Animals in your garden

[DeborahJane]

Thank you @DeborahJane. When the butterflies first exit the chrysalis, the thorax (abdomen) is enormous and the wings are small, all crumpled up, and limp. The reason the thorax is so huge is that it is full of fluid part meconium from their stay in the chrysalis which they pee out (in a magnificent arch for these butterflies because of their size). The first time i saw that, i said "well hello". The remaining fluid is flowing into veins in the wings (hence the "hanging"), expanding the wings and making them flight ready. The time this takes depends on the air temperature and the size of the butterfly. It could be an hour before they are ready to fly. The butterflies are so vulnerable during this time. If they should loose their grasp and fall down while the wings are still limp, they will die unless they have a friend passing by to offer them a finger to grasp or unless there is something to climb on that they can drag themselves to. The larger bflies like this one rarely fall but sometimes the smaller to mid sized ones do. Gosh i hope this is coherent. I am so stunned by what has just happened in the country of my birth that i am both sick to my stomach and light headed, and in a state of disbelief. The person who will not be the president received the majority of the popular vote, but the candidate who becomes president is the one who receives the most electoral votes.

I'm in disbelief, too. When I woke up in the early hours of the morning i hoped i was dreaming / nIghtmaring.

 

[Dinu]

@DeborahJane I must tell you that I learnt about the butterfly, chrysalis, DNA, meconim, wings, flight, egg-laying, predators, caterpillar, feeding.... from @Beverly. That's one beautiful swallowtail in your garden! Lovely photo too.

 

[Beverly]

I guess these guys aren't really "animals", they are critters though, so i hope that counts. The Queen Monarch butterfly caterpillars have been growing well and haven't much been bothered by predators. Most of them are just about ready to pupate, like the one in the first photo that is just a bit over 2" (5 cm). There are about 10 altogether, and two smaller ones that must have been from a later egg laying. They shed their skin five times as they grow and they work really hard doing that. For sure it is no easy task. The little one in the 2nd photo has just completed a molt. Their little faces even fall off. It can take them a day or two, depending on size and how warm the weather is. The black stuff behind this little guy is the skin. After resting for awhile he will turn around and eat the skin behind him. O yum

 

[Becky]

Fascinating little creatures!

 

[granjera]

Sunning on the bell peppers.

 

[Beverly]

You won't find these sunning on your bell peppers @granjera and if you do they are not eating them, more likely they are looking for a place to pupate. Next stop a chrysalis full of DNA soup, next stop butterfly which are not going to eat or lay eggs on your bell peppers either.

 

[marlingardener]

We saw our first red fox today! Actually, it was spotted by my husband as the fox ran across the front yard and then under the workshop. We've lived here nearly 10 years, and this is the first fox we've seen.
I checked our chicken coop (aka Fort Knox) to make sure all the barriers and protective wire was in place and secure. We are thrilled with the variety of wildlife we are getting--more than in previous years.

 

[Beverly]

That is encouraging news @marlingardener

 

[granjera]

Okay, I'll try that again.

 

[marlingardener]

And today we saw our second deer! The wildlife is on the move, and we had a deer in the pasture, walking the path around the pond. We mow a path down to and around the pond, thinking it was for us. Nope, the herons, bobcat, and now the deer use the path (wouldn't want to get our feet, paws, or hooves dirty).

 

[snowflakes]

We spotted a deer last week and more are coming in.They have never moved this near before.It would have been great if they could gain our trust and allow us to pet them.

 

[Beth_B]

We spotted a deer last week and more are coming in.They have never moved this near before.It would have been great if they could gain our trust and allow us to pet them.

No. As a former long time executive of a large state wildlife and feral pet advocacy and care organization...the LAST and worst thing wild/ native/ feral animals need is domestication! Please please do not attempt to befriend wildlife in an attempt to make yourself feel good.

Trust of humans kills animals.

 

[marlingardener]

A nearby town has a deer problem, too many deer for the area, inbreeding, and traffic hazards. All this is caused primarily because the inhabitants think that the deer are "cute" and feed them. One lady asked what plants would repel deer because her shrubbery and gardens were being eaten. I told her the best thing was to get the town fathers to pass an ordinance outlawing deer feeding. "Oh, but they come right up to you!" I asked if she had ever seen what a full grown stag with an eight point rack could do to a human, especially a child.

 

[Beth_B]

A nearby town has a deer problem, too many deer for the area, inbreeding, and traffic hazards. All this is caused primarily because the inhabitants think that the deer are "cute" and feed them. One lady asked what plants would repel deer because her shrubbery and gardens were being eaten. I told her the best thing was to get the town fathers to pass an ordinance outlawing deer feeding. "Oh, but they come right up to you!" I asked if she had ever seen what a full grown stag with an eight point rack could do to a human, especially a child.

Yes indeed...a nearby town here last year had such a deer overpopulation problem they organized a cull, which became very controversial.

But what a lot of people don't realise...an unbalanced high deer population overgrazes grassland. Which kills off small rodents by starving them and depriving them of shelter. Which then causes hawks and other predators to starve to death, or move away.

Mother Nature really works best. Now that we humans have eradicated carnivorous predators, the natural system is unbalanced and we have to try to keep it in balance by hunting, and by commonsense relationships with wild animals.

And @marlingardener has it right! Deer are not fuzzy, gentle Disneyland creatures. Search on YouTube...lots of videos of deer attacking people and pets.

We call wild animals "wild" for a reason.

 

[Beverly]

Here is the butterfly that used to be the caterpillar (on page 13 post 258). Eight of them eclosed yesterday and today and 2 will eclose tomorrow. This one has taken her first flight and is now resting for awhile. They are called Queens (Danaus gilipuss) related to the Monarchs. The first two groups to eclose are probably off mating somewhere but they always return for the ones still in their chrysalises. The first group (of only 2) returned for the second group, and the first and second groups will return for the last two, making sure all the siblings are present and accounted for.