06 Jul See Through My Binoculars!
Read this blog, follow me around my park, and see through my binocular lenses!
American Memorial Park has several different habitats: both terrestrial and aquatic. The park contains wetlands (mangroves included!), forests, and oceans. Because of these differing habitats, I get to see a wide variety of species! One of my favorite things around the park is simply walking around and observing all the different beautiful creatures in their own habitats.
Many species in the Marianas actually have names in the Chamorro and Carolinian language which were given to them by the native Chamorros and Carolinians of the land a long time ago. In fact, more often than not, the locals know these animals by these names instead of their English names.
Have you ever heard of the watermelon fiddler crab?
One species, in particular, has really caught my attention. Before working here at the park, I have never heard of this crab species before, nor have I seen it! They have a fascinating pattern that looks like the outside of a watermelon (which is why I assume they are named the watermelon fiddler crab).
You can distinguish the males from the females because males have one major claw and one minor claw, whereas females’ claws are the same size.
These crabs enjoy spending their days in the brackish wetlands in the park. They don’t get too big either, so they look like cute little red specks on the ground from afar! (:
Below are some more pictures of other bird species here in the Marianas!
Here I am, venturing into the wetlands to find some birds. I was so happy to find some Mariana Common Moorhens!!! They are known as “Pulattat” in Chamorro and “Gherel Bweel” in Carolinian. This bird is a sub-species that is endemic to the Mariana Islands. Their call is high-pitched and quite distinctive. In fact, I used their call to help locate them.
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