Comments for Karstad Art

Comment on Crab Lake Pitcher Plants by Joan

Joan — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:16:33 +0000

Nice picture Aletta!

Comment on Fish Run in February? by fred

fred — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:02:13 +0000

And the next week, we again saw these fish, and deployed dipnets to try to capture one, but they got skittish when too much attention was paid to them. Finally when most of the mudpuppiers had left, Phil Scott netted three of them from the reformed school, and we confirmed that they were Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis), and Aleta photographed them before we released them. Nobody seems to know what they’d be doing in such active schools at this season — they breed in the spring at water temperatures around 16C.

Comment on Least Bittern by fred schueler

fred schueler — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:39:43 +0000

for those with a taste for chronological coherence, it was August 2008 when we picked up the roadkilled Bittern.

Comment on Cepaea shells in tunnels by John McKenzie

John McKenzie — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:42:07 +0000

Dear Aleta

The journal entry April 10th was very interesting. Does Fred know of the work being done on evolution, using Cepaea?

http://www.evolutionmegalab.org/en_GB/

Regards,

John McKenzie

Comment on View under the Schoolhouse Bridge by dayana

dayana — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:19:30 +0000

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Susan

http://sketchingdrawing.com

Comment on Painting slugs from photos by fred

fred — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:59:29 +0000

notice that you now have enough material to start taking subscriptions for a lavishly illustrated malaco-biographical memoir — “My Life with Slugs.”

Comment on Limax maximus art critic by fred

fred — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:10:29 +0000

Monster Slugs at Dyers Bay

from the Bruce Peninsula Press 2008(13):17, 17 Sept-8 Oct 2008 –

What may be the northernmost Ontario population of a giant slug has been found on the slope of the Niagara Escarpment above the settlement of Dyers Bay, by a team from the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre.

Almost all of the slugs that live around houses and in Canadian gardens are introduced from Europe, and many of these are only hardy enough to live in southern Ontario and the warmer parts of British Columbia. One of these species is Limax maximus the Giant Garden Slug, which is 10-20 cm long, brownish and heavily spotted with black or dark brown.

This species lives in gardens, along roads, in wooded areas adjacent to human settlement, and on waste ground and other disturbed habitats. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region, but is now widespread in Europe. There are places in southern Ontario where this species is common, but in Ottawa it is believed that introductions are killed off by winter cold, though some may survive near heated buildings.

In 1990, when he was working on a survey of the amphibians and reptiles of the Peninsula, Dr Frederick W. Schueler saw one of these slugs in the woods above the settlement of Dyers Bay.

After a thunderstorm on the evening of 23 August 2008, Dr Schueler and Judy Courteau walked the Dyers Bay Road, through the escarpment slope forest between the Bruce Trail and the settlement. This was part of an expedition across southern Ontario trying to refind old records of introduced snails and slugs.

They found two Limax maximus on the roadside and on the trunk of a Birch tree. This confirms that the species has persisted here, away from buildings, for 18 years. These slugs seek shelter during the day under debris, stones, wood and vegetation and emerge to feed at night and during wet weather. They eat mostly dead vegetation and fungi, but roots, fruit and leafy crops form a small part of their diet.

Deep snow, and access to hibernation refuges among broken rock may explain their long-term survival here, at the latitude of Ottawa.

Afterwards, Fred & Judy spoke to Craig Arthurs, who lives in Dyers Bay, and he said that they see big striped slugs similar to these occasionally on the beach. He particularly recalls one about 15 years ago which was on the patio of their cottage, and attracted the attention of his children.

The Bishops Mills Natural History Centre (see http://pinicola.ca) is working with others interested in introduced slugs and snails to prepare a guide to these species in Canada (see http://mollus.ca/). They welcome stories or pictures of any of these animals, especially Giant Garden Slugs, from the Bruce Peninsula. Pictures or accounts may be sent to Fred Schueler, or at the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0, (613)258-3107.

Comment on The Challenge – Snowshoe Hare style by fred

fred — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:46:13 +0000

Animals challenging passing cars for social status is a topic that's hardly been studied in road ecology. And here's another instance: =====================================20 July 2008===================================== Canada: Ontario: Grenville County: Augusta: Branch Road, 1.1 km WSW South Branch. 31B/13, UTM 18TVE 436.3 618.3 44.80966N 75.71245W. TIME: 1000ca. HABITAT: near culvert/ditch in tall-grassy creekside roadside with gravel shoulders. OBSERVER: Aleta Karstad Schueler, Lorraine Leader. AKS 08 Jul 201000/a, Lepus americanus (Snowshoe Hare) (Mammal). 1 adult, AOR. brown pelage, challenged passing vehicles. "Lorraine and I saw an oncoming vehicle slow for the Hare, which was crossing and re-crossing the road so that the vehicle had to slow to nearly a standstill. We slowed down as well, and after the oncoming vehicle resumed and passed by us, the Hare emerged from the roadside vegetation and dashed across in front of us, nearly getting hit. I think this Hare was playing the same tricks as the one I described in my weblog last summer, playing "Rabbit" like a game of "Chicken". I wonder whether there were other Hare spectators of this sport, and perhaps some betting. "

Comment on Robins are back! by c bayne

c bayne — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:36:10 +0000

Indeed, the birds are back! Besides the territorial robins we have had a flock of Juncos swirling about the horse yard looking like little grey nuns in a stiff breeze. Today they were frantic in the thick fresh snow and brave in their desperation, following practically on our heels as we cleared ground and threw down hay.

Comment on Ostrich Fern fiddleheads! by Gillian Capper

Gillian Capper — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:11:54 +0000

I am a botany student at the University of New Brunswick studying under Dr. Kate Frego. I am currently working on a project for her in which I study the uses of plants in an extreme survival context. In this project I would like to use the fiddlehead picture on this page. May I have your consent to use the photo?

Thank you in advance,

- Gillian Capper