ANIMAL VIDEOS
Animals were important subjects of my photos but I felt still photos lacked some very important and fascinating aspects – motion and behavior. So I bought a video camera and began to shoot videos of animals, especially birds and insects. Below are my short YouTube videos of insects, spiders, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Tarantula's Worst Nightmare: A Tarantula Hawk Wasp
Tarantulas are relatively common in Texas. They may be scary to you, but to a female tarantula hawk wasp, they are a perfect meal for their larva. Watch the video to see how this happens.
Only Carnivorous Caterpillar in North America Catches Prey
The Harvester butterfly caterpillar (Feniseca tarquinius) is the only carnivorous caterpillar in North America. It eats woolly aphids. This video shows the caterpillar catching and eating an aphid. See also my video, "Harvester Butterfly Caterpillar Molts" one hour 15 minutes before this video was taken.
Paper Wasp Shaves Caterpillar
The paper wasp has paralyzed a hairy caterpillar and proceeds to shave off every last hair before flying back to its nest. The denuded caterpillar serves as food for the wasp larvae.
Alligator Eating Turtle
Lunchtime at Loxahatchee. This large alligator has caught a turtle. You might think this is a mere quick and easy snack, but the alligator has to work really hard for his lunch.
Army Ants on the Rampage
There is something awe-inspiring about seeing a swarm of army ants on the hunt. These tiny animals have outsized impacts on the environment -- orders of magnitude larger than the largest predators in the jungle. Army ants can kill up to 2/3 of all animals in their hunt zone in a mere 3 days. How do they do it? The answer is in the numbers, organization, and specialization.
Texas Horned Lizard
The Texas horned lizard is perfectly camouflaged and is nearly impossible to find against the dry, scrubby landscape in West Texas.
The camouflage is not its only defense. The many spikes on its head and body often discourage predators to skip this meal.
The lizard primarily eats harvester ants. The ants have evolved a highly toxic venom which protects them from many predators but the Texas horned lizard is immune to this poison and eagerly gobbles them up with no side effects.
The camouflage is not its only defense. The many spikes on its head and body often discourage predators to skip this meal.
The lizard primarily eats harvester ants. The ants have evolved a highly toxic venom which protects them from many predators but the Texas horned lizard is immune to this poison and eagerly gobbles them up with no side effects.
Tiny Texas Birds Build Nest: 2000 Twigs in 2 Days
Take a front row seat to watch a tiny bird couple construct a nest starting with a few twigs and ending with a large, spherical nest built of up to 2000 twigs and all in two days. Filmed in Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas.
Ron culled this 4 minute video from two days of shooting resulting in 2 hours of footage. It is all the more amazing that they know exactly how to build this complicated structure without being taught or shown what to do. It's in their DNA.
Ron culled this 4 minute video from two days of shooting resulting in 2 hours of footage. It is all the more amazing that they know exactly how to build this complicated structure without being taught or shown what to do. It's in their DNA.
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Cuttlefish Food Fight
Filmed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, this video shows how agile, smart, and wily cuttlefish can be. You will see how they use ploys to outwit rival cuttlefish. You will see their spectacular color and pattern changes.
Relatives of octopus and squid, cuttlefish can change color and patterns to blend into their environment, to warn off other cuttlefish when hunting for food, and to attract a mate.
You will be amazed!
Relatives of octopus and squid, cuttlefish can change color and patterns to blend into their environment, to warn off other cuttlefish when hunting for food, and to attract a mate.
You will be amazed!
Resplendent Quetzal and the Avocado: Symbiosis Part 1
The resplendent quetzal of Central America is one of the world's most beautiful birds. The quetzal loves to eat avocados, which it plucks off the trees. Both the trees and the bird profit. Learn how this is a classic example of symbiosis or mutualism.
Bumblebee & Beaked Butterfly Pea: Symbiosis Part 2
Bumblebees and beaked butterfly pea plants have a symbiotic relationship. This means by helping the other it benefits itself.
This is how it works:
The bumblebee needs nectar for nourishment.
The beaked butterfly pea flower needs a vehicle to carry its pollen from one plant to others for cross-pollination. Cross-pollination maximizes the genetic diversity of the pea plants and thus their ability to adapt to changing conditions.
The beaked butterfly pea flower is perfectly shaped to enlist the bee in its cross-pollination. When the bumblebee lands and inserts its proboscis to drink nectar, the pea plant both deposits pollen on the bee's back and captures pollen which the bee has transported from other pea plants.
This is how it works:
The bumblebee needs nectar for nourishment.
The beaked butterfly pea flower needs a vehicle to carry its pollen from one plant to others for cross-pollination. Cross-pollination maximizes the genetic diversity of the pea plants and thus their ability to adapt to changing conditions.
The beaked butterfly pea flower is perfectly shaped to enlist the bee in its cross-pollination. When the bumblebee lands and inserts its proboscis to drink nectar, the pea plant both deposits pollen on the bee's back and captures pollen which the bee has transported from other pea plants.
Harvester Butterfly Caterpillar Molts
We were watching this harvester butterfly caterpillar on the grounds of the University of Florida, Gainesville. After wandering around, the caterpillar settled down and remained motionless (except for intermittent shutters) for about 30 minutes. Then all of a sudden, it started to molt. About an hour later, it began to eat (watch my video "Only Carnivorous Caterpillar in North America" to find out what it eats).
Sex on Stilts: How to Get It On with a Female Stilt-legged Fly
This video shows a male stilt-legged fly feeding a female while mating. He creates a bubble of food which he either passes to her or deposits on her body. She sponges it up with her mouthparts. The female's abdomen is distended with eggs. Feeding the female may attract her and keep her interested in mating. These nutrient- rich gifts may ensure healthier offspring and improved viability of the species.
The Spider and the Lizard
The banana spider (golden silk orbweaver) is a big, colorful spider, common in Florida. The female makes large webs to catch insects. Like all spiders, she injects digestive juices into the prey and, if she doesn't eat it right away, she wraps it in silk to store it for a later meal. This extensive web was in the path of bees going to and fro from their nest to a rich source of sap...thus the abundance of bees caught in the web. We were totally blown away when we spotted a much larger animal caught in the web. How would the spider deal with this captive?
The Fantastic Disappearing Toad Act
Nancy and I found this Fowler's toad on the sand very close to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Almost immediately it began to burrow into the sand -- to hide from predators (us?). Burrowing beneath the sand prevents it from drying out in the sun, prevents it from overheating or freezing, and prevents it from being found and eaten by predators. Toads are mostly nocturnal.
Zebra Longwing Butterfly's Last Meal
This zebra longwing butterfly is nectaring on flowers at Paynes Prairie in Gainesville FL. It is so focused that it doesn't see the black and yellow garden spider's web. The spider rushes down to inject venom and digestive juices into the butterfly. The spider then wraps the butterfly in silk to ensure it won't escape. The spider returns to the center of the web to wait for the venom and digestive juices to take effect.
The Heron and the Snake
The great blue heron has caught a snake. The battle begins. The heron struggles to position the snake so it can swallow it. The snake is not helping. First, the snake wraps itself around the heron's bill. Then, the snake forms a loop -- too big to swallow. Finally, it forms a large knot. Will the heron be able to swallow it?
Phalaropes - Birds That Use Physics to Catch Prey
Wilson's phalaropes have evolved different strategies for finding food - small aquatic insects and crustaceans. If the water is shallow, they eat as they wade. If the water is deeper, they swim in a tight circle, around and around, up to 60 revolutions per minute. This creates a whirlpool which brings its prey to the surface. You can see it dipping its bill into the water to pluck them up. They also will follow ducks and feed on the small creatures that the ducks turn up with their paddle-like feet.
Can You Find the Hidden Birds?
Common pauraque (aka nightjar or goatsucker) are nocturnal birds. During the day they roost on the ground where they blend into the leaf litter. At night they hunt for insects.The chicks fledge (begin to fly) about 14-23 days after hatching. This video was shot at Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco TX.
ANIMAL DVDS
To see my animal videos, you can stream them on amazon for $1.99 each for one week of unlimited viewing. For $15.00 each, you can stream them as often as you want forever.
Click on the DVD icons above to view or access my videos on amazon.com.
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Click on the DVD icons above to view or access my videos on amazon.com.
You will be leaving this website to go to amazon.com. We hope to see you back soon!