NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/963498
22 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018 Since materials like two-by-fours aren't available for purchase by beavers, they use the next best thing – trees. These large rodents will cut down tree trunks and branches using their large front orange-colored incisors. Like all other rodents, a beaver's teeth never stop growing. By chewing and cutting down their building supplies, they wear down their teeth to a manageable length. With location and materials ready, these animals will first build a solid foundation of stones and mud in the center of a lake, river, pond or stream. From here, they will pile on branches and foliage until it surfaces out of the water. For the roof, beavers will build a dome-shaped top made of branches, leaves and interwoven grasses. On top of this, they will then place a thick layer of mud that will eventually harden over time. Once the structure is complete, beavers will move on to finish their work. This includes adding underwater doors, chimneys and a security fence made from mud and castoreum, a foul- smelling oil produced by beavers. The smell is usually so strong that no one will come close to the den except for family members. Spiders Another common but amazing animal architect is the spider. Spider webs are some of the most fascinating, and should I say, pretty examples of animal homes out there. There are four main web patterns that spiders can construct: the orb-web, sheet-web, funnel-web and cob-web. The most recognizable is the orb-web. Think of the movie Charlotte's Web. Charlotte constructed her words in an orb-web. To build a web the first thing a spider will do is find a solid support structure, such as the eaves on your house, stone crevices or a branch. The spider will then use silk, which is produced in its body, for every inch of the web. While in the body, the silk is in liquid form. Once it reaches the outside air, the liquid solidifies. Some species of spiders have up to seven glands – each producing a different type of silk, depending on the use. The most durable silk is used to stretch across the web and keep it firm. The more sticky fluid silk is used to create the articulate pattern of spirals that attach to the main threads. Some species of spiders, such as orb- weavers, will reconstruct a new web every night. Caddis Flies The caddis fly is an animal that most people have never heard of. Caddis flies are insects that are closely related to moths, and have homes that can be moved from place to place. Throughout their lifetime they will go through four stages during their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. These animals will spend their larva and pupa stages underwater, and then emerge as a flying insect for the adult portion of The black and yellow garden spider is common in Nebraska and is known for its large size and quintessential orb-shaped web. The spiders in this group get their name from the English word "orb," meaning "circular," in regards to their wheel-shaped webs.