All About Pondsby: Isabella Sullivan

October 2010

Definition: A Pond is a body of water. The sun can warm the pond so roots and plants can grow.

Climate: The water temperature is even from top to bottom and changes with air temperature.

Location: You can find ponds all over the world. You can even find some in Kentucky.

Geography

There are many animals in the pond. Some animals, suppose ably mammals live by the pond instead of in it. There are different types of animals. Mammals, Amphibians, insects, birds, and reptiles.

Animals

Red bats, raccoons, and muskrats are mammals that live by ponds.

Mammals

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/Karen_Francl/Lasiurus_borealis.jpg/medium.jpg

Red Bat (mammal)

musk rathttp://www.richwooders.com/appalachian/wildlife/semiaquatic-animal/muskrats/muskrat.jpg

Raccoonhttp://media.photobucket.com/image/raccoon/LISoldIt/raccoon.jpg

Bull frog, Eastern Spotted newt, and Spotted Salamander live in or by a pond.

Amphibians

Spotted Salamanderhttp://www.vernalpool.org/images/21_ys_a.jpg

http://greennature.com/gallery/frog-pictures/bullfrog.jpg

BullfrogEastern Spotted newt

http://images.veer.com/IMG/PIMG/MPP/1507621_P.jpg

Whirligig Beetle, Green Dragonfly, and Honeybees all live In ponds.

Insects

Whirligig Beetle

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Images/3743/Whirligig%20Beetle_big.jpg

Painted Turtle, Banded water snake, and Snapping turtle live by or in Ponds.

Reptiles

Painted Turtle

http://easyturtlecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/AFW_art_painted_turtle_18x14_175.00.jpg

Banded water snake

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/snakes/images/BandedWaterSnakeWHSnGw_AcRp14.jpg

Snapping Turtlehttp://grizzlyrun.com/Files/Images/Other/snapping_turtle1.jpg

King Fisher, Barred Owl, and Mallard Duck all live in or by a pond

Birds

King Fisherhttp://duncraft.atom5.com/files/barred-owl.jpg

Barred owl

http://duncraft.atom5.com/files/barred-owl.jpg

Mallard Duck

http://animal.discovery.com/guides/wild-birds/gallery/mallard_duck.jpg

Bluegill, sunfish and Largemouth bass live in ponds.

Fish

Largemouth Basshttp://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://stockyourlake.com/largemouth_bass1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://stockyourlake.com/bass.html&usg=__RKghGIgvngdF8bO5pupWGaOpu5w=&h=400&w=600&sz=27&hl=en&start=9&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Gkw7NtHa38kuaM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlargemouth%2Bbass%2Bpictures%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26tbs%3Disch:1

Bluegill

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/Fish/Bluegill/bluegill4.jpg Sunfish

Mosquito Eggs: Oval shaped eggs that stand on the water. Mosquito larva: At the end of the body, there's a slender breathing tube that rises to grab the waters surface. At the other end feathery brushes send food to the larva’s mouth. Mosquito pupa: The larva covers itself in a pupa, (a hard shell) when it’s ready to hatch, out comes the mosquito that we recognize. http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/22/

dengue_mosquito.jpg

Animal Lifecycles-Mosquito

Full Grown Mosquito

Animal Adaptations Because of winter, many animals have to

leave home for winter until spring comes again. Here’s some ways animals thrive to survive during winter. A turtle covers itself in mud where the frost can’t reach. A salamander goes to the woods to spend winter. And also a water strider spends its winter in the earth at the waters edge.

A Turtle in mud.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/1806854867_064265a5c4.jpg?v=0

There are many plants in the pond. Blue flag irises, Duck Weed, Willow trees, mosses and water lilies live and grow in ponds.

Plants

blue flag iris

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/29/blue-flag-iris_5686.jpg

Moss in a pond

http://galenfry.com/OR/jap12.jpg

Duck weed have very short lives. It survives only about 5-6 weeks! The mature Duckweed produces a small outgrowth from a bud on one end which breaks off becoming a small new Duckweed which follows what has just happened. In this cycle there becomes more, and more duck weed. That’s how a Duckweed spends it’s very short life!

Plant Lifecycles-Duckweed

Duckweed

http://jeremybiggs.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/duckweed.jpeg

In the winter, when the pond is frozen, a water Lillie goes down into the ground until the spring comes again. When spring comes, the water Lillie will blossom once more.

Plant Adaptations

Water Lillie in a pond.http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/files/u2/white_water_lily_pad.jpg

A Grebe is a bird. The Grebe eats: Insects, fishes, snails, and also crayfish. Some Turtles May eat Frogs! Raccoons feast on frogs, fish ,berries, duck eggs and more. And also a catfish prefers to eat at the bottom of the pond.

Food Chains

Grebe

http://www.wildlifehobbies.com/Photos/Grebe_Little_2009_01.jpg

Some Threats to a pond are people. Humans are littering everywhere and it may cause pollution in the water which can kill the animals taking their homes in it.

Threats To Ecosystem

One Small Square Donald M. SilverThe hidden life of the Pond Dwight Kuhnhttp://www.brainpopjr.com/html :Brain POP Jr. Fresh Water Habitatshttp://www.gma.org/katahdin/pond.htmlhttp://www.library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00228/animals.html

http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/ponds.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com

References