{"id":1383,"date":"2018-06-01T11:13:20","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T17:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=1383"},"modified":"2018-06-01T11:13:20","modified_gmt":"2018-06-01T17:13:20","slug":"water-striders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-detectives\/water-striders\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Striders On Patrol"},"content":{"rendered":"

Water striders are insects at home on a pond, and they skitter easily across the surface of the water. When you watch them skating around, they seem to be having fun. It is hard to view a water strider as a predator seriously on the hunt \u2013 until a small insect crashes onto the water and abruptly becomes the hunted.<\/p>\n

As a crashed bug struggles not to drown, tiny waves ripple outward in concentric circles. Sensitive hairs on a water strider\u2019s legs feel those watery vibrations. With its two middle legs paddling hard, the six-legged hunter rushes toward the center of the ripples.<\/p>\n

Before its wriggling prey can escape, the water strider\u2019s two front legs grab hold. With its sharp mouth, the water strider pierces its captive\u2019s exoskeleton and spits in paralyzing saliva. The saliva also starts dissolving the immobile prey\u2019s insides.<\/p>\n

The water strider sucks down its soupy, juicy meal then skitters into hiding when a red-winged blackbird lands on a branch over the
\nwater. The hunter is now the hunted, and the pond drama continues. <\/p>\n

Predators, prey, plants and water each play a vital role in a lively and healthy pond habitat.<\/p>\n

Water Strider Bragging<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t you wish
\nYou could be
\nA water strider
\nJust like me?<\/p>\n

I stride left
\nThen go right.
\nLife on the water\u2026
\nSheer delight!<\/p>\n

With each step
\nI hunt prey.
\nSlurping insect parts
\nEvery day.<\/p>\n

Uh-oh, here comes a spider. Excuse me\u2026must go. Aaaa!<\/p>\n

Continue Reading & Download the Print Edition<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Water<\/p>\n

\n

<\/i> Nature Detectives Library<\/h2>\n

Every past issue of Nature Detectives can be found in the Nature Detectives Library<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Water striders are insects at home on a pond, and they skitter easily across the surface of the water. When you watch them skating around, they seem to be having fun. 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Warts can occur when a virus sneaks into human skin through a cut. A medicine gets rid of the virus and then it\u2019s good-bye ugly wart. 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Snow! They quickly discovered they could slide on their bellies on snow just like they slid on mud. It was much easier and faster to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Detectives"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nature Detectives","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/nd-otters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/nd-otters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/nd-otters.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/nd-otters.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/nd-otters.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3174,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-detectives\/superpowers-of-dragonflies\/","url_meta":{"origin":1383,"position":4},"title":"Nature Detectives: The Superpowers of Dragonflies","author":"Summer Alameel","date":"06\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summer is here, and the amazing dragonflies are emerging to show off their beauty and superpowers. You can watch them dart across ponds, lakes, wetlands, and open meadows as they hunt \u2014 moving forward, backward, up, down, and hovering in a beautiful dance right before your eyes. Ancient Dragonflies: Older\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Detectives"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Watercolor illustration of the Nederland Mining Museum, a stone building with a large wagon wheel in front, colorful flower barrels, and mountains reflected in the windows.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMAGES-WEBSITE-FEATURED-IMAGE-18.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMAGES-WEBSITE-FEATURED-IMAGE-18.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMAGES-WEBSITE-FEATURED-IMAGE-18.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMAGES-WEBSITE-FEATURED-IMAGE-18.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMAGES-WEBSITE-FEATURED-IMAGE-18.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":368,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/american-avocet\/","url_meta":{"origin":1383,"position":5},"title":"American Avocet, aka “Blue Shanks”","author":"Staff","date":"02\/28\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Looking through binoculars or a spotting scope at one of the ponds on open space you might see a distinctive bird strolling on slender bluish-gray legs. Its nickname is \"blue shanks,\" but the more commonly used name for this bird is American avocet. It's easy to spot these birds, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Avocet standing in a pond","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1386,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1383\/revisions\/1386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}