Wildlife habitat or Evolutionary trap?

In the parking lot of Gillette stadium stood a convenient booth. Within was a modern take on Marcel DuChamp's "Fountain." But despite being dialed to "open," this chamber was partially occupied. If you look closely, you can see the occupant near the drain.


At first I thought this juvenile running crab spider was cleverly making use of man-made habitat--after all, there are certain insects that will be drawn to the aromas in a location such as this, good prey for a little spider. Then I reconsidered--this is more likely an Evolutionary Trap; the spider has evolved to make use of dark spaces and vertical surfaces, but natural selection has not shaped it to deal with the slick PVC underfoot, and was caught as surely as if it had stumbled into a pitcher plant.

3:00 snapshot #1303

Amanda and Widget.


Widget was found as a chick, after the tree he was living in was cut down. After a stint at a wildlife rehabilitator he came to be an educational animal for the zoo.

First slime mold of the year!

I saw these little guys from a long way off--they looked almost traffic cone orange! This is wolf's milk slime mold Lycogala epidendrum.


Little cushions look smooth from a distance but are textured close up.