October 31, 2018 - The Dark Side

Halloween is thought to originate from the Gaelic festival Samhain which marked the end of the harvest and beginning of darker days. The celebration included wearing costumes dressed as harmful spirits to confuse the dead and ward off harm.

For this week's blog, we celebrate this transition into shorter, darker days with tales from the darker side of life and the link between death and life.

This is the story of death.

And life.

And the inextricable link between them.

In addition to providing intriguing scenery, dead trees play an important role in the forest ecosystem. Snags are commonly used as nesting cavities by woodpeckers, owls, squirrels and many other birds and mammals. Decomposing trees slowly release important nutrients into the soil. Tree roots can be used as a lookout for forest animals, shelter or even a nest. Photographed by Diana Meyn in the bog in Chenango Valley State Park.

The predator lays its trap.

Spiders, like orb weavers, extrude silk from their spinneret glands weaving it into a complex web. The spider then waits out of sight for prey to become tangled in its trap. Sensing a vibration on the web, the spider will rush out to bite and paralyze its catch. It then wraps it in silk to save it for later consumption. Orb web photographed by Kelly Frederick Sweet.

For its unsuspecting prey.

The common greenbottle fly is found throughout the world, including North America. Larger than a housefly and distinguishable by its iridescent green back, the female lays her eggs on excrement, decaying remains or infected wounds. Photographed by Gina Vaughan

Prey is captured.

And devoured.

The Araneus Diadematus, commonly known as the European garden spider is an orb spider. This spider is feeding on its typical prey, the fly. Photographed by Renee DePrato

Remains are left for scavengers.

Black-capped Chickadees aren't the typical bird you might consider a scavenger. But they are known to feed on fat and meat from frozen carcasses. Photographed by Melissa Penta.

Many carrion eaters will smell a kill a mile away.

Arriving to pick the carcass clean.

Carrion eaters, like this Turkey Vulture, play a critical role as cleanup crew. These scavengers feed on decaying remains left after predators have had their fill. Photographed by Renee DePrato

Only bones will remain.

Once the cleanup crew (carrion eaters) have finished their task, all that remains are bones. These deer bones were found alongside a busy road and may have been the result of an automobile collision. More than one million deer are hit by cars in a single year in North America which is largely due to habitat fragmentation and human population growth. Photographed by Gina Vaughan.

Not all corpses are scavenged.

Some are left to mummify.

Marine Iguanas can only be found on Galapagos Island and have the unique ability to forage in the sea. Photographed by Renee DePrato

Remains that are inaccessible or diseased.

Petrify and become fossilized.

Like many raptor species, Peregrine Falcons have a high mortality rate. It is estimated that survival in the first year is only about 20-40%. This unfortunate nestling was found and photographed by John Baumlin

In western culture, humans are commonly placed in coffins

And buried in graves marked with tombstones.

In western culture it is common practice to bury our deceased in caskets and deep in the ground. This slows the decomposition as well as protecting the remains in the event of a flood washing away the site. Photographed by Kelly Frederick Sweet

Tombstones provide high vantage points.

Gray squirrels are heavily predated by raptors as well as coyotes and foxes. Finding a lookout perch can provide an advtantage for keeping watch. Photographed by Sarah Darling-Jones

For prey animals to keep watch.

Also very low on the food chain, chipmunks are omniverous feeding primarily on nuts. This little guy has also found a great location from which to keep watch. Photographed by Kelly Frederick Sweet.

And the occasional roost for bats.

Big Brown Bats are nocturnal, typically roosting in a sheltered area during the daytime. Photographed by John Baumlin

Deer forage amid the markers.

And the cycle of death.

And life.

Continues.

The white-tailed deer forages on a variety of plants, including grasses. Its four-chambered stomach, or ruminant stomach, allows it to eat well vegetable matter that would not typically be digestible by other mammals. Photographed by Kelly Frederick Sweet

Waterman Center wishes you a

safe and Happy Halloween!

The hunter's moon, also called a blood moon, is the first full moon after harvest moon. Hunters were known to hunt for deer in the moonlight. Photographed by Cheryl Utter.

This little Gray Tree Frog stalker was photographed by Diana Meyn. He was found on the screen in her house, holding "up peace signs with his little sticky toes!" - Diana Meyn

Resource Links

Halloween origin

Orb-weaver spiders

Araneus Diadematus, European garden spider

Bug Guide

Marine iguana

Common Greenbottle Fly

Deer-vehicle collision

White-tailed deer

Ruminant stomach

Hunter's Moon

Gray Tree Frog