Love the earth Wetlands

ecosystem Wetlands sustain more life than almost any other ecosystem, even though only about 6% of the earth's surface is wetland. Wetland animals have developed adaptations of all kinds to allow them to cope with life where water is so critical. At the same time, because of historical attitudes towards wetlands, many endangered animals are precisely those which depend to a great extent on the watery environment.  

弧邊招潮蟹 中文名稱：網紋招潮、大栱仙 學 名：弧邊招潮蟹 英文學名：Uca arcuata (de Haan, 1835) 學　　名：弧邊招潮蟹 英文學名：Uca arcuata (de Haan, 1835) 英　　名：Fiddler crab, Calling crab,Beckon crab 科　　別：沙蟹科 全　　長：3.8cm 棲息地：Fiddler Dance, right and left

Viviparity Vs Oviparous 水筆仔 中文名稱：茄籐樹, 紅欖 學名：水筆仔 英文學名：Kandelia candel(L.)Druce 科　　別：紅樹科 簡　　介：甚至發展成「板根」的形式。 紅樹科的植物具有特殊的「胎生苗」繁殖現象，原因是種子在萌芽之時需要充足的水份與氧氣，而紅樹林生長所處的環境是在潮濕缺氧且鹽份高的水澤軟泥上，並不適合種子的發芽與接下來的幼苗生長，因此紅樹科植物發展出這樣的胎生種子機制。紅樹林的「胎生現象」是指讓其果實在成熟後不立刻掉下，包藏在內的種子伸出果實體再發育成帶有胚莖的「筆狀胎生苗」，垂掛在母株上吸取養份成長，並能利用胚莖上的皮孔進行空氣交換，直到逐漸成熟（胚莖呈紅褐色）才脫離母株掉落，這樣的過程需經過大約一季到半年的時間（在南台灣主要在每年的11月到隔年2月）。胎生苗成熟掉落後會隨著潮水飄流靠岸著地或幸運地直接插到軟泥上，再自行長大茁壯，以這樣的機制來克服生長環境的條件不足。   原本水筆仔只分布在北部（台北淡水河流域的關渡、竹圍、挖仔尾），且多以純林形態著生，不見其它紅樹林植物。但現已被廣為移植栽種，中南部亦有分布。

Frogs are a member of the amphibian group Frogs are a member of the amphibian group. They lay their eggs in the water, and the eggs hatch into tadpoles. A tadpole is the larval stage, and will eventually change into what we know as frogs. Tadpoles breathe with gills, lack nostrils, and have eyes on the sides of their head. They eat algae.

Once the tadpole's legs begin to develop, nostrils appear, and they begin to develop lungs for breathing to replace the gills. Jaws form, their eyes elevate to the top of the head, and the tail shortens and disappears. 

Once the frog fully develops it lives on a diet of insects that it captures with its long sticky tongue. Bullfrogs, which are quite large, can eat most anything that it can handle like crayfish, small frogs, birds, snakes, and even small mammals.

Red eyed slider

Dragonfly

Many of the animals which live in aquatic ecosystems rely on the plants for food. There are many insects living in and around bodies of water. Some of these insects live their adult lives as flying insects, like the dragonfly, but their larval stages are spent in the water. 

The dragonfly is a common sight around bodies of water in the warmer months. This is an adult dragonfly. They eat mosquitoes and are eaten by a wide variety of birds, amphibians, spiders, other insects and even bats. 

This is a dragonfly nymph This is a dragonfly nymph. A nymph is an immature or larval stage in the life cycle of some insects. An adult female dragonfly generally lays her eggs in the water. The eggs hatch within 12 to 30 days into the nymphal stage. The dragonfly nymph is the color of the bottom

The water scorpion is found in ponds and other still waters The water scorpion is found in ponds and other still waters. They can be found hanging in the vegetation near the surface. Like the giant water bug, they are predators with front legs designed for grasping prey. They eat insect larvae. Unseen in this picture are their two long filaments that look like a tail that might sting, but they are actually tubes that they breathe through, like a snorkel tube. 

Mud skipper