11.11.2010

Control panel issues have plagued us the past couple of weeks so I've spent a lot more time down at the bridge lately. While it does put me way behind on other things I need to get done, it does have its up-side...

Evidence of an early morning visit by the two young bobcats that have been hanging around. I even found where one had eaten river cane leaves to purge some worms from its stomach -- yes, I took a picture, but I'll spare you ;)
 

 

 

Mother Nature is still providing some color down near the water...
 
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7 comments:

biobabbler said...

Wow, that's super interesting re: the river cane. I'd never heard of that. What species is river cane? Gotta love bobcats self-medicating. wow!

Ellen Rathbone said...

Several years ago I wrote a paper for a college class about animals self-medicating with plants, mostly for things like you witnessed: ridding themselves of parasites. It's a very cool topic.

Lovely new header photo!

swamp4me said...

Biobabbler,
The cane is Arundinaria. It is a native plant that grows quite well in the swamp.

Ellen,
I started to preserve one of the roundworms and send it to my son so he could ID it for me. We're an odd family, I guess ;)

Holly said...

Wow. One wonders if the knowledge that eating river cane leaves purges worms is learned behavior or instinctual? Fascinating.

swamp4me said...

WE,
Cane was probably the most convenient grass available to the cat. I think it's just like a house cat or a dog eating grass and then tossing their cookies. Maybe it is only a response to an upset stomach and not indicative of knowledge of the presence of the worms.

KaHolly said...

I never would have even considered this! How amazing! I get very excited when I see cat sign out on the trail. ~karen

Murr Brewster said...

Maybe the original bobcats ate from the River Cane of Knowledge and were condemned to throw up for eternity. What am I talking about? I have no idea.