Explore the Outdoors!
Here is an overview of all the articles on the blog.
Sea slugs are a type of mollusc that live in the ocean. Like all gastropod molluscs, they have a soft body that, contrary to snails, is not protected by a hard shell. Sea slugs have lost their shell during the course of evolution and instead rely on other methods of defence – such as venom!…
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…
Barnacles are filter feeders that live on the bottom of the sea. In the wild, barnacles form an important part of the food web since they eat a wide variety of food items and provide a nutritious meal to many other animals in the sea. Barnacles are not primarily decomposers but can function as scavengers…
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…
Venus fly traps are carnivorous plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils. They get their nutrients from the insects they trap and digest. Venus fly traps are producers that use light to create their own food. They capture energy from the sun and convert it into chemical energy that they use to produce glucose from carbon…
Rabbits are herbivores that live in a wide variety of habitats, including woods, meadows, grasslands and even deserts. In the wild, rabbits form an important part of the food web as primary consumers. Rabbits are not decomposers but can function as scavengers in their habitat. Whereas they mostly eat living things like grass and hay,…
Wolves are carnivores that hunt in packs. They typically target large prey, such as deer or elk, but will also eat smaller animals like rabbits or rodents. Wolves are considered to be tertiary consumers, which means they are apex predators that sit at the top of the food chain and have few natural predators. Grey…
Mussels are common freshwater and marine bivalves. They are filter feeders that strain large volumes of water to extract small prey such as algae, bacteria and plankton. In this way, they play an important role in water purification. Mussels are mostly herbivores, but they are known to be opportunistic feeders that will consume other food…