June Scarab Beetle

The June Scarab Beetle, and I've found one :)

In many parts of the world, to find scarab beetles is a sign of destiny. I walked out my door and so happened to look up, and it was there beside the light right above my back door. I was thrilled, grasping a stool and reaching with my short self and a seashell to scoop him up.

I hurried inside and grabbed a terrarium, researched his feeding habits, placed fresh oak leaves and a soaked paper towel for hydration in the terrarium, placed National Geographic magazines on the top of the terrarium to keep him in, and enjoyed the view. The June Scarab is beautiful, happily feeding and crawling about in my bedroom.

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(Info from http://www.egyptian-scrabs.co.uk/)



Scarab beetles have been the subject of much legend in many parts of the world. In Egypt, the scarab god Khepri, which means "He who is Coming into Being", was considered the god of creation and the solar deity. To this day, they are worn as jewelery, and were buried with the dead.

" The ancient Egyptians believed that Khepri, in the form of a gigantic scarab, rolled the sun like a huge ball through the sky, then rolled it through the underworld to the eastern horizon. Each morning Khepri would renew the sun so that it could give life to all the world. "

Khepri is one of the oldest Egyptian gods.

It's not just Egypt, however. In many parts of the world today, a group of scarabs called JEWEL scarabs are considered very valuable. Some go for multiple thousands of dollars a piece. This often leads to a rarity in certain species.

To find out more, visit Wikipedia  below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarabaeidae


-Ashley Marie

Inspiring Action

Ocean of Truth

The Barred Owl

I found this beautiful poem by Richard Wilbur. It makes me think about the nocturnal world outside of my bedroom window, the creatures that lurk in the dark. Creatures with eyes specifically designed to pick up even the smallest traces of light, their pupils dilating to the point of pitch blackness.

This is the poem:

A Barred Owl

by Richard Wilbur

The warping night air having brought the boom

Of an owl’s voice into her darkened room,

We tell the wakened child that all she heard

Was an odd question from a forest bird,

Asking of us, if rightly listened to,

“Who cooks for you?” and then “Who cooks for you?”

 

Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear,

Can also thus domesticate a fear,

And send a small child back to sleep at night

Not listening for the sound of stealthy flight

Or dreaming of some small thing in a claw

Borne up to some dark branch and eaten raw.

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Your fellow biologist, Ashley Marie

Update:

Alright my loyal readers, here's an update on my curent activities.



1. The mantids:

          These little guys are just fine. The second mantis egg case and four mantis nymphs were given to Mr.Thompson, a biology teacher in my school who is also very experienced with athropod care as well as the care of other animals, from crocodiles to roaches. The other couple-hundred nymphs are released into the hands of mother nature, there is nothing I can do to protect them, but at least I ensured that they hatched safely. I can still see many hunting nocturnally for moths beside my back-door light. They are born predators.

2. SeaShells:

          I've been searching forever for a decent field guide to seashells, and have finally found one! It has every North American seashell, from the Chitons to the Gastropods, to the Bivalves, and I'm incredibly thrilled. However, it's from 1981. So far, it's the most current one I've found but it serves well for the time being. There are a handful of shells the book was not able to identify. A charcoal-colored scallop's shell was among them. It's from the public library, so either I renew it time and time again throughout the summer, or i simply purchase my own copy.

3. Diving:

          This summer will also be a season of diving for me. I'm looking into scuba diving when i'm older, and I know enough about the marine environment that I will be able to identify organisms as I dive. I'm also very skilled at holding my breath, as well as specific diving maneuvers that may be crucial for safety purposes. I should be okay, and I plan on collecting many specimens for study. Perhaps the collection will grow well enough that it will serve well not just for me but for the local scientific community as well.

Wish me luck!

PS:

Anything you would like to know about?

You can send me pictures of animals to identify for you, I'd be happy to do so. Instead of paying someone, you can just email me at:

AnimalLoverAsh@rocketmail.com

You can ask me any questions about anything animal.

Your fellow biologist,

Ashley Marie