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Mad Lab Squad
Spittal Pond Field Trip
Spittal Pond Nature Reserve
The Spittal Pond Nature Reserve is a popular nature reserve based in the island of Bermuda. The Spittal Pond Nature Reserve is home to a variety of endemic, native, introduced, and exotic organisms. Our Biology class visited the Spittal Pond Nature reserve to investigate the different types of endemic, native, introduce and exotic species. Our Biology class was individually assigned a species that resides in the Spittal Pond Nature Reserve where each student had to find basic information about their species along with identifying rather their assigned species is endemic, native, introduced or exotic. Below are species that were assigned to our group to investigate and gather information about.
Monique L.
The Bermuda Palmetto
(Sabal bermudana)
Status: Endemic
Habitat: Coastal Forest, freshwater marshes
Description: A fan palm with a leaf stalk that projects about halfway into the leaf in a V-shaped. Its green leaves ar firm and do well in high winds. The Bermuda Palmetto grows to be about 35ft.
Cool Fact: The palmetto has a fibrous crown around the base of the leaves which provides habitat for insects and nesting material for birds.
Jawonday
The Bermuda Killifish
(Fundulus Bermudae)
Status: Endemic
Habitat: Saltwater/Freshwater lakes and ponds.
Description: . Killifish are about 6cms long and the females (olive colored/sometimes dark vertical bars on body) are always larger than the males (more brightly colored with dark eyespot on their dorsal fin during mating season)
Troubling Fact: Predation, pollution and human error are the main factors leading to their environments being destroyed and uninhabitable.
Denzel A.
Bermuda Cedar Tree
(Juniperus bermudiana)
Status: Endemic
Habitat: Forest, forested valleys, freshwater marshes.
Description: The Bermuda Cedar has a cone-shape when young with a small trunk but as an adult the trunk thickens and increases in length and the tree branches branch out. It has twigs where scale-like, green leaves that grow from in a cross section fashion. The Bermuda Cedar has strong deep roots which help it survive the winter and tropical storms/hurricanes.
Cool fact: Bermuda Cedar is used to make gifts for the locals ad tourists
Jokiah R.
The Brown Pelican
(Pelecanus occidentalis)
Status: Exotic
Habitat:The Brown Pelican is mostly found on the coastal areas of the southern and western areas of the United States. They are also found on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, Nova Scotia, Venezuela, the Amazon River, British Columbia, Chile and the Galapagos Islands
Description: Large bill (greyish color) with a gular pouch to drain out water when it catches prey, white head (yellowish color appears in adulthood), gray and dark brown body.
Cool fact: While the Brown Pelican is draining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch.
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