Nature Calls Again

Springtails Earl Plato

Flea hunting? C’mon Plato. No kidding for Donald Stokes tells us, “If you continue to explore nature in winter you are bound to come across “Snow Fleas.” He’s right. It was over the Christmas season that we discovered on and near a stump at the roadway leading up to Marcy’s cabin the snow darkened with black spots. There where the sun had melted a patch of ice somethings were moving! “Springtails” said Ernie. We stepped closer and to my amazement thousands of little gray/black insects were hopping about. No kidding. Here in dead winter time insects were alive and frolicking!
Ernie Giles, naturalist informed us, “ They’re Snow Fleas we call Springtails.”
Scientifically - Achorutes nivicolus.
‘Springtails’ - why that name? Ernie said look closely. This consummate naturalist had a magnifying glass. “See the two appendages at the last body segment. They are like modified legs.” The little guys were constantly moving and ‘springing’ s few inches. All I could see was this quick movement. We were told that the two appendages are folded up against the Springtail’s abdomen and held in place by two clasps. “Look at a flea that isn’t jumping.” Easy to say. Then I could see the two clasps spring out against the ground and the flea moved a couple of inches. “Springtail” is a good name.
On this sunny winter day Springtails had come out to feed in the warmth of a microclimate. I asked Ernie if this display was a mating frenzy. No. They are just feeding on leaf mould, pollen or algae. Here at the base of the stump was plenty of leaf mould.
Look for the Springtails on a sunny winter day. They are more common than I believed. Think small. Enjoy nature.
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Tracks? A call last month got me thinking about tracks. Mr. Nicholls of Nicholls Marine Ltd. called me to ask about Otters. He described what he saw on a road to Welland. It was an otter-like animal. He had turned around his vehicle and trailer to confirm the sighting. It had gone. No tracks but his description was that of a River otter. I told him of Diane Paonessa of House Road who saw an otter and photoed its tracks and snow slide some years ago. A beautiful animal - in Niagara Region? I hope so.
Tracks! Animal tracks in the snow. This time of year I take some time to do some tracking. Three places this week - Marcy Woods, Stevensville Conservation area and yes, The Friendship Trail.
I have some books the best of which is the Peterson Guide to Animal Tracks, Pocket size I take it along.
A new hobby for 2008 - animal tracking? Please note - if it’s skunk tracks and they are fresh - slow down, eh!