October 27, 2000

     Active cold-blooded animals

Only birds and mammals, among animals, are truly warm-blooded and can maintain a high constant body temperature.  All other animals are cold-blooded or of variable temperature, and their body temperatures are dependent upon the environment.  Snails, fish, earthworms, millipedes and wood ticks are common cold-blooded animals.  Soon we will not be seeing cold-blooded animals moving about the landscape.

For the next couple of weeks on warm, sunny afternoons we might encounter comma and sulphur butterflies, plus flower flies, honey bees and bumble bees feeding on late blossoms of mums and dandelions.  We could see daddy-longlegs on their long slender legs or painted turtles sunning on logs, or leopard frogs heading for the safety of a lake, or a woollybear caterpillar scurrying along.  A few dragonflies might be flying about, and crickets could be heard calling.  But soon all of this activity will cease, and only warm-blooded animals will be observed.