Northants News 18.2 Summer 2007

Name that cactus - the answers

click for a better image

In the Spring edition I featured some close-ups of cacti. I am sure you recognised the first - Mammillaria luethyi is so distinctive and we had a picture of it in flower on the front cover just a few issues ago. The other you may have guessed as a Rebutia and in fact the species is R. krainziana. It is easy to grow and the red flowers make a great contrast with those white spines.

click for the 17.3 front cover

Rebutia krainziana spines

Rebutia krainziana

 

 

Mr Bufo escapes         Don Campbell

Don Campbell from Grand Junction, Colorado has an interesting cactus garden. Correspondence about the  behaviour of lizards in Joshua Tree National Park prompted this reply.

We're seeing more than the usual number of garter snakes in our yard and cactus garden this year.  We've even seen a corn snake which is new for our yard.  All harmless unless you happen to be a smaller lizard, or toad or insect, or...  I'm reminded of an afternoon several years ago when I was on garden patrol and found "Slithers" (a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake) with "Mr. Bufo" (Bufo woodhousii, the Woodhouse Toad) in his mouth.  Slithers had one of Mr. Bufo's legs down his throat and was trying very hard to get the rest of him down.  Mr. Bufo was inflated to his maximum size and it appeared to be a complete standoff.  I asked them to hold that position while I went to get Carol and my camera.  They obliged.  After taking several pictures I tugged gently on Slithers tail, suggesting that it would be nice if he let Mr. Bufo go about his business.  Apparently Slithers agreed with my suggestion and spat out Mr. Bufo.  I must assume that both Slithers & Mr. Bufo lived happily ever after…

 

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