Articles from June 2007
The Nature Notes archive is where you'll find my past writings and natural history notes. You are currently viewing a list of articles that were published in June 2007.
A Pond Full of Backswimmers · 29 Jun 2007
The pond in my backyard is teaming with invertebrates, the most animated of which right now are the backswimmers. Backswimmers (Family Notonectidae) are aquatic predators that have a worldwide distribution and can be found in pools of...
What is Counter Shading? · 12 Jun 2007
Counter shading is a common color pattern in animals in which the dorsal side (upper side) of the animal is darker than the ventral (lower) side. Such a color pattern provides camouflage for the animal when viewed...
What is Sexual Dimorphism? · 9 Jun 2007
Sexual dimorphism is the difference in form between male and female members of the same species—it includes differences in size, coloration, or body structure between the sexes. For example, the male northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) has a...
What is a Keystone Species? · 8 Jun 2007
A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or...
