Insert Lore - Live Butterfly Garden

Todd received a very cool gift for his birthday - a kit which permits observation of the caterpillar to butterfly lifecyle, in all its glory. The butterfly 'garden' as it is called is essential a cylindrical butterfly net. On opening the kit there is a certificate, which is used to order the live caterpillars, and you can trigger the process by post or via the internet. 

I followed the internet option and selected a time slot for delivery. The caterpillars arrived on May 2nd and were absolutely tiny. When you see them like this it is hard to believe some of the British species can swell into absolute monsters like the Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar (see previous article where we found one of these true mini-beasts!). 

Unfortunately I took the first picture a few days after they arrived and by this time our five eager caterpillars had trebled in size. 

The species we received were Painted Lady caterpillars (Vanessa cardui) and, unsurprisingly, they turn into Painted Lady butterflies! You get five caterpillars in a sterile pot, which contains enough food (not typical leaves but a special formula) to facilitate rapid growth and subsequent chrysalis construction. You don't open the pot, it is just a case of observation. 

Four of our charges morphed into monsters and effectively constructed cocoons. The fifth didn't manage to build a suitable metamorphosis chamber, largely on account of the other four deciding he would provide an excellent nutritional resource! Yes, caterpillars will eat their own and, of course, the probability of this occurring is higher in a confined space. Thus we were left with four very interesting cocoons and one caterpillar without a head. 

Look at the size of them after only 9 days! 

After about ten to fourteen days the caterpillars crawled up to the container lid and suspended themselves in preparation for metamorphosis. It is remarkable how much silk they produce and it is not something people regularly associate with butterfly larvae, but they were spinning threads all over the place and ultimately reached the top of their micro-habitat by means of this series of biological nets. 

The cocoons/chrysalides have now been removed from the pot and sit inside the butterfly garden, as per instructions. I will post pictures of them shortly, along with the butterflies, which should be emerging any day now. 

Spotted Python Eggs

The Spotted Pythons were cooled down this year to simulate proper autumnal conditions. I wasn't certain copulation was taking place, but it transpired almost all of it occurred in the dark seclusion of the stone cave near the main heat source. 

I caught them tied a few times, as did Todd, and so it was just a case of whether the female had enough body weight and the male was fertile. This year was the first time she was large enough to breed (I had worked hard feeding her up during 2011 to ensure the greatest chance of success). 

It was fantastic for the boys to witness the reality of reproduction. There was no point talking about birds and bees or storks with the amount of questions these two have! Best to let nature explain and then support with additional words. 

Certainly the path from copulation to egg laying has not run according to the text books. They were introduced to each other around November and the temperature gradually reduced (via habitstat control) until it rested around 23 degrees. As the weeks progressed (with food having also been withdrawn) biochemical signals began to slip both animals into breeding mode. 

A female python's ovulation is different to the widely accepted human definition. Rather than releasing the eggs on a regular basis, which may or may not be met by the male's seed, the female snake will ovulate once successful mating has occurred and she is literally ready to push the eggs down to the waiting spermatazoa. At this point a noticeable swelling is observed - as if she had consumed a very large prey item. I didn't witness the event, but it is possible it occurred while she was in the cave or that it was less pronounced and therefore not obvious (which does happen). 

About two months ago we had the pre-lay shed and I kept the faith. It is approximately 30 days from this point until eggs appear. After this pre-lay shed the female normally shows no interest in mating, but I saw them tied at least once more after the event. That is unusual. 

Also the female did not appear at all broad or full, she always remained rather slim looking, and this added weight to our opinion that the pairing had failed.

Anyway 60 days after what we assumed was the pre-lay shed, and with all hope diminished, she did in fact lay a clutch! This caught us all by surprise and I was certain it wouldn't happen this year. I lifted the cave up, in order to confirm she was ok (as no hunting behaviour had been observed), and she was coiled in a perfect spiral. I had never seen her lay like this before and, on shifting her head slightly, I saw a perfect, full, white egg. The female is normally good at deciding which eggs are infertile and removing them from the clutch, so at this time it is looking positive. 

Female pythons are maternal and will remain coiled around their brood throughout incubation. They will also twitch their bodies to raise the temperature and maintain optimum conditions. This is peculiar to the family Pythonidae.

Fingers crossed we are in a position to reveal babies. The longer a female holds on to the eggs the less time they take to hatch, so based on what we have witnessed it could be anything from 38 - 58 days before miniature serpents venture forth into the big, wide world. 

The Blackbird's Nest

We we are at the Norwegian Church in London recently and, after the boys had completed their studies and eaten lunch, we ventured into the back garden for a bounce on the trampoline and kick of the football. 

Glancing across to the ivy, I suddenly caught sight of a bird nest constructed in an unusually low and exposed position. Indeed it was receiving some interest from the local avians, which can't have been ideal. 

The kids were keen to take a closer look at the nest and, seeing as it was so low, it wasn't difficult to hoist them into an ideal viewing position. We were very careful not to disturb the nest and I snapped the close-ups by holding the camera directly above and avoiding direct contact. 

Checking the books it would appear this was a Blackbird's nest (the blueish background and vague brown speckles being indicative), but a close call between that and a House Sparrow. The latter seems to have a more pronounced contrast between the brown and blue.  Hard to tell if the eggs had been abandoned, but there were some signs of pecking, which is commonplace during spring, as other species attempt to reduce the competition for food. Either way we left them in peace - carried in the capable hands of mother nature. If any are destined to hatch and thrive then it will happen, otherwise they may provide a useful food source for other creatures in the area. 

Nests are truly miraculous creations. They are right up there with spiders' webs in the complexity stakes and every species of bird builds a nest in a unique fashion. Remarkable that thousands of years have rendered these skills instinctive and thus provided a multitude of birds with the best chance of survival.

It would be wrong to suggest, however, that all bird nests are complicated structures. Many are nothing more than a dent in a sand pile or a scoop from a pile of rotting vegetation. Others are incredibly intricate - species such as the Weaver finch (Ploceidae) construct hanging nests with various chambers. Swallows (Hirundinidae) utilise mud to establish well protected nests, often located in precarious positions on the edge of cliffs, drain pipes or even high up on adjoining walls (see below). 

Evolution of nest building will have been dictated by a number of factors, including available substrate, intra-specific competition and predation levels. There are many examples of convergent evolution, which we would expect to see and, consequently, many species build superficially similar structures. 

Bird nests aside there are many examples of external construction in the animal kindgom - ranging from Caddis fly larvae and their armoured mobile homes to termite mounds and spider webs. Utilising the environment, huge numbers of creatures have honed techniques until reaching a point where their kind has the best possible chance of survival and reproduction. We walk down the street everyday and pay no attention to the wonders that have been designed above our heads, but take a closer look and the average bird nest is one of the most amazing things you are likely encounter. 

Na na na na na na na na.....Bat Walk!

Kelsey Park - one of the most beautiful parks in our area - often has interesting walks and talks arranged by dedicated local enthusiasts. There is an information centre, which is manned most of the time and full of useful leaflets, and it is easy to check their calendar for upcoming events. 

I had long been planning to attend one of their Bat Walks, and was just waiting for my eldest son to reach a suitable age. 2012 was the year! - father and son (both as excited as each other) headed off to Bat HQ and a very enjoyable evening.

We arrived at 20:00 BST to find a small group of about 25 people, including children, wrapped up warm and gathered around the information centre. The walk was being hosted by Ishpi Blatchley, a local bat expert and nature enthusiast. I hoisted Todd up onto my shoulders, to facilitate an excellent view of Ishpi and her helpers, and we received a brief introduction to the order Chiroptera. Some of the information I knew, but I didn't realise female bats could live for 40 years and there were a variety of other helpful snippets that really set the scene and helped immerse us in the fluttering world of these misunderstood creatures. 

We all received a BATBOX, which was a real highlight of the evening, and helped Todd feel quite the nature detective as he proudly held it aloft - scanning the night sky for winged mammalian activity. Sunset occurred at 20:00 BST and, as we advanced into the park, darkness quickly enveloped us in an inky shroud. 

We were asked to set the BATBOX frequency to around 50kHz, as this is ideal for the smaller bat species such as Pipistrelles. We were advised that three species were likely to grace us with their ultrasonic presence - the Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) , Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) and Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii). 

Sure enough we were only a few minutes into the route and our BATBOX starting clicking wildly, as it detected the first Pipistrelles flitting past the branches above. We were in the presence of flying mammals, though they remained cloaked by the darkness they trust so well. It did not take long for one to emerge from its onyx sanctum and flit across the lighter grey sky - providing a tantalising silhouette of the little insectivorous predator. 

Along the way Ishpi pointed out a bat box (the wooden kind fixed to a tree) and explained how they receive a great deal of traffic during the autumn months, with males using them as a harem.

We headed to the lake, beautiful centre piece of Kelsey Park, and the detectors continued to click wildly as we arrived at the perfect haven for Daubenton's bat. It was possible to see them skimming the surface in their search for insects and one of Ishpi's helpers shone a torch across the water, successfully tracking several animals, as they skimmed through the aqueous gloom. 

Above is a really bad photo taken over the lake! The two lighter spots in the middle are wings reflecting my flash light, but they also look like an eerie pair of eyes staring back from the darkness. Rather fitting for a walk which many would consider sinister, but my own opinion couldn't be further from this. 

It was cold and I had to give Todd my coat at one point, but that didn't detract from a very enjoyable evening being at one with the bats. All in all we must have seen a good thirty or forty examples of all three species and I would thoroughly recommend the event to anyone. 

I am advised by Ishpi that the Noctule, one of our largest species, congregates in significant numbers for one week only around June. This is due to the eruption of a particular food source. I am hoping to receive an email nearer the time and thoroughly look forward to observing bats the size of starlings!

The Highest Tide

As a child I was just as excited about the life residing in and around a beach, as I was about the treasures hidden behind our garden shed or deep inside the compost heap. 

My brother and I would spend hours flipping stones in the shallow rock pools and sweeping our nets through the tangled mass of seaweed, which filled every salty nook, as the sea withdrew to reveal her marvels. 

Whether we were at Brighton, New Haven or Marbella, a massive part of our holiday experiences centred on the mesmerising marine wildlife. We captured crabs of all sizes (including a huge, olive green example that we stalked for days whilst on holiday in Spain), fish, sea slugs, hermit crabs, shrimps and once a huge eel (my mum still has the photo of little me holding it aloft triumphantly!). All of these wonders would be placed in our bucket and studied, before we released them.

Trips to the seaside are no different for my own children. If the tide has not yet retreated, there will be frequent questions as to when we can finally head into the rock pools and immerse ourselves in the salty natural world. When we went on holiday last year, the boys and I would grab the buckets and spend hours locating sea urchins, starfish and anything interesting that caught our eye. Finally, after floating in the larger inlets buried deep within the rocks, and satisfied with our adventures, we would make our way back to the girls (my wife and mother-in-law) to showcase a bucket of wonder. 

I just do not understand why so many people lose this fascination with nature as they grow older. I am sure it is something every child possesses - that innocent curiosity regarding all living things. Some, like me, keep it into adulthood and it never leaves. For others it just doesn't seem important any more or their parents don't see the use in fostering these instincts. Such a shame. 

There is a wonderful book, which I discovered several years back, and tend to read at least once a year. It encompasses all that I have written here, all the magic of being lost in seaside nature and just wanting to share your life with the myriad creatures inhabiting the natural world. It is called THE HIGHEST TIDE by Jim Lynch and is one of the purest, fictional reads I have encountered. Sadly I may be one of the only dads on the beach to really enjoy spending hours with my kids in the rock pools, at least that is how it seemed last year, but I would urge everyone to read this book and recommend it to parents who have lost their interest in nature. Maybe, just maybe, this book will help them find it again. 

It Came From The Desert

We have seen that the Gallotia did not work out and a vivarium was free and just asking for a new inhabitant. 

The G.galloti pair were purchased because we wanted to work with a herbivorous species. Our spotted pythons' diet consists completely of rodents and the Storr's monitor lizard is equally focused on meat.

Carnivorous or omnivorous lizard species outnumber completely herbivorous examples. True iguanas are perhaps the best known saurian herbivores and in recent decades the green iguana has been readily available. This species can reach 2 metres in length, however, and vast numbers found themselves re-homed when they became too big and aggressive for their owners to handle. Admittedly two thirds of the length is tail, but this appendage can be used as a highly effective weapon and the claws are razor sharp. Yes there are very tame green iguanas, but this is not an ideal species for children to work with - not once it reaches a certain size. 

Other truly herbivorous iguanas include the galapagos land iguana, rhino iguana and marine iguana (also of the galapagos). The latter is never found in captivity on account of its protected status. Even if it was available they would need marine conditions to thrive and, being large animals, this is completely impractical. This is one animal best off sitting on the salty rocks of those strange islands. 

The galapagos land iguana is a large species sometimes encountered in zoos, but never in private collections. It is also protected and too large to make a simple pet. The rhino iguana is certainly available (and very expensive) but also bulky and powerful. If we are seeking something suitable for young children to handle then none of these fit the bill. 

Galapagos Land Iguana

There are Fijian iguanas, absent from captivity for a long time and now produced in reasonable numbers, but they remain very pricey and also need sizeable, arboreal enclosures. I tend to prefer desert species because they are rugged, hardy and able to look after themselves well enough if you go away for short periods. 

Cunningham skinks (Egernia cunninghami) and certain other members of the wider family tend towards herbivory as adults and I did own a lovely pair of Cunningham's skinks years and years ago. These were extremely tame, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The species is, more often than not, flighty and not ideal for handling. 

That left me with two possibilities - the chuckwalla (genus Sauromalus) or the spiny tailed lizards (genus Uromastyx). Both are plump, sensible sized animals, which often have calm temperaments. 

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)

Neither of these species are offered with any regularity and a decent adult, with an equally decent temperament, is hard to come by. So I was pleased to source a beautiful yellow phase 3 year old male Saharan uromastyx (U.geyri). He was part of a trio and had successfully fertilised a previous clutch, but only one of these three was female and our little fellow had started biting his rival quite badly. As the other two were red phase, the keepers decided to focus on them and move him on. Their loss and my gain, because he ticked every box and I quickly struck a deal. 

The boys love him and we have worked hard to create a naturalistic setup, which includes a burrow below ground level. These are desert animals and rarely, if ever, drink water. All their moisture requirements come from the vegetation they consume, they even have nasal glands designed to excrete salt and maximise water retention. 

Feeding him has been remarkably cheap thus far, because spring has delivered a bounty  of edible weeds like dandelions. The flower heads, stalks and leaves are all extremely nutritious and ideal as staple fodder. 

Many Uromastyx are shy and skittish and don't appreciate their backs being touched. Oogwe, as we have called him, is not too bad and that is absolutely essential for the kids. 

Gallotia gallotia......gone!

We had a spare vivarium (used to house our hatchling Storr's monitors until they were sold) - it seemed the right time to utilise  this space and introduce a new captive bred species.

I had my eye on a member of the Lacertidae family (true lizards) and narrowed down the options until I reached a really cool, rarely encountered, insular species - Gallotia galloti. Inhabiting Tenerife in the Canary Islands they are an unusual Lacertid, eating significant amounts of plant/vegetable matter. In fact the adults are almost entirely herbivorous. 

Male G.galloti

Animals are often trapped or poisoned by farmers because they eat significant amounts of grapes from the vineyards. Gallotia galloti is a sizeable lizard and our native Zootoca (formerly Lacerta!) vivipara is dwarfed by the adults of this species. G.galloti is itself dwarfed by the Gran Canaria Giant Lizard (G.stehlini), which also inhabits those mysterious, volcanic isles. The latter can reach sizes in excess of Eyed Lizards (Timon Lepida/Pater) and are also primarily herbivorous - if G.galloti annoys farmers by helping itself to a grape or two, then adult examples of G.stehlini will really have them up in arms!

Male Gran Canaria Giant Lizard (G.stehlini)

Not offered for sale very much, and at sensible prices when they are, it seemed a decent opportunity to work with an unusual species. 

The male of the species has a blackish background with blue spots down the flanks. These spots become more vivid during the breeding season and seem to be associated with attracting the opposite sex. The females may or may not have blue spotting, but it is generally less noticeable than the males and physically they are smaller with more refined heads. 

Female G.galloti

Sadly this species proved less than ideal for our circumstances. All animals kept in our collection must be suitable for handling by children. The kids are of an age where they really love to be involved in the captive care of our pets and enjoy the interaction. 

The animals were perfectly tame, once captured and sitting on the hand, but they were too flighty when people came into the room. I knew the species could be wary when young, but it was far more extreme than I had been led to believe. They would dive for cover at the slightest sound and often remain hidden in the substrate for hours or days. They were also impossible for the boys to catch and one of them would surely have shed its tail if they tried.

The two main tanks reside in the boys' room and it is important any pets are relaxed and on display. Unfortunately this pair was not going to cut it and we did not have the luxury of waiting years for potential improvements. G.stehlini can become dog tame as they mature and, whilst G.galloti will settle with time, the result is more variable.

So I had to look beyond my own interests and move for a different species. The lizards quickly found a new home and I turned my attention to alternatives. Previous blog entries reveal the cuplrit and we will soon hear more about this replacement. 

For now the genus Gallotia (very underrated) remains, for me, as obscure and distant as Teidae volcano on the island they inhabit.