Tag: Biodiversity150
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150/150: Home is where the heart is for the Barred Owl
Animalia: Chordata: Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae: Strix: Strix varia Barton, 1799 The Barred Owl is a member of the family Strigidae, the true owls, which it shares with almost all other extant owl species. It is also called the Hoot Owl due to its characteristic mating call. Like most owls, Barred Owls are silent when hunting…
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88/150: Whale, hello there Belugas!
Animalia: Chordata: Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Cetacea: Monodontidae: Delphinapterus: Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) The beluga whale is an enigmatic species well known to the Canadian Arctic. It is also known as a sea canary because of its high-pitched chirping and can grow up to 20 ft in length and weigh more than a ton!
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85/150: Common Milkweed is bitter and milky, perfect for the Monarch Butterfly
Plantae: Spermatophyta: Angiospermae: Dicotyledonae: Gentianales: Asclepiadaceae: Asclepias: Asclepias syriaca (Blanco, 1837) Asclepias syriaca or Common Milkweed is native to eastern North America and receives its name from the milky sap excreted from the stem and leaves when damaged. This full sun, drought tolerant plant blooms in early to mid-summer attracting a variety of insects including…
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78/150: Jumping bloodsuckers Batman! It’s a flea!
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae: Ceratophyllinae: Ceratophyllus: Ceratophyllus vison (Baker, 1904) This species of flea is an ectoparasitic insect of squirrels, living on red squirrels east of the Rocky Mountains and Douglas squirrels to the west. Being an ectoparasite means that they live on a host, so fleas have evolved particular features that help them…
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74/150: Skates on all year!
Animalia: Chordata: Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes: Rajidae: Raja: Raja binoculata Girard, 1858 Raja binoculata are commonly known as the big skate reaching a length of 2.4m and weighing 200lbs! They are normally found at depths of 120m but have been known to dive to almost 800m. They feed on various unsuspecting small organisms such as molluscs, shrimp…
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70/150: When you think of Ginseng do you think of Canada? You will after reading this!
Plantae: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliopsida: Apiales: Araliaceae: Panax quinquefolius (Linneaus) Ginseng is a perennial herb whose root is highly prized and commonly refers to one of two varieties, American Ginseng (P. quinquefolius) or Asian Ginseng (P. ginseng). Both contain ginsenosides, which are the compounds thought to give ginseng its medicinal properties.
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69/150: Leeches – They don’t all want to suck your blood!
Animalia: Annelida: Clitellata: Arhynchobdellida: Erpobdellidae: Erpobdella: Erpobdella obscura (Verrill, 1872) This past week Canadian Blood Services has been promoting awareness of blood donation with Blood Donor Week. We thought we’d share some info about leeches. On first mention of leeches, many people probably think of Hirudo medicinalis, the medicinal leech. But this is only one…
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65/150: The Buzz surrounding the Yellow-banded Bumble bee
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae: Bombus: Bombus terricola (Kirby 1837) The yellow-banded bumble bee is one of nearly 20,000 different species of bees found throughout the world. Yellow-banded bumble bees use a technique called “buzz pollination,” this involves the bee grabbing a flower with its jaws and vibrating their wings, causing inaccessible pollen to…
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60/150: A beautiful, colourful sea cucumber hiding its beauty in-between crevices
Animalia: Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida: Cucumariidae: Cucumaria: Cucumaria miniata Brandt, 1835 The Orange Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria miniata) is easily recognizable by its distinct orange pigment. This radiant colouration is the result of the pigment created by cinnabar or vermilion. Sea cucumbers are related to sea stars and sea urchins, they are all from the phylum Echinodermata,…
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56/150: Are Moose mothers baby thieves?
animalia: Chordata: Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Capreolinae: Alces: Alces americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) The second week of May begins the start of moose baby season! Baby moose clock in at approximately 30 pounds and can outrun a person within the first five days. Moose calves and their mothers bond quickly and calves are observed calling and attempting…