One of the most common symbols of Thanksgiving is the Wild Turkey. Here are some fun and interesting Wild Turkey facts you can share around the dinner table and impress your family and friends: Wild turkeys and domestic turkeys are the same species: Meleagris gallopavo. A group of turkeys is called a “rafter”. Adult males are called “toms”, while a juvenile male is called a “jake”; adult females are called “hens”, while a young female is called a “jenny”; and…
Many people think of seaweeds as simply plants that live in the sea. While many types of seaweed do have structures resembling the roots, stems and leaves of plants, and seaweeds do photosynthesize, technically seaweeds fall into an entirely different kingdom: Protista. Often referred to more scientifically as marine algae, seaweeds lack the specialized tissues found in plants responsible for transporting food and water. In most field guides, seaweeds are divided into three main groups: green, brown and red. These…
Clams, quahogs, oysters and mussels are probably the most well known bivalves, mollusks with two hinged shells, but there are many others. Another example is the jingle shell (Anomia simplex). Interestingly, despite having two hinged shells, it is often only the top shell that is found washed up on the beach. The bottom shell is less frequently discovered because it often remains attached to whatever substrate the animal was growing on. The upper shell is convex and is movable during…
The genus Populus includes poplars, as well as aspens and cottonwoods. While there are a number of native poplars in Massachusetts, others, such as the white poplar (Populus alba), have been introduced from elsewhere in the world. Although it has not spread to nuisance levels in Massachusetts, some states, including Connecticut, have placed white poplar on their invasive species list. Superficially, many poplars resemble each other. But white populars can be easily distinguished from other related species. The most obvious…