Biodiversity in Minnesota By: Payton See

Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca The Snowy Owl is a large white owl with a yellow head. Both the male and female stand about 22 inches and weigh about 5 pounds. Snowy owls don’t nest in Minnesota. They nest on grassy hummocks in the arctic. The number of eggs depends on the amount of food in the area. Snowy owls feed on lemmings, voles, mice, rabbits, and birds. Predators of the snowy owl are great horned owls, coyotes, and foxes.

Snowy owl continued… Snowy owls live on arctic tundra, open grasslands, and fields. There is no set population on snowy owls in Minnesota because different numbers of snowy owls migrate to northern Minnesota each year. Snowy owls are not hunted or harvested in Minnesota. Snowy owls in captivity have been known to be infected with west nile virus. Fun Facts: Scientists use a fishing pole with a fake mouse to catch owls. Harry Potter’s owl was a Snowy Owl. Some snowy owls can be completely white.

Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieui Smallmouth Bass are sometimes called “bronzebacks” because of their bronze colored body. Smallmouth Bass are one of the strongest fighting fish for their size. In the spring smallmouth bass move into shallow gravel bottom lakes to spawn. The male builds the nest and the female will lay 2,000 to 10,000 eggs. Smallmouth bass feed on small baitfish as well as crayfish and worms.

Smallmouth Bass continued… Predators of the smallmouth bass are northern pike and muskies as well as bald eagles. Smallmouth Bass usually live in deep cool water near rock piles in lakes. In rivers, they like calm deep pools near rocks. Smallmouth Bass can be infected by tapeworm. The disease doesn’t harm people if they eat the fish, though it is not recommended. Smallmouth Bass can be harvested year round except from February 24th to May 26th.

White-Tailed Jackrabbit Lepus townsendii The white-tailed jackrabbit is the largest member of the hare family. It has very long ears that make it very easy to identify. They also have a seasonal fur change that distinguishes this rabbit from others. Jackrabbits can weigh anywhere from 6 to 10 pounds. The jackrabbit’s fur is brown and gray in the summer and in the winter it changes to white. Females have their first litter in early April and may have two or three more litters later in the summer.

White-Tailed Jackrabbit continued… Jackrabbits eat plants and seeds such as winter wheat, dandelions, and blue gamma grass. Jackrabbits eat their own droppings as a source of protein. Predators of the jackrabbit are coyotes, fox, hawks, and great horned owls. Jackrabbits live mainly in open plain areas. Jackrabbits are a game species and several thousand are taken by hunters but many more are killed by predators. Fun Facts: The white-tailed jackrabbit is a hare not a rabbit. Minnesota has two hare species and only one rabbit species. Jackrabbits change the color of their fur for camo.

Green Frog Rana clamitans The green frog is a fist-sized frog that has two ridges going down its back. The males have large tympanums (the big roind things behind its eyes). Green frog are more brown then the bullfrog. Their skin is smooth. Male green frogs have two vocal pouches while the female only has one. Males set up nesting areas for the females is shallow water of lakes ponds or ditches. Females lay 3,000 to 4,000 eggs in May through July. Tadpoles develop into frogs over the winter.

Green Frog continued… Tadpoles eat mainly algae while adults eat insects, worms, and small fish. Green frog spend most of their time in the water of streams, ditches, lakes, and ponds. Green frogs have no set population in Minnesota. Fun Facts: Green frogs have very good senses. Their bulging eyes let them see many directions. They use their brain to interpret sound that vibrate through their ear drum.

Tamarack Larix laricina The tamarack has a straight upright trunk extending to the top of the tree. The average height of a tamarack is 40 to 70 feet tall and 14 to 24 inches in diameter. The bark is rough with thin reddish brown scales. Twigs are light brown and they are covered with short branches. The leaf of the tamarack is needlelike, flat, slender, and about one inch long. In the summer the leaves are bright green and in the fall they turn yellow. The young cones are red or green while the mature cones are light brown. The mature cones are about ¾ of an inch long. The cones often remain on the tree for many years. Fun Fact: The Tamarack is the only conifer in Minnesota to lose its leaves in the fall. http://pbio209.pbworks.com/w/page/11342441/Shumate,%20R%20-%20Eastern%20larch

http://philippa-pippasplace.blogspot.com/2011/08/tamarack.html http://www.harvardpress.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Print.aspx?tabid=2190&tabmoduleid=7735&articleId=4445&moduleId=3353&PortalID=0&PageID=118 http://www.conifers.org/pi/Larix_lyallii.php

White Prairie Clover Dalea candida Slender stems and numerous small white flowers. Blooms between July and August. American Indians used it for food, tea, and medicine. Fun Fact: The white prairie clover is very drought tolerant and can survive in very dry conditions. http://minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/white_prairie_clover.html http://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/photosubpages/latesummerphotos2.html

Works Cited “Green Frog.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/frogs_toads/truefrogs/green.html>. “Smallmouth Bass.” University of Minnesota. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://hatch.cehd.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/smallmouth_bass.html>. “Smallmouth Bass Identification.” Minnesota’s Green Zone. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mngreenzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Smallmouth-bass-range-minnesota.png>. “Snowy Owl.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Consevation Volunteers, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/snowyowl.html>. “Tamarack.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees_shrubs/conifers/tamarack.html>. “Underwater Fish Photography Geniuses.” Skinny Moose. Outdoor Hub, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.skinnymoose.com/3rs/2009/02/13/underwater-fish-photography-geniuses/>. “White-tailed Jackrabbit.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/whitetailedjackrabbit.html>.