I just got back from my weekend trip to Delaware. Friday night was absolutely miserable (cold, wet, half-cooked hot dogs for dinner, etc.), but by Saturday morning the weather had greatly improved. Unfortunately, however, a big storm had thrown off the rhythms of the up the annual horseshoe crab spawning and the majority of the ones I saw were either dead or dying. Late Saturday night I stumbled across two "in the act" (the week before, apparently, there had been thousands along the beach), but otherwise I saw more sun-bleached carapaces than living animals. Still, it was a good trip and here are a few photos from Saturday to make up for my absence (more to come, including some from the Delaware natural history museum, in future "Photos of the Day");
PS - Keep in mind that the special 20th edition of The Boneyard is going to go up tomorrow. If you want to submit something be sure to get it to me by 12 PM eastern time.
Life Science
Comments
I worry about those critters. So many things feed on them that they depend on over-producing the predators' limits; and then fishermen skim off the top because "there's always lots." And they are so unusual, it would be a shame to lose them.
Posted by: Monado, FCD | May 18, 2008 7:42 PM
I'll try to post something tonight, sir, but it's a shot in the dark at this point. My week has been rife with busy-ness.
Posted by: Zach Miller | May 18, 2008 10:06 PM
Don't hot dogs come fully cooked in the pack?
Posted by: Dizzlski@mac.com | May 20, 2008 6:20 PM
Singapore is home to 2 species of horseshoe crab, though they don't have mass spawnings like the North American species. I seem to have more luck finding pieces of dead ones than live horseshoe crabs though.
Posted by: Hai~Ren | May 20, 2008 8:42 PM