It’s getting colder out there. That means that everyone is creeping into holes to stay warm. They might live in big holes, like our warm house with its nice warm blankets. They might live in small holes, like the holes in cones and logs. This is the season to peek into little cracks and holes in the forest and see who’s living there.
Cones are like animal apartment buildings. In the winter and late fall, small animals creep into the cracks between the scales of the cones. When you bring them indoors, they creep out again to see what is going on. This is a good time of year to gently remove a scale on a cone or place an entire cone underneath a microscope or a good quality hand lense. You will see springtails hopping around, small grubs moving in and out of mushy places, and babies of all sorts: centipedes, woodbugs, and worms.
Fungi are also intriguing to investigate. Turn over a gilled fungus and take a look at it under the microscope, and you will see tiny animals moving in and out of the gills. These gills are tiny, protected areas where animals can live. Make sure that you wash your hands after touching fungi.
Rotting wood or other bits of rotting plants are wonderful places for animals to live. Old plant material is full of nutrients. It’s also full of water. This makes it an ideal location to grow up. If you look closely, you’ll see the mycelia of fungi spreading their way through the wood and other plant materials. These root-like structures are the main body of a fungus. You’ll also see small creatures living in the wood. If you look inside a large log, you will find animals hibernating. Leave them there and make sure that they are protected, since the log is their defense against the cold.
Have you looked inside something gooey lately? Tis the season!
Image Credit: Picknik1977