Week 46 Observations
11.12.25
Texas Striped Sweat Bee
Agapostemon texanus
Observed at Galveston Island State Park 11.12.25. This native species has a wide range from Costa Rica to Southern Canada.
Like other sweat bees it is attracted to our sweat and very rarely sting.
They exhibit sexual dimorphism, females are all green (pictured) & males have black and white abdomen stripes.
They have two generations a year and can be seen from spring to winter. With the first frost, males die off and females overwinter. They nest in the ground as a colony but each female has their own, separate area.
This species feed and contribute to pollination of a wide variety of plants including but not limited to: apples, sunflowers, and stone fruits. Females collect the pollen on hairs on their legs to carry back for the larvae.
#texasstripedsweatbee #Agapostemontexanus #citizenscience #native #metallicgreensweatbee #sweatbee #insect #nature #outdoors #november #november12 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day316
11.13.25
Sumatran Tiger
Panthera tigris sumatrae
Observed 11.4.25 at Ft Worth Zoo. This critically endangered subspecies of tiger is only found on the island of Sumatra.
There were 9 subspecies of tiger but 3 have gone extinct. They have lost their habitats to deforestation for palm oil crops. Even though they are protected, poaching is a huge threat all for their teeth, skin and bones.
The subspecies is the smallest with a deep orange coat and thin black stripes. This coloration helps them to blend into their environment. They have been found living in swamps, forests, river areas. Their night vision is 6x better than humans. They have a bite force of 1000lbs.
They usually are on their own unless its time to mate or a mother raising cubs. They communicate with incredibly loud roars or contented chuffs.
They hunt and feed on animals such as birds, monkeys, wild pigs, deer and more.
#sumatrantiger #Pantheratigrissumatrae #citizenscience #nonnative #endangered #tiger #zoo #conservation #education #nature #outdoors #november #november13 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day317
11.14.25
North American Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Documented the rescue of these two opossums that couldn't get out of the trash cans they climbed into at Galveston Island State Park. This is the only marsupial species native to North America.
These solitary animals only come together to mate, they're mostly active at night, and are highly adaptable often times finding shelter in man made structures.
They are called "living fossils" for surviving at least 50 million years with very little evolutionary changes. Opossums are intelligent foragers (despite getting trapped in trash cans) with a nose for finding food. They are omnivores that eat almost anything including pests like rodents, ticks (they can consume about 5000 in a single season) and snakes (they are resistant to venom)! They also have the most teeth of any mammal found in the US with 50!
It is very rare for opossums to get rabies because the virus can not survive in their lower body temperature which is about 94-97 degrees.
#northamericanopossum #Didelphisvirginiana #citizenscience #virginiaopossum #native #mammal #Opossum #nature #outdoors #november #november14 #picoftheday #project365 #day318
11.15.25
Monarch Butterfly
Danaus Plexippus
Observed 11.15.25 at Galveston Island State Park. This is a native butterfly that passes through Galveston for spring and fall migrations, breeding and feeding on their ways north or south.
Their migration is like a bird’s where they can travel thousands of miles each way. To succeed they have multiple generations that make this migration possible. Their lifespan depends on which part they play in the migration. The individuals that migrate south to lay their eggs and overwinter are considered a “super generation” because they can live for months on energy stores and huddle with others in their dormant state. The multiple generations that travel north only live for 6-8 weeks. The summer generations repopulate their breeding grounds as they travel north, as one generation ends, the eggs they laid start the next generations leg of the migration. This could take up to 4 generations to go from Mexico to Northern US and Southern Canada.
They have a special genetic clock that allows them to watch the sun’s position on the horizon and know the migration route without ever having done it before. They can fly up to a speed of about 30mph.
Their larvae feed exclusively on milkweed so their emergence follows milkweed growth very closely. This is also what makes the adults toxic to would be predation. Their coloration warns off predators though some species, like the black-headed grosbeak, can tolerate the toxins and will feed on monarchs.
Males have a black dot that are pheromone sacs on each hindwing.
#monarchbutterfly #danausplexippus #citizenscience #native #butterfly #monarch #insect #endangeredspecies #nature #outdoors #november #november15 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day319
11.16.25
Blue Mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum
Observed this native wildflower at GISP 11.16.25. This herbaceous perennial is found across eastern and central US.
This flower is a late summer and fall bloomer. It provides nectar and pollen to late season pollinators when other flowers start to fade. The leaves are bitter making it unappealing to deer. It is a host plant for several native moth species larvae like the three lined flower moth and the lined ruby tiger moth.
This plant spreads quickly via seeds and underground stems (rhizomes). Under good conditions it can become quite weedy and may not work in a garden. This growth can stabilize soil against erosion. It grows the best in full sun, well-drained soil, and constant moisture.
#bluemistflower #conocliniumcoelestinum #citizenscience #native #flower #wildflowers #perennial #nature #outdoors #november #november16 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day320
11.17.25
Gulf Killifish
Fundulus grandis
I believe this to be the gulf killifish. Observed this native fish along the bay shoreline in GISP 11.16.25. It is found along the western Atlantic coasts including the Gulf of Mexico.
They are very tolerant of high salinity areas and live in the soft muddy shorelines in marshes and estuaries. They lay their eggs in this soft substrate at the intertidal zone. Because of this the eggs have adapted to survive dry periods by being encased in a shell. When the right conditions are met the eggs will then hatch. They are an annual species, meani g that they only live about a year.
They are the largest of the killifish species and can grow to be over 7 inches long. They are often used as bait for larger fish like trout or flounder.
#gulfkillifish #Fundulusgrandis #citizenscience #native #killifish #fish #nature #outdoors #november #november17 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day321
11.18.25
Saltmarsh Cordgrass
Spartina alterniflora
Observed all along the Galveston bay shoreline 11.16.25. This cordgrass species is native along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts.
This is a very important species within its ecosystem and is considered an "ecosystem engineer" as it can shape the structure of said ecosystem.
This marshes grass is very adaptable, surviving and thriving in a variety of changing conditions such as varying pH levels, flooding and higher salinity. It has glands that are able to excrete excess salt.
It grows and spreads quickly and can do it without human control via it's seeds and rhizomes. In places that it has been introduced to it can become invasive, outcompeting native species.
The roots and grass act as a filter and remove pollutants from the water using a process called phytoremediation. It can remove excess nitrogen from the tidal waters and also removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in the rich marsh sediment creating a carbon sink through photosynthesis. The roots also stabilize the soil and creates a protective barrier along the shore to absorb wave action from storms and hurricanes.
The cordgrass is a haven for many species that live in or are just passing through the marsh. From healthy, living blades and seeds, to dead and decaying plants, the cords grass lends nutrients and shelter to a vast variety of species.
#saltmarshcordgrass #spartinaalterniflora #citizenscience #native #smoothcordgrass #cordgrass #plant #flora #nature #outdoors #november #november18 #2025 #picoftheday #project365 #day322
