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Just creating this blog as a forum for student blog posts during the 2015 spring semester at SNU.

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Bear Lake Bog

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            A picture of a wetland bog from the Northern Hemisphere Source: https://infograph.venngage.com/p/176597/bog-biome               From lakeside dunes to old-growth white pine forests, Michigan is enriched with unique ecosystems. Although many of which have been claimed by society for agricultural and suburban means, portions of conserved land have been reserved for public recreation and admiration of wilderness. Wetland bogs are microcosms that serve as host to many unique organisms. While they used to be much more prevalent in the United States, they are still an important ecosystem in the US. This blog will expound on our class’s excursion to a bog named Bear Lake Bog.             Bear Lake Bog is located about six miles south of Au Sable campus and is found between the East Lakes and Bear Lake. We visited this bog on May 22, 2018. We broug...
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From Water Tigers to Deadly Divers: Dytiscidae

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                       Plop. After surfacing briefly for a respite of fresh air, the expert diver submerges into the murky deep. Soon spotting the fish of interest, he darts forward, his legs moving in strong, coordinated strokes. Stealthily approaching his target (which rivals him in size), he fearlessly charges for the kill. The prey writhes and wriggles helplessly as the diver sinks his prong-like mandibles into its flesh. The predacious diving beetle’s excursion was successful; dinner has been secured.                      Predacious diving beetles belong to the family Dytiscidae , which is derived from the Greek root word dytikos, which means “able to dive,” aptly describing the impressive ability of these little aquatic predators. This family encompasses over 4,000 described species. Adults generally range in si...
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Mimicry: Being Masters of Disguise

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By: Cassidy Herbster, Cari Marota and Malik Mason  First to explain mimicry, it is copying another insect or inanimate object to aid in avoidance of predators and/or catching prey. There are two types of mimicry: batesian and mullerian. Batesian refers to when only the insect who is mimicking benefits while mullerian is when both the model and mimicking insect benefits. Most common way is with coloring. The colors of the bad tasting, venomous, or vicious insect is copied by a different insect to avoid being eaten by a predator, though the copy cat doesn't actually have that defense, it just appears so.  They also use coloring to blend in to catch prey or avoid being prey.  The insect being mimicked is called the model. Insects will not always only mimic other insects, but creatures such as arachnids or reptiles. Mimicry might not be for the whole lifetime of the insect. For example, the larvae of an insect could mimic a predator but grow up and not use mimicry as su...
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