Today, love is in the air and in places you might not expect, like a termite colony. Termites have quite a complex colony dynamic, but in most cases, the ones who sit at the top are a king and a queen pair. These primary heads are a monogamous pair of termites that mate for life, which can be for more than 10 years if conditions are right. When certain termites reach sexual maturity, a male and female will create a tandem pair and will leave together on a mating flight to sta

During the winter, its common to see more than mallards in the lakes. Many other waterfowl species can be seen, the problem is that a lot of them have black/white or brown/white colourations. Here are some similar species that can be found and how to ID them: Common Goldeneye: As the name suggests, look for the bright golden eye. The males of this species will also have a white pact between its eye and its beak. The females will have no patches on its face, and instead will h

When people think of roses, it's normal to imagine a dozen of red roses you give to loved ones, but did you know there are a couple different kinds of wild roses in the Okanagan and Similkameen? One of the common species you'll see is called the Nootka rose. These roses will have big pink flowers that will bloom in late spring or early summer. They will also produce rose hips in the fall that will last into the winter. This is super important for many species of ungulates and

Did you know that beavers aren't the only mammal that will build lodges in the water? Muskrats will also build lodges in marshes, but they will use different material than beaver. Instead of using sticks and branches, they will use cattails and bullrushes for a majority of their lodge. But location and resources is everything when building a house. If the marsh they live in doesn't have the necessary material, they will just dig burrows in the side of banks instead of making

Cattails are an iconic part of many wetlands, and like anything, they are good in moderation. Cattails provide great habitat for many species, like red-wing blackbirds, Chorus frogs and Yellow-headed blackbirds. However, in certain ponds, cattails have taken over to the point that they are causing problems. They are prolific spreaders, reproducing via seeds and self-cloning. Because of this they can limit the diversity in the area and the amount of open water. The reason that

With World Marmot Day tomorrow, we want to celebrate our local star, the Yellow-bellied marmot! Yellow-bellied marmots have a tough go at life, with everyone wanting to eat them and their young. Predators like coyotes, raptors, bobcats, bears, cougars, badgers and more are all after them. And because of this, they have to be on constant alert. Marmots will go on the defense against their many predators by going on the look-out and calling out to the colony if they sense dange

Did you know that there are 2 subspecies of Northern flickers in Canada. Here, in the west the common one is the Red-shafted variation and more eastern Canada will have the Yellow-shafted subspecies. Here are some clear distinctions between them that can help you tell them apart. First, male flickers will have a "mustache" on their cheeks that is not found on the females. The Red-shafted flicker will have a red mustache while the Yellow-shafted flicker will have a black must

Squirrels may not seem very exciting because how common they are but did you know that there is special squirrel that is not so common. Northern Flying squirrels are a rare sight, especially compared to their more well known cousins, like the Red and Grey squirrels. But the rarity is not because they are in trouble, but because they are nocturnal. So unless you are in the forest at night, it is unlikely for you too see these gliding mammals. One unique characteristic is that

Did you know that Northern Alligator lizards are viviparous and will give live birth? This is quite rare for reptiles, and more so for lizards. There are a few snakes and lizards species that give live birth, but it is more common for reptiles to lay eggs. Viviparous is when the embryo is developed in the female and there is live birth. Also nutrients are given directly to the embryo from the mother. Oviparous is when the organism lays eggs, and the embryo develops outside th