An African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) right after ambushing a rodent, but before he fully consumes his dinner. I like to call it the "Jabba the Hutt" moment.
A farmer’s advice is to make a living fence “horse high, hog tight, and bull strong.” Living fences are permanent hedges that support ecological diversity while providing privacy and protection. The Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera), also known as the Hedge apple or Monkey ball tree, has been utilized as a living fence since the 1700’s, most popular in the Central and Eastern United States. This easily propagated tree, when planted about one foot apart and seedlings laid over and weaved together in their first two falls, will grow to a formidable fence in just four years. The Osage orange is a long-living hardy wood, resistant to a large range of insects and diseases (including rot), and tolerant to a wide variety of soils and climates; along with long steel-like thorns, these are ideal qualities for living fences.
This color pencil illustration depicts the growing process of an Osage orange tree living fence, with an old, horticulturally manipulated tree in full color. This overgrown tree is typical of what can be seen along present day trailsides as shelter for many types of wildlife. The two fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), who have built a leaf nest in this tree, shred the inedible rind of the tree’s fruit to expose and eat the seeds. The background layer of the drawing is of past Pittsburgh, depicting a 1903 farm hill view of the Carnegie Institute, Schenley Hotel and Phipps Conservatory. The neighborhood of Oakland, Pittsburgh started as the farm of William Eichenbaum in 1840 and the trees of that time can still be found today.
A flying male Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Botany Disection Plate of a Statice (Limonium sinuatum)
A pinned Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)
A portrait of a female Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).
Mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), long tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), northern crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), clearwing butterfly (Miraleria cymothoe), eastern comma (Polygonia comma), rattlebox moth (Utetheisa ornatrix), gray beetle (Stereopalpus), black stinkbug (Eleodes acuticaudus), six spotted green tiger beetle (Cicideia sexguttata), fiery searcher (Calosoma scruntator), milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmii), and odor-of-leather scarab (osoderma scabra)
A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinali) perched on a branch.
The Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) is a beautiful landmark species; this drawing shows that even conifers have color changing duff.
A group of Malaysian Flying Foxes (Pteropus vampyrus), the largest bats in the world, enjoying the nectar of a durian flower.
The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) life cycle.
An African Penguin, Sepheniscus demersus, one of the few warm weather penguins, enjoying a swim. The model for this drawing is Mary Beth, a resident of the National Aviary.
Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
