Slug

A slug on a cat food dish.

    Slugs are very closely related to snails. Slugs vary in size from less than an inch to almost 7 inches long. Terrestrial slugs, like the one above, are found in damp dirt, but this one ventured onto our porch. Some slugs will hibernate in cracks in wood or stone. Slugs are hermaphrodites, which means they are able to mate with themselves. Slugs usually lay large egg clusters with hundreds of eggs. Some slugs are carnivores, and some slugs are herbivores, but the one in the pictures ventured onto our porch and ate some cat food. Slugs have a radula, a small tissue with small teeth that helps break food into smaller pieces.

Chimney Swift

A chimney swift in a spare room

    Chimney swifts, or chimney sweeps, are small birds that usually live in chimneys, hence the name. However, they may live in small rooms such as the one above. They build small nests made of sticks and saliva, which is used as cement.

Chimney swift nests.

    Sometimes, the babies don't want to leave the nest, so the mother will tear the nest down. Even so, the babies will hang on the wall for a few days before finally leaving. Barn swallows go back to the place the place they were born every year. J&J Auto, which is where the pictures were taken, has barn swallows that come back every year. In some parts of Asia, people actually eat swallow nests.
    Swallows eat insects which they catch in the air. They make a loud "chirping" sound.
                                                                   Enjoy,
                                                                    C&T

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Praying Mantises

As you can see, praying mantises have somewhat triangular faces.
This mantis was found in a tall patch of grass in our flowerbed.

    The praying mantis is one of the many mantid species.They were not native here, but ships brought them to New York in 1899. They eventually migrated to the eastern United States. A full grown mantid is usually 3 to 5 five inches long, with females typically being larger. Camouflage is their main defense. They range from light brown to green, so they blend in well and are hard to see. Their prey cannot see them easily. When praying mantises hunt for food, they often sit patiently with their hands together like they are praying, hence the name. They wait for prey to come by, then they jump faster than the eye can see and seize it with the spines on their front legs. sometimes. Female mantises lay their eggs in large groups, usually in the winter. You can find them on trees or shrubs after the leaves have fallen off. The eggs are light brown and striped.

A green praying mantis
This one was found on the side of our house.

Enjoy,

C&T

Armadillos

ARMADILLO

A nine-banded armadillo

 

Armadillos are fairly common in West Tennessee. They are seen most often on the side of  the road after a visit with a car. We are lucky enough to have an armadillo in our back field. We decided to name it Alvin. The armadillo`s diet includes earthworms, snails, and spiders. They have sharp claws used for digging, and a long tongue for eating insects. Armadillos have very small teeth in the front of their mouth, so they cannot bite you. Even so, do not get close to one, for they can carry leprosy. The armadillo`s shell is made up of many small plates of bony armor fitted together. This is their best protection. If an armadillo is scared and far away from its burrow, it will try to dig another burrow to get away from danger. The nine-banded armadillo can be 2 feet long and weigh up to 15 pounds. The nine-banded armadillo is only armadillo in the United States. When the nine-banded armadillo gives birth, it usually has four babies, either all boys or all girls.

An armadillo digging

                                                                 

                                                                          Enjoy!

                                                                         -T&C

West Tennesse Animals

WEST TENNESSEE ANIMALS



An armadillo in back field.



    We decided to start a blog on native animals in West Tennessee. We will put pictures and animal information on each topic. We will post frequently, so check back often. We take the pictures ourselves in our neighborhood. Enjoy!

                                                                      Thanks,
                                                                        T&C