, aquatic plants, seeds and roots but they do actually…
Millipedes are omnivores that consume both plants and animals. In the wild, they play an important role in the food web as detritivores, breaking down dead plant and animal matter into smaller pieces that can be used by other organisms. While millipedes are not true decomposers, they do play a key role in the decomposition…
Dyneema is an artificial polymer just like nylon, but it has several fundamental differences. Both are plastics, but the manufacturing process is radically different. Nylon, as I have already written several posts about, is an amide polymer, which means it’s a long chain of monomers that can be formed into countless unique chemical structures. The…
Producers are organisms that get their energy from their environment, for example, from the sun or from breaking down chemical compounds. Decomposers are a type of consumer that break down organic matter into simple chemical nutrients essential for producers. Even though different bird species have different diets, they are all consumers. In ecology, consumers are…
Magpies are omnivorous birds that are native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are easily recognizable by their black and white plumage, and their long tail. Magpies eat a wide variety of food items, including seeds, nuts, worms, small animals and carrion. If available, they actually prefer to eat animals due to their higher…
If you don’t know what a lobster is already, they are large crayfish-like creatures that live exclusively in saltwater. A lobster’s defining feature is its large front claws and its dark red color. They are ancient creatures with many interesting abilities, some of which I will look into in this post! Perhaps the most interesting…
Hawks are carnivorous birds of prey that hunt small mammals like mice and gophers. They are at the top of the food chain in their ecosystem and play an important role in controlling the population of these small animals. Hawks are carnivores and tertiary consumers, which means they exclusively eat other animals that are primary…
Pigeons are interesting creatures that have adapted to live in cities alongside humans. Pigeons and birds are omnivores, which means they will eat almost anything. However, in the wild, their diet consists of seeds, insects, fruits and plants. It also varies a bit between species, but here I will focus on the rock pigeon most…