Below is a compilation of a few tiny creatures I’ve come across in the last week or so. All photos were taken using a macro lens on my iPhone. This is a carpet beetle in the genus Anthrenus, likely Anthrenus verbasci, in the flower of a China girl holly. Adults of this species eat pollen, so it’s a logical place to find this one. For those unfamiliar with the scale of holly flowers, this beetle is tiny – only a…
It seems that very little is documented about the courtship and mating behavior of northern raccoons (Procyon lotor) other than the fact that mating occurs in the spring. So, while I’m not 100% sure what is happening in the video below, it seems likely that these behaviors – posturing to each other, grooming, etc. – could be associated with courtship. Prior to April 14, I’d captured quite a few video clips of a solitary raccoon circling the perimeter of this…