SOME ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
A Nest Deep Down in the Sand
Walking through the dunes, you will frequently notice a small hole in the sand. Poke a blade of grass into it and you will find the hole quite deep. As a matter of fact, it may extend down two feet. This hole is made by the Sand Dune Wolf Spider (Lycosa pikei) to provide a home where the female may raise her young. Wolf Spiders are a species that elsewhere carry their young on the back and hunt down their food wolf fashion, not even taking time to construct a web. On the exposed dunes, the Sand Dune Wolf Spider protects its young in this hole far beneath the ground.
No Nest at All
Dozens of Common Terns are to be found nesting at the southern tip of the Neck. Long ago, the Common Tern began laying its eggs on the bare sand, and made no nest at all. Each egg is sand-colored, with speckles resembling pebbles. Only a patient search will locate a Tern nest on the Beach, and then, unless you are cautious, the discovery may come after you have accidentally stepped on the eggs.
Eating What Comes to Hand
Bayberries have a hard wax covering that makes them seem quite unpalatable to us, compared to the more succulent berries found away from the dunes. Yet here the Crows, Tree Swallows, and Myrtle Warblers are Bayberry-eaters. The Myrtle Warbler in particular derives most of its winter diet from Bayberries. In fact, its name comes from the scientific classification of the Bayberry, which is in the Wax Myrtle Family.
The Art of Being Inconspicuous
The sand offers few places of retreat and few for hiding. It is not surprising, then, that many of the living things here have a sand-colored protective coloration. There is a large Grasshopper, or Locust, commonly found on the Beach. Its dull, gray, speckled wing-covers make it practically invisible when at rest. But the underwings, used for flight, are a striking orange with black bands. When discovered, the Locust flies up, confusing its attacker with this bright flash of color and a loud whirring noise. Unlike most insects, this Locust eats the thick-skinned, dry Beach Grass.