mrgreatplainspants, Author at Great Plains Nature Center

American Burying Beetle

Photo by Bob Gressused by permission Common Name: American Burying Beetle Scientific Name: Nicrophorus americanus Range: Dark Blue = Counties with designated critical habitat Light Blue = Historical records Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered Comments: The American burying beetle belongs to a small group of beetles known to bury small, dead…

Scott Optioservus Riffle Beetle

Photo by Kyle Gerstnerused by permission Common Name: Scott Optioservus Riffle Beetle Scientific Name: Optioservus phaeus Range: Dark Blue = Counties with designated critical habitat Light Blue = Historical records Federal Status: None State Status: Endangered Comments: The only known place in the world where the Scott optioservus riffle beetle can be found…

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus written by Jim Mason The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl to live year-round in Kansas. Adults weigh around 3 – 3 1/2 pounds and have a 5 foot wingspread. There are nine other species of owls that are known from Kansas, ranging in size from the tiny Northern…

Canada Goose Branta canadensis written by Jim Mason You wouldn’t know it to look around today, but the Canada Goose was once an uncommon bird. In particular, the subspecies known as the giant Canada Goose was considered extinct until a few remnant populations were discovered in the early 1960’s. Over-hunting and destruction of wetlands had…

Eastern Red Cedar

Photo by Jim Mason Common Name: Eastern Red Cedar Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana Favorite Hobby: Helping birds survive the winter There is not much green in the winter landscape of the Great Plains. In fact Kansas has only one native evergreen tree. It is called the Eastern Red Cedar. All other native trees in Kansas…

Sycamore

The white bark of the sycamore stands out,even when seen from a distance. Common Name: Sycamore Scientific Name: Platanus occidentalis A.K.A: American Plane Tree, Buttonwood, Lacewood While walking along a creek bottom in Eastern Kansas on a bright, sunny winter afternoon, your eye is drawn to a large white tree. Initially you think it is…

Osage Orange

Common Name: Osage Orange Scientific Name: Maclura pomifera A.K.A.: Hedge, Hedge Apple, Bodark Osage orange trees are a common sight on the Great Plains today although they were not a widespread member of the prairie community originally. Found primarily in a limited area centered on the Red River valley in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, they were…

Cottonwood

Photo by Bob Gress Common Name: Eastern Cottonwood Scientific Name: Populus deltoides Awards: State Tree of Kansas (1937) and Nebraska When the pioneers crossed the Great Plains on the Santa Fe or the Oregon Trail, they often went for a long time without seeing any trees. The prairie was frequently seen as a…

Redbud

Common Name: Redbud Scientific Nam0e: Cercis canadensis Awards: State Tree of Oklahoma Wichita Arbor Day Tree – 1999 You know that spring has sprung in Kansas when the Redbud trees are in bloom. These attractive members of the legume family light up the hillsides and woodland edges in April with their rose-colored (rarely white) flowers. Their flowers usually…

Poison Ivy

Common Name: Poison Ivy Scientific Name: Toxicodendron radicans Favorite Habitat: Woodland edge When exploring the woods and fields of the Great Plains, a curious naturalist will usually be on the lookout for dangerous animals such as skunks or venomous snakes, but might not give any thought to the possibility of encountering a dangerous plant. Of course, plants cannot…