Favoritos de keevilm

With the downward pressure of my boot, I was able to propel the crayfish out of its semi-flooded chimney.

Note (2022-02-16): The most significant threat to this occurrence would be European Common Reed (Phragmites australis ssp. australis). A stand exists within ~15 m to this observation.

If this occurrence is situated within suitable habitat, there is a myriad of suitable habitat locally for this taxon.

This was an incidental observation. This taxon was not known to exist in this area until this observation was confirmed.

A breeding aggregation - or more accurately an ovipositing aggregation - of five female Northern Two-lined Salamanders. This species is known to nest communally. There are nine eggs freshly deposited on the underside of the rock. Each one takes a female about three minutes to lay. I interrupted early in the process as all of the salamanders are quite visibly gravid.

I did not expect to find this; it was the first time I had seen reproductive behaviour in this species. The species was only confirmed to be present at this locality last year. The salamanders were ushered under an adjacent rock while the rock with the eggs was replaced very precisely and carefully.

This is in the Green's Creek complex in Ottawa's Greenbelt. I am obscuring the location to protect the specific site from "over-herping".

On soil mound. Leaves with toothed awn. In oak forest.

Identical with the description in Flora of North America, "lamellae 6-7 cells high, entire in side view, with nearly straight sides when viewed from above, the terminal cells in section rounded or more often transversely elliptical, ± flat-topped, with a much smaller lumen than the others and the free wall conspicuously thickened."

at right (yellow arrow); showing "juvenile" features, side-by-side with "adult" American Elm and Slippery Elm for comparison. Frequently, such young and vigorous-growing Ulmus americana have rough-textured leaves and are liable to be confused with Ulmus rubra; be sure to check leaf details other than texture such as vein patterns, teeth size, etc. and also the buds which are different from Ulmus rubra. A juvenile Ulmus rubra in situ on Petrie island for comparison here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45454657