| This is it: the only furry land animal endemic to Hawaii: 'ope'ape'a, the Hawaiian Hoary Bat, Lasiurus cinereus semotus. Eons before introduced goats, pigs, rabbits, and cattle came into the picture, these bats were here. These mammals are small, approximately 10 to 13 inches in wingspan, and weighing under an ounce. They get their common name from their brownish-grey fur that looks frosted, the fringes dipped in a hoary white. Rather than hang out with other bats in a cave somewhere, 'ope'ape'a usually prefer to go it alone, sleeping the day away hanging upside down in a tree, though Moms and pups will roost together. They seem to be most active shortly after sunset, which is probably a good time to try and see them, as they cruise around using echolocation to search out tasty moths, beetles, termites, and other insects. |
Frank Bonaccorso, a bat researcher with the USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, has found that the bats on the Big island have favorite trees used for resting or roosting, and while there remains much that is not known about this bat, it does seem that they migrate to higher elevations in the cooler months of the year, then head down to lower elevations in the spring and summer. Just how many bats there are is difficult to determine, but the populations on the Big Island seem significant, with bat sightings occurring island-wide, and in a variety of habitats. The bats occur on all the MHI, with Maui and Kaua'i also appearing to have good populations. Oahu's population does not seems as robust, perhaps due to greater development, and therefore habitat loss. The 'Ope'ape'a adult females give birth to twins in early summer; the pups will remain with her for a couple of months.
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Inhabiting shallow reef flats, as well as reef slopes, is the playfully splotched Carpilius maculatus. It is known locally as 'alakuma, or the seven-eleven crab, due to the seven conspicuous red spots (four near the eyes and three in the center) with four more less prominent along the back edges of its carapace, making a total of eleven, though some reports have varying numbers of spots. Legend has it that a hungry god thought he would make a nice meal of the 'alakuma, but the crab pinched back, drawing a bit of blood. After several attempts and a few more pinches from the crab's powerful claws, the god eventually got his supper, but the crab's descendants sport the bloody prints of its captor. The seven-eleven crab is a good sized crab, getting as large as five or six inches across its smooth and thick shell. By day, the crab holes up in the reefs nooks and crannies, resting up for a night of foraging. Dinner includes molluscs and marine snails, which they gain access to with their massive chelae (claws). Here is one indigenous plant that you might find growing around your home without even planting it: Moa, a.k.a moa nahele, or pipi. I find it popping up in odd places, such as in the cracks in the walkway cement, for example, and thriving without any special care from me. There are two species, both found here in Hawaii: Psilotum nudum, the upright whisk fern, which has triangular stems and (yes) grows upright, and Psilotum complanatum, the flat-stemmed whisk fern, that has (yes) flattened stems that curve downward. The two can produce a hybrid known as Psilotum intermedium. These stems can appear as a lovely green, usually when growing in shadier places, and sporting a yellower hue when in full sunlight. The generic name Psilotum is from the Greek psilos, meaning naked, referring to the plant's lack of leaves. They also lack true roots; for anchorage and absorption of water and nutrients, they rely on horizontal stems called rhizomes. Flowers are also absent, and therefore seeds as well. However, a splash of white or yellow color from the sporangia, the reproductive structures that produce spores, adds to their appeal. The silky texture of the spores found use in ancient times as a talcum powder, keeping things comfortable under the loincloth. A children's game, moa nahele was also known, in which children would interlock the stems of the moa, then each pulling apart until one or the other's stem broke. The victor with the unbroken stems proclaimed victory with a loud rooster crow. Stems were used in lei, and continue to be, adding a beautiful texture.
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