Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: carnivorous

All three photos posted this morning are from my archives. Our forecast is for snow today, so I thought I would post photos with colour. I couldn't believe the sights seen when looking at a carnivorous Sundew plant through a macro lens! The complete plant is only very small and each leaf is tiny. This is just the tip of one of those leaves, seen with a few of the red stalked mucilaginous glands (like little round, red glass beads) with which the plant lures and digests insects. Isn't nature amazing? I could spend hours macro photographing this tiny plant! Unfortunately, I've only seen it when we've been on private land at Elkton Bog, north west of the city, near Cremona. We've only been lucky enough to botanize the bog area three or four times. It's definitely a very wet experience, as parts of you sink partly under water, lol! This photo was taken on 30 July 2010. "The carnivorous sundew plant, botanical name Drosera, has about 130 species. All of the species of the sundew plant are beautiful and many look like fireworks, but they are deadly to the insects that fly near to them. One thing that all carnivorous sundew plants do have is the gel-like substance at the tips of the tentacles that cover the leaves. This gel is a sticky substance that the insects that fly too near the plant get stuck on. The plant can then eat it. The many species of the sundew plant can be found all around the world, on every single continent. This is unusual for a plant because most carnivorous plants are found only in one or two regions of the world because of the different climates that they must live in. The plant is called sundew because of the gel like substance on the tentacles. The gel makes the plants look as if they have morning dew on them all day long, especially when it glistens in the sun." From www.carnivorous--plants.com/sundew-plant.html

Happy Boxing Day, everyone! Just needed something completely different from snow and old barns. Dug deep into my archives and came up with this macro of a leaf tip of a Venus Flytrap plant. A splash of colour feels good today - a sunny day, but with a temperature of -18C (-0.4°F) with a windchill of -24C (-11.2°F). This macro shot shows the trap slightly open. I'm not sure why some traps are green and others more yellow, orange or red, but I've had all these colours on one single plant. Perhaps they change colour with age? This leaf tip was somewhere around half to three-quarters of an inch long. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo

All three photos posted this morning were taken at the Calgary Zoo yesterday afternoon, 6 October 2015. The west entrance to the Zoo will be closed from 13 October till April 2016, so I did want to get in another visit before then. I don't like the drive home on Deerfoot Trail from the north entrance, so tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun. The forecast was for sun with some cloud, but it turned out to be overcast the whole afternoon and most of my photos, especially those taken indoors, came out blurry. The Zoo has an adult Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) called Loka. She is the oldest female Komodo dragon in captivity and she arrived at the Calgary Zoo in 2014. Later, the Zoo acquired four new young ones (all from the same litter). When they arrived, they were put in the adjacent enclosure, so that they wouldn't get eaten. My photo is a close-up shot of one of the young ones. The IUCN Status of the Komodo Dragon is ENDANGERED – there are only between 3 to 5 thousand Komodo dragons left in the wild. “The Komodo dragon’s size (2.4 - 2.7 m or 72 - 108 in length) and appearance as well as the yellow color of its long, forked tongue inspired the ‘dragon’ portion of their name, evoking thoughts of mythical, firebreathing creatures. Komodo dragons are the largest lizard in the world. As such they are also the largest of the monitor lizards, an ancient reptile group with ancestors that date back more than 100 million years. Their habitat is hilly and rugged volcanic forest and grassland where conditions are hot and dry; tropical dry forest and sometimes moist deciduous monsoon forests of southeastern Indonesia. Komodos can eat large chunks of food without chewing because of their loosely-articulated jaws. Powerful neck and throat muscles help this process. A Komodo dragon can consume up to 80 per cent of its own body weight at one time.” From the Calgary Zoo website. www.calgaryzoo.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon

When I called in at the Calgary Zoo on 14 October 2014, this time the adult Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) called Loka was visible. She is the oldest female Komodo dragon in captivity and she arrived at the Calgary Zoo just a few months ago. Very recently, the Calgary Zoo acquired four new young ones (all from the same litter) and they are in the exhibit next to Loka, so that they don't get eaten. My photo is a close-up shot of one of the young ones, which was lying next to a bright lamp - hence the rather golden look to its skin. The IUCN Status of the Komodo Dragon is ENDANGERED – there are only between 3 to 5 thousand Komodo dragons left in the wild. “The Komodo dragon’s size (2.4 - 2.7 m or 72 - 108 in length) and appearance as well as the yellow color of its long, forked tongue inspired the ‘dragon’ portion of their name, evoking thoughts of mythical, firebreathing creatures. Komodo dragons are the largest lizard in the world. As such they are also the largest of the monitor lizards, an ancient reptile group with ancestors that date back more than 100 million years. Their habitat is hilly and rugged volcanic forest and grassland where conditions are hot and dry; tropical dry forest and sometimes moist deciduous monsoon forests of southeastern Indonesia. Komodos can eat large chunks of food without chewing because of their loosely-articulated jaws. Powerful neck and throat muscles help this process. A Komodo dragon can consume up to 80 per cent of its own body weight at one time.” From the Calgary Zoo website. www.calgaryzoo.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon

With a weather forecast of rain and mixed precipitation for a few days (8-10 September 2014), there were a couple of places that I thought I had better get to straight away. The first one was Brown-Lowery, to check if there were any mushrooms. I was there recently, and only found a couple of things. Yesterday's visit was slightly more rewarding and I found several large clusters of tiny mushrooms growing on tree stumps or at the base of trees. Also found several patches of bright orange Coral Fungi. Quite a few people were in the park, so I felt safer going a very short way in. Far enough, as it turned out, to watch an adult and a juvenile Three-toed Woodpecker feeding together on a tree trunk. The young one was copying Mom or Dad, but its soft squeaking sound resulted in the adult feeding it, too. On the way home, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park, hoping to find a Beaver or a MInk that a friend had told me about (thanks, Phil!). Though I did see a couple of Beavers, I wasn't able to get a decent photo of them (see a photo uploaded today). One of them was a huge animal - this was the one that was recently found in a trap, biting off one of its front legs/feet that was caught in the trap. Someone had been there when this was happening and she made several reports about it. Thanks, Linda, for doing this. Such a cruel way to deal with any Beaver problem! The now three-legged animal seems to be doing OK. I was luckier with this Mink, catching it in a couple of very quick shots. I did post a similar shot previously, but decided to post this one as well, as I very rarely ever see one of these animals. This particular one had a really dark coat. There were various things blocking part of my view, which is why I got pale or discoloured patches in the lower half of the image. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm IT TAKES UP TO 65 MINK TO MAKE JUST ONE FULL-LENGTH FUR COAT!!!

I came across this photo last night, when I was trying to find a photo that had some bright colour in it. I cropped it, but found the darkish grey-blue background so unpleasant. Normally, I don't change backgrounds, and with the couple of photos that I have done so, I always say what I have done. Took me forever to remember how to do it, too. Anyway, this image shows two different leaf-tip colourings that were on a Venus Flytrap plant, taken on 29 July 2014. The tips were maybe half to three-quarters of an inch. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo Yesterday was sunny with blue sky, which was so welcome after the very damaging summer snowstorm that hit Calgary hard the previous two days. I haven't driven anywhere since before the storm, so still haven't seen "the big picture". Just on my street yesterday, city crews were out on foot, marking the trees that needed branches removed. Now the edge of the street is lined with endless piles of cut branches, waiting for the trucks and equipment to come and deal with them. And that's just a tiny section of my street - makes you realize how many thousands of trees were damaged across the whole city. Not sure what happened to the sun today, as the sky is very overcast. It's supposed to return tomorrow, though. Later: it rained this afternoon, which helped get rid of more of the snow, but I suspect that down in our parks and natural areas there will be still be snow and slush. The weekend is looking good so far : )

With a weather forecast of rain for tomorrow and mixed precipitation for Tuesday and Wednesday, there were a couple of places that I thought I had better get to yesterday. The first one was Brown-Lowery, to check if there were any mushrooms. I was there recently, and only found a couple of things. Yesterday's visit was more rewarding and I found several large clusters of tiny mushrooms growing on tree stumps or at the base of trees. Also found several patches of bright orange Coral Fungi, seen in the next photo. Quite a few people were in the park, so I felt safer going a short way in. Far enough, as it turned out, to watch an adult and a juvenile Three-toed Woodpecker feeding together on a tree trunk. The young one was copying Mom or Dad, but its soft squeaking sound resulted in the adult feeding it, too. On the way home, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park, hoping to find a Beaver or a MInk that a friend had told me about (thanks, Phil!). Though I did see a couple of Beavers, I wasn't able to get a decent photo of them. One of them was a huge animal - this was the one that was recently found in a trap, biting off one of its front legs that was caught in the trap. Someone had been there when this was happening and she made several reports about it. Thanks, Linda, for doing this. Such a cruel way to deal with any Beaver problem! The now three-legged animal seems to be doing OK. I was luckier with this Mink, catching it in a couple of quick shots. There were various things blocking part of my view, which is why I got pale or discoloured patches in the lower half of the image. On the walk back to my car, I was lucky enough to see a distant doe and her two fawns. Apparently, she had three, so we were wondering if something had happened to one of them. Maybe a Coyote? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm IT TAKES UP TO 65 MINK TO MAKE JUST ONE FULL-LENGTH FUR COAT!!!

This is a macro shot of a leaf tip belonging to a Venus Flytrap plant. In this photo, the trap is slightly open. I'll add a previously posted photo of an open trap, and of a white flower, in a comment box below. I'm not sure why some traps are green and others more yellow, orange or red, but I've had all these colours on one single plant. Perhaps they change colour with age? This leaf tip was somewhere around half to three-quarters of an inch long. Though I tend to think of Venus Flytrap as being a tropical plant, it's not. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo

Well, my morning just started off with a Blue Screen of Death on my computer! Thankfully, it seems to have worked OK after turning off my computer and then turning it back on. I think my heart is still beating fast! I wonder if it had anything to do with getting four comments in a row on one of my photos last night, each one was just a string of jumbled letters. I did delete them immediately and also blocked the person. This is a macro shot of a leaf tip belonging to a Venus Flytrap plant. Sometimes, the trap closes and stays closed for no obvious reason, as in this case. I'll add a previously posted photo of an open trap, and of a white flower, in a comment box below. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo This is a long weekend here in Canada - Monday, 4 August 2014 is Heritage Day. Have a good, safe holiday, everyone!

I'm still kicking myself that I didn't try and get a better photo than this, of a very small, delicate flower belonging to the carnivorous Venus Flytrap. This was a plant that I bought recently, one of 3 or 4 that I had bought over the last few years. This was the first time that a flower had grown and it was fascinating to see, growing on a very long, thin stem. I didn't get round to taking more photos and two days ago, I noticed that the flower had died. Previously posted photo of an amazing leaf tip in comment box below. David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo "The flower has to be high above the leaves so insects pollinating the flowers do not get trapped in the leaves. Each flower produces very tiny seeds. They are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. If you pinch the flowers off, the leaves will grow more vigorously since growing flowers takes a lot of energy from the plant." From botany.org. botany.org/bsa/misc/carn.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_flytrap

This is such a fascinating, carnivorous plant, which we were lucky enough to see at the Elkton Bog, north west of Calgary, on July 30th. It's a plant that cries out "Macro me!" It has to be one of my favourite plants to photograph in macro. "The carnivorous sundew plant, botanical name Drosera, has about 130 species. All of the species of the sundew plant are beautiful and many look like fireworks, but they are deadly to the insects that fly near to them. One thing that all carnivorous sundew plants do have is the gel-like substance at the tips of the tentacles that cover the leaves. This gel is a sticky substance that the insects that fly too near the plant get stuck on. The plant can then eat it. The many species of the sundew plant can be found all around the world, on every single continent. This is unusual for a plant because most carnivorous plants are found only in one or two regions of the world because of the different climates that they must live in. The plant is called sundew because of the gel like substance on the tentacles. The gel makes the plants look as if they have morning dew on them all day long, especially when it glistens in the sun." From www.carnivorous--plants.com/sundew-plant.html

This Laughing Kookaburra resides at the Calgary Zoo. "Kookaburras (genus Dacelo) are large to very large (total length 28–42 cm/11–17 in) terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, the name a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, which is onomatopoeic of its call. Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, which is uncannily like loud, echoing human laughter — good-natured, but rather hysterical, merriment in the case of the well-known Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). They are generally not closely associated with water, and can be found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and where food can be searched for easily. Kookaburras are carnivorous. They will eat lizards, snakes, insects, mice, other small birds, and raw meat. The most social birds will accept handouts from humans and will take raw or cooked meat (even if at high temperature) from on or near open-air barbecues left unattended." From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra

Taken on 23 April 2013 in Fish Creek Park. Several of us were treated to seeing more than one of these beautiful wild Mink, but I haven't heard of anyone seeing them again for many weeks. I guess we were just really lucky with our timing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm

A single, quick shot of a stuffed Lynx, part of a display at a visitor's centre at Bow Valley Provincial Park the day before yesterday, 18 June 2013. At least, I'm pretty sure it's a Lynx - I think we only have the Lynx and Bobcat, and this animal does have the long, black tufts on the ear tips. I've never seen one in the wild, but would love to - same with a Bobcat. This park is west of Calgary, on the very eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains and is a well-known location for birds and especially wildflowers. Unfortunately, it rained for almost the whole time we were out there, while we walked all round Middle Lake (seen in my photo above), then walked to and around Many Springs and then back to the cars at Middle Lake. From there, we drove down to the River and, as the sun was now out, we did just a short, very slow-paced, very enjoyable walk through the trees along the river's edge. Lol, I was totally exhausted by the time I got home - I'm used to slow-paced walks/hikes, stopping all the time to take photos. This was (for me) a fast-paced hike, apart from the river walk, which my body can't cope with, ha. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_lynx -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Managed to find five or six sharpish photos amongst a number of others that came out blurry. Not sure if it was my excitement that caused this or the fact that the Mink's fur was quite wet in many of the photos : ) Always a real treat to see one of these beautiful animals, and it's fun to watch these rather curious - and vicious! - creatures. This is the second time I've seen one in a local park, close enough to see it properly. Seen others maybe two or three times but from a huge distance. I never realized, until perhaps a couple of years ago, that we had Mink here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm Flickr is acting very slow again today - have also had two or three white, blank pages. The problem that some of us are having is apparently being worked on.

Just managed to get three shots of this little mink when it made an appearance on 28 April 2013 - all three were very washed out, but I managed to make this one just about fit to post. They have wonderful fur, so richly coloured. Between 30 and 70 Mink die in order to make a full-length fur coat! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm

I was so thrilled to see this Mink in a local park yesterday. I had seen about three before, but not much more than a brief, distant speck in the far distance in other parts of the park. So, this is the first photo I have taken of one. Unfortunately, yet again it was crummy weather, no light and very light rain. Almost every photo came out badly, but I managed to "rescue" this one. Thanks so much for the help, Kathy! This is the way to see a Mink - not skinned and used as part of a woman's fur coat! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink "Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents. www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm

Macro photo of the small leaf tip of a Venus Flytrap plant, photographed in my kitchen on November 1st. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo