Curious and curiouser

The purpose of this forum is to help people identify things they've seen while out hiking: wildflowers, trees, birds, insects, small animals, animal tracks, even geographical features like buttes or streams
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walrus
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Curious and curiouser

Post by walrus » March 30th, 2018, 6:30 pm

Curious: spider strolling across Lower Twin Lake this morning
https://youtu.be/__uC-ISnypw

Curiouser: salamander (?) lying/frozen on Lower Twin Lake this morning (out 10-15 feet from shore on snow/ice) - is it a salamander? Shouldn't it be hibernating? How did it get there? Why haven't the ravens (or whatever) eaten it?

Imagesalamander? by walrus walrus, on Flickr

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adamschneider
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Re: Curious and curiouser

Post by adamschneider » March 30th, 2018, 6:35 pm

I frequently see spiders on snowfields, although it's usually in the summer. Once on the way up to Barrett Spur, we found a spider in almost every little crater that was made by a small dark rock soaking up the sun and melting the snow. It's like they were lying in foxholes waiting to ambush their prey. But how much prey do they find on snowfields??

Image

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Curious and curiouser

Post by Waffle Stomper » April 14th, 2018, 9:28 am

Looks like a Rough Skinned Newt. Something tells me it is not napping. A quick online search suggests they seek out piles of leaves, and other organic materials to overwinter. Being in the snow doesn't look to good for this little fellow. They secrete a toxin from their skin, which might be why nobody had nibbled on it, especially if they have had a past experience with them.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

ThePortlandeer
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Re: Curious and curiouser

Post by ThePortlandeer » April 27th, 2018, 11:01 am

Concerning the spiders, it got me thinking about skiing on a central Oregon glacier in July and coming across tons of little black worms in the snow. I had completely forgotten to look them up until the picture of the spider on the snow reminded me.

If the spiders had a taste for them there'd be a never-ending food supply. They were everywhere up high. I almost (almost) felt bad skiing...

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Aimless
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Re: Curious and curiouser

Post by Aimless » April 27th, 2018, 11:05 am

Many small species of spiders 'fly' without wings, by using a longish strand of their silk to catch the wind. They have no control over where the wind deposits them. This might explain some of the spiders found on snowfields.

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