06 August 2004

Wild animal antics

Forrest M. Mims III

Several of the animals that live along Geronimo Creek might catch your attention if you were to suddenly come across one of them. Others are remarkably friendly.

Years ago I was in our barn pouring sheep feed into a trough. When I glanced down at the ground, a rattlesnake was neatly coiled up between my boots. That was the first time I jumped backwards without looking to see who or what might be in the way.

Once I was reaching for a feed sack in a barrel in a dark corner of the barn when something raced up my right arm. The unknown creature reached my shoulder, took a right turn and raced across the back of my head. The unknown creature turned out to be a squirrel.

Once while checking a fence line that had been pushed down by a rise on the creek, there was a funny sound from down below. Suddenly a skunk popped out of a post hole and began looking around.

Fortunately, the skunk emerged from the opposite side of the post from where I was standing. I didn't stay around long enough to see if he looked over his shoulder.

Some encounters with wild animals are especially memorable. While fishing from an inlet on the Gulf as a 12-year old, what looked like the dorsal fin of a shark began moving in my direction. Suddenly a porpoise poked his entire head out of the water just a few feet away. We stared at one another for a moment. Then the big animal rolled gently back into the water and swam slowly away without even a splash.

Once I was in our field making Sun and sky measurements at solar noon. A blue dragonfly swooped down and landed on the grass between my feet.

Dragonflies are fun to photograph, so I reached for the camera that makes the daily sky photos. The dragonfly didn't mind the camera. But when I reached down to touch him, he flew away.

After a few seconds, the dragonfly returned to exactly where he was before. This time I was able to pick him up. But he switched on his wing motors and tried to get away.

When I released the dragonfly, he flew right back to where he had been again. This time I placed an index finger under his head, and he climbed aboard. He must have enjoyed the new perch, because he stayed on for several minutes, while I took pictures.

After the dragonfly tired of my fingertip, he flew down to a shoe. He then moved to a shoelace and then the camera strap.

Finally, the dragonfly flew back to his initial resting spot. As soon as I placed my finger under his head, he climbed back on.

This kind of behavior is what we expect from dogs, cats and birds. But insects?

So I took a break from Sun measurements to study this beautiful creature. His wings were a bit tattered, so this fellow had been around a while.

His wings emerged from a swollen thorax stuffed with immensely powerful wing muscles. In flight, those muscles are fully switched on. Steering is achieved by tilting the wings. The dragonfly's entire thorax and abdomen were colored powder blue. The front of his head was emerald green. His goggle-shaped eyes were green, except for the shaded portions on top. That portion of the eyes resembled sunglasses.

The dragonfly's legs exerted a pressure on my fingertip that was easily felt. Spine-like projections lined the inside of his legs. These must help him grasp the insects that he catches when he's not perched on someone's finger.

This visit with the dragonfly was definitely not a one-way relationship. When his picture was being taken, he cocked his head in various directions to get a better look-–or show his best side.
When I stared at his huge eyes, they stared right back. When I bent my head, so did he.

My new friend and I enjoyed one another's company for a few more minutes before he seemed to realize it was time for me to resume Sun measurements. He cranked up his wing motors, rose straight up and hovered for a moment looking toward me. He then rolled off to the side and landed on the camera bag. There he stayed while I finished the measurements.


Forrest M. Mims III and his science are featured online at http://www.forrestmims.org/.

This feature was originally published in Forrest Mims's weekly science column in the Seguin Gazette-Enterprise, Seguin, Texas. The column is written for a general audience.