Something you don’t hear often, but when you do, you know you need to be cautious of the sound of a rattlesnake’s rattle. The rattle is located at the end of the snake’s tail and is made up of keratin segments. This is what our fingernails are made up of as well. When vibrated, these segments will bounce into each other, and that is what causes the alarming buzzing sound.
When a rattlesnake sheds their skin, a new segment is added to its rattle. In most cases, the snake uses its rattle to warn predators and enemies from getting too close. If you or another predator get too close it will spring at you, biting and injecting you with its lethal venom. In most cases, this particular venom is for killing small animals for food, after the snake uses its heat-sensing vision to find their prey.
Ecosystem Canaries Warn About an Ecosystem’s Collapse
There was a time when coal miners used canaries to check for any poisonous gasses underground. However, now there are scientists who are looking to “ecosystem canaries” to check the health of an ecosystem. These canaries may not even be birds at all, but the species that have started dying even before the ecosystem crashes completely.
Generally speaking, their reproduction is slow, and they aren’t great at competing for resources. Unlike the keystone species, they are not very crucial to the ecosystem. One day, scientists hope that they are able to identify the canary species and then use them to monitor ecosystems before they can’t be saved.
Glossy Pavement Means Danger in the Wintertime
All of Key and Peele’s black ice jokes put to the side, glossy pavement is a nightmare. Black ice is not really black, it is clear and shiny, and something that you won’t typically see until you’re right on top of it. If your area has just experienced sleet, heavy snow, and/or freezing rain, you want to be careful walking and driving.
Black ice will develop when it rains at temperatures near the freezing mark. The water will turn to ice shortly after hitting a cold surface such as pavement or sidewalk. You want to be aware of the weather before going out to drive. If you take notice that the road is patchy with dry areas and then areas that seem glossy, there is a good chance that it's black ice. In most cases, you want to avoid driving at all, but if you have to, drive slowly and don’t accelerate or brake quickly.
Range Shifts Warn of Climate Change
A very telling sign of a change in climate is the shifting of animal and plant ranges. A range is an area where a species naturally occurs, taking the temperature, rainfall, humidity, and other natural factors into account. When these factors are altered by climate change, animals and plants will begin moving out of their normal ranges.
A perfect example would be grizzly bears when they move north and run into the territory of polar bears. Moose and snowshoe hares will do the same, following a bush that’s been able to grow taller when in warm climates. Scientists have estimated that half of all living species are moving somewhere new.
Never Eat a Mushroom Growing Close to a Tree
The deadliest mushrooms belong to the Amanita genus, which includes the “destroying angel” and “death cap.” To tell them apart, the destroying angel is all white, while the death cap can be yellow to brown to white on top, while its bottom is all white.
It’s hard to tell the difference between one mushroom to the next. Most Amanitas live near trees so keep that in mind if you come across them. Remember, they are not safe to eat. It’s best to not eat any mushrooms that are in the wild because you never know which can be harmful or safe for your body.