08/26/2024
Very Cool Nature Stuff! - hiking yesterday behind our house in Pronghorn Ranch, we discovered these fairy shrimp in a deep prairie pothole. They are about as long as a thumbnail. When rains fill these prairie potholes, fairy shrimp hatch from dormant eggs and quickly develop into adults. Adults mate and new eggs develop in the female's brood pouch. Once fully formed, the eggs are released to sink to the bottom of the vernal pool. There they can persist through multiple years of drought, freezing, and high temperatures until the rains come again. Fairy shrimp aren’t in every prairie pothole - so we feel lucky to have seen these amazing creatures!!
