Monday, May 28, 2012

Painted turtle



This painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) is crossing the trail at Celery Bog Park on its way back to the wetland (it's not a bog).  The dirt on its hind end suggests that it recently laid eggs in the ground.  These pictures taken May 15, 2012.  A week or so before taking these pictures I noticed a baby turtle squished on the nearby motor access road, apparently it had just hatched and was making its way to the water. 

Link to Chrysemys picta:

Link to previous post on painted turtle:

Link to previous post on painted turtle in Delaware County:

Link to previous post on turtles laying eggs:

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Cecropia moth

Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia).  At West Lafayette, May 2, 2012.

Link to Hyalophora cecropia:


Pineapple weed


The usual places to find pineapple weed (Matricaria discoides) are at the gravelly edges of parking lots and pavements.  This pineapple weed is at the edge of the parking lot at Davis Ferry Park.  It's as big and robust a pineapple weed as I've ever seen.   Usually they're little scrubby plants.  Some of the central flowering heads have an unusual fasciation, never seen that before in a pineapple weed either.

Picture taken April 29, 2012.
 
Link to Matricaria discoides:

Link to Matricaria discoides:

Link to Matricaria discoides:

Link to fasciation in plants:

Another link to fasciation: