I was going through some of the pictures that I took last year and I sorted out a few of my favorites. I took this one last August at the Cleveland Zoo. I’ve seen Eagles before in the wild, but I’ve never been this close to one before. If it wasn’t for the enclosure, I could have reached out and touched him. (Click on the picture for a 1024 x 768 version - 373kb)
I saw my first Red Eft (Red-Spotted Newt) last Friday while I was biking through the Pine Creek George. The little guy must have come out into the open because of the rainstorm that had just crossed overhead. I’m glad that he was very still for my camera shots. I’m guessing he was staying motionless, because most predators are attracted to movement.
Addendum – 24 June 2005 – My brother, who is an amateur naturalist, told me that the Red Eft was staying still because it was trying to gain heat. Since it’s ectothermic (cold blooded), it needs to acquire its heat from its surroundings. The air was turning cool because of the rainstorm that had just passed, so he sat on the crushed limestone on the bike trail to gain heat. The stones were probably warmer that the surrounding air because they had all morning to absorb heat from the sun. My brother also told me that the Red Eft has little to fear from predators. Their glands produce a foul tasting liquid that keep predators from eating them. Also, most birds and mammals instinctively know not to eat brightly colored creatures. The Red Eft’s orange skin warns predators that it’s toxic. If a predator would eat one, it would more than likely make them very ill.