SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page 6
Exploring Hendricks County
By Jackie Horn Native Hoosiers, Jackie Horn and her husband, John, transplanted from Warsaw to Plainfield to be near family. An Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist, Jackie is a retired substitute teacher who continues to teach (and learn) about all things outdoors. John is a retired CNC programmer and the photographer on the team. The Horns enjoy traveling, walking, hiking, kayaking, and bicycling.] In honor of April Fool’s Day, I thought it would be a good time to look at Nature’s foolers. What I mean is plants and animals which use mimicry to “fool” predators or prey to their advantage. Mimicry is when a species looks like another species or object. While similar to camouflage which is blending into the surroundings (for example gray-brown fur on many animals that blends in with the color of dead grass), mimicry goes beyond to actually looking like another object or organism. For example Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies look a lot like Pipevine Swallowtails, the difference being an additional row of orange spots. (Who could tell when they’re fluttering SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL around?) Pipevine butterfly larvae eat only leaves from the pipevine family, all of which produce toxins. The caterpillars ingest the poison which does them no harm but makes the larvae PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL and the adult butterfly toxic to insect-eating animals. Not wanting to take the chance of eating a poison snack, predators avoid both species of swallowtails. Some insects “fool” predators by appearing to be something altogether different. For instance, a Walking Stick insect looks like a twig. A Katydid looks like a green leaf. Their predators; bats, birds, and snakes, overlook them among the leaves and branches of trees. Several species of snakes use mimicry for protection. Harmless milksnakes look very much like the venomous coral snake. Rat snakes and bull snakes look similar to rattlesnakes and when confronted will hiss and shake their tails BULL SNAKE imitating a coiled rattler. The thing with identifying any kind of snake is I’m not getting close enough to see if it’s truly a rattle, if its head is triangular or if its pupils are round or slit! Plants use mimicry for protection from plant-eating bugs and to hide from RATTLE SNAKE unsuspecting prey but also for pollination. Take for instance the Cardinal (Lobelia) Flower. To a hungry hummingbird, it looks like a great place for a tasty nectar lunch. It’s shaped is like other Lobelia flowers which have nectar. It’s bright red and hummingbirds are attracted to bright red flowering plants because well, bright red attractive flowering plants usually have yummy nectar. Imagine the hummingbird’s disappointment when there’s no nectar! The bird pokes his long beak around inside the tubular flower getting it all covered in pollen while it searches in vain for a sip of sweetness but, nothing. He moves on to the next pretty, red flower probing with its now pollen-coated beak, and if it’s a cardinal flower, POLLINATION. There are several types of mimicry. Search “Mimicry” on the internet for much more in-depth study, research and examples. It’s fascinating how flora and fauna have adapted and adopted not just physical appearance but odors and chemistry to protect, prey and ensure their species survival. No foolin’. ______________________________________________
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Thursday, April 1, 2021
Voices
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We offer Voices as a place to share a story, a memory, an idea, a comment, a criticism, or a solution. Contributors must include name, address & phone number. We look forward to hearing your voice.
By Chet Skwarcan, PE, President/ Founder of Traffic Engineering, Inc. Chet@TrafficEngineering.com
Auction Fever By Judy Pingel I love auctions. I do not know if it is morbid curiosity to see someone else’s possession up close, or the thrill of the hunt to find an overlooked “rare treasure,” but I love an auction sale. Of course, the main lure is the change to get a bargain. That is usually what brings in a crowd. Everybody loves a bargain. I was asked by a friend the other day if you can actually get bargains at an auction. Well, DUH! Yes, you sure can. It is only basic logic that things “usually” are less expensive if someone else has paid full price first. I say “usually” because there exceptions to this rule. And by that, I mean the dreaded “auction fever.” Anyone who has ever been to a sale is well aware of the danger of auction fever. Even the most seasoned auction goers can catch it. There is no vaccination. There often are warning signs. A buyer can go weeks, months, or years without it, when BOOM! they experience a case. Unlike Corona Virus, there often are no symptoms ahead of a full-blown case. A person can be calm and reasonable in their purchases. Always looking for a “good buy.” Well aware of the usual market prices. Carefully examining the merchandise ahead of item. Weighing the cost and difficulty of the repair of a small flaw. Looking over the crowd to evaluate potential rivals for the desired purchases. Doing everything right to make sure they do not make a mistake and spend too much money for an item. Now, it is important to note that a case of “auction fever” can hit a person over any item at all, not just something rare and expensive. It could even be something as simple as a stack of Tupperware lids, one of which matches a lidless bowl in your kitchen cabinet. A lid probably worth a quarter at a garage sale. (Ask me how I know this. I might even show you my nice Tupperware bowl with a matching lid. A $5 led, no less.) Auction fever is when you decided you are going to buy an item. Period. In your mind it is already yours. You know where it will go in your home. You already see it in place. It is yours. No one else can have it. It is war between you and other bidders. Logic has flown out the window. If you are lucky, the other bidders have retained their common sense. If you are not lucky, another buyer has also become obsessed with the item. When you see the auctioneer and ring men exchange happy smiles, you know you are witnessing a huge case of multiple auction fever outbreaks. It is almost worth going to a sale to see if someone gets auction fever. But the main reason to go to an auction is that it is FUN! See you at the sale. ______________________________________________
Zombies are Here to Stay But There’s an App for That (Coming Soon) A study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows that people using their phones behind the wheel double their chances of being involved in an accident. And if you have two phones, well, you can do the math. But did you know phones can also distract you on the street? A recent study determined an increase in pedestrian deaths partially due to distractions caused by smartphones (US Governors Highway Safety Association). In fact, in China, they experimented with “cellphone sidewalk lanes” for people who use their phones while walking (I’m not making this up). I imagine these “lanes” were free from lampposts and other obstacles, but won’t these people bump into each other? Now it turns out the China experiment followed a similar U.S. experiment (which was actually performed as an April Fool’s joke). Practical jokes on April 1st must be a U.S. thing… In any case, there will soon be an app for that (my prediction). Forget about autonomous cars solving this problem — that’s going to take a while. But because 100% of us have smartphones now, I imagine a free app coming to the rescue (or $1.99 if you want to avoid advertising). The app monitors all smartphones within 20 feet for pedestrians and 500 feet for automobiles. Speed and direction are both monitored and when a potential collision course is detected, alarms go off for both parties. A response by either party averts the potential collision and the pedestrian can buy a fresh cup of coffee (to replace the one he just dropped) — he may also need to change a few things... ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town
Our Readers Write SECTIONAL MEMORIES Two bits, 4 bits, all for Shortridge stand up and holler. And holler we did. I graduated from Shortridge in 1957. We looked forward to the basketball sectionals all year. I don’t know that Shortridge ever won the sectionals. That honor usually went to Tech or Crispus Attucks. There were 5 or 6 of us girls who went to the sectionals together every year. The games were held at Butler Field House. Only one of us had a boyfried and he could drive. So he transported us to the fieldhouse , lunches held in our homes, and sleepovers. Gas was only about .25 a gallon then so we didn’t have to pitch in much for gas. I think for most of us the sectionals are still remembered as one of the most fun things associated with high school. _______ COINCIDENCE?? A couple of years ago my husband and I were in New Hampshire for a Road Scholar trip. It is customary to introduce ourselves to each other after supper. My husband, Jim was wearing a Brownsburg sweatshirt. Before we could even introduce ourselves one of the ladies, Arlene Carlson came up and asked my husband if he was from Brownsburg. Yes he was. Arlene said I used to live in Brownsburg. Jim said, “Do you remember the street?” Yes, Fairfield Dr. We live on Fairfield Dr. Do you remember the number? Sure do, 12. We have lived at 12 Fairfield for 53 years. You must be Arlene Carlson. We bought our house from you and your husband 53 years ago. What are the chances of that happening? Pretty darn slim. ______________________________________________
By Archy “What is the squirrel community’s stand on April Fools’ Day?” Archy considered the question by narrowing his eyes and fluffing his tail. “Our level of humor, on the most part, is above silly pranks,” he began. “But we do appreciate a sense of the ridiculous as much as the next creature. We especially like to have some fun with the younger squirrels, if nothing more than to keep them on their toes. We will tell them where the world’s biggest nut is buried and watch them dig until they are neck deep in the hole. When they ask how much further must they dig, we’ll say, ‘Stop now, the big nut is already in the hole.’ You can literally see them turn red with embarassment. “Did that ever happen to you, Archy?” I asked. The squirrel laughed. “No, but I was an exceptionally sophisticated pup. When they asked me if I wanted to find the world’s biggest nut, I’d just reply, ‘Looking at it.’ You should have seen their faces!” I’m afraid I’m beginning to appreciate squirrel humor. Archy read my mind and nodded. “I daresay you are starting to get us. Next thing you’ll be stealing my jokes. You know what they say,” he mused, “ a squirrel and his funny are soon parted.” As I groaned, the squirrel began laughing hysterically. Happy April Fools Day!” he shouted as he scampered back to his tree. ______________________________________________
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