3:00 snapshot, #97.

[urbpan]

Garlic mustard as an enrichment device.

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On this day in 365 urban species: Narrowleaf plantain

Yesterday we saw our first catbird, and today we saw yellow warblers and our first oriole of the year! Tomorrow should be an excellent Urban Nature Walk in the Arboretum!

Comments

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

okay great, you've given me nightmares. arboreal woodchucks. GREEEEEAAAAATTTTTT idea :)

fantastic :>

#

[wandererrob.livejournal.com]

I love chuckers!

I still have a picture at my desk of one we had at NEWC when I was an internt there. Funny, after 9 years I still miss that place. :)

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

He's such a cutie! :)

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Is it just me, or do they look an awful lot like wombats?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yep! Wombats and Woodchucks are very similar, ecologically and morphologically.

convergent evolution

[candent.livejournal.com]

Are they basically the marsupial equivalent of woodchucks?

Re: convergent evolution

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

exactly.

Examples of convergence

Eutherian Marsupial
cat quoll
antelope kangaroo
flying squirrel sugar glider
mole marsupial moles
marmot wombat
wolf thylacine

http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Lectures/Monotremes.html

[candent.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info Mr. Taylor!

[candent.livejournal.com]

Is he a permanent resident?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Almost all of our animals are. We have a special arrangement with a couple rehabbers at the moment to temporarily house a pair of kestrels with feather damage (when they molt they should be releaseable) but in general our animals are with us until they die.