Do animals see what we see?

We often assume the world looks the same to everybody, including animals, but it doesn’t. A red tulip isn’t red for everyone. The details on a flower petal cannot be seen by every animal either.

Despite the showiness of flowers, bees find nectar by seeing ultraviolet light patterns on the petals

There are many types of eyes and ways in which eyes “see”. The standard to base other animal’s eyesight against is the human eye because that is what we know and can see. 

Feathers don't last forever

American goldfinches dart to and from the bird feeder in their drab yellow plumage this time of year. Their vivid yellow plumage won’t come until they are ready to start breeding. 

Basic plumage of an American goldfinch in North American winter

The change from drab to bright plumage is a yearly occurrence for many birds, especially males. The colors and markings on a male bird often determine its attractiveness to females and ultimately its mating success. But males don’t need to stay in their colorful plumage year-round, so they molt. 

Many types of feathers make a bird

A single feather lying in the grass. The straight shaft surrounded by colorful vanes, some askew with dampness. Singly a feather doesn’t accomplish much but collectively feathers enable birds to fly--and much more. 

Contour feathers are arranged much like shingles on a roof in order to shed rain and keep the body dry.

Feathers help birds stay warm or cool, camouflage them from predators, help attract a mate, keep eggs and chicks warm, and help the bird defend themselves. Not every feather supports all these roles, instead there are several different types of feathers.

Roots do more than anchor a tree

Remember the incredible wind storms last summer? Tall ponderosa pines were bent over under the forty mile an hour winds. Some trees came crashing down roots and all while others snapped at weaker points along the trunk. Most trees survived--minus a few limbs-- thanks to their extensive root systems. 

We tend not to think about tree roots until big wind storms, tilling a new garden or pulling a stump. Without roots there wouldn’t be trees. 

Roots grow in whatever direction nutrients, water and oxygen can be found