Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

LAKE AND RIVER WILDLIFE

308

Water lilies

there are about 200 kinds of water lilies.

their leaves and flowers float on the

surface of the water, and their long stems

stretch down about 6 ft (2 m) to the roots

embedded in the mud below.

WilloW

the willow tree

thrives in the damp

soil of riverbanks,

and the shores

of lakes. its long,

penetrating roots

help strengthen

the bank.

Heron

Many kinds of herons

visit lakes and rivers all

over the world. Herons

wade slowly in shallow

water, at times standing

perfectly still for several

minutes, then suddenly

strike at a frog or a fish

with their long, spear-

shaped

bills.

Mirror carp

carp are fish that live in slow-flowing

rivers and weed-filled lakes. Mirror

carp are so named because their

bodies are covered with large, shiny,

mirrorlike scales. Mirror carp

search the river bottom for small

plants, shellfish, and worms.

Conservation

the axolotl, shown here, is a kind of Mexican

salamander. it cannot survive on land and is found

only in lakes such as lake Xochimilco, Mexico. like

many other lake and river creatures, the axolotl is

threatened by pollution. thousands of lakes in the

world are now lifeless because of the damaging

substances that flow into them. today, many lakes

and rivers are being turned into nature reserves in

order to protect the birds, fish, mammals, and other

wildlife they contain.

Dragonflies are a familiar

sight around lakes and

rivers during the summer

months.

Diving

beetle

the diving beetle

is a fierce predator. it

hunts tadpoles, small fish,

water worms, and insects.

MoorHen

During the breeding season the male and

female moorhen build a nest among

the vegetation at the water’s edge,

and the female lays up to 11

eggs. the moorhen’s long,

splayed toes enable it to walk

on floating leaves

on rivers, lakes,

and marshes.

these birds eat

pond weeds,

fruit, and

sometimes

insects.

Water snake

Many snakes can swim; the water snake

is an expert swimmer. it glides across the

lake with hardly a ripple. Water snakes

prey on small mammals, frogs, fish,

and small water birds, and their eggs

and nestlings.

lake WilDlife

trees such as willows and alders

line the edge of many lakes;

rushes, tussock sedges,

reeds, and other

marshy plants grow

closer to the water. plants

such as water lilies and water

horsetails grow in the

shallow water, and stick

up above the surface.

each type of plant is

food for a different

assortment of animals.

Find out more

animal senses

birds

fish

frogs and other amphibians

snakes

Water boatMan

this aquatic insect uses its paddlelike legs

to row across the surface of the water. the

back swimmer, a similar creature, swims

upside down, often near the surface.

Insect larvae, fish fry

(young), and other small

creatures shelter among the

plants along the water’s edge.

Cattail

grows

to 8 ft

(2.5 m)

high.

Diving beetles breathe by trapping air

under the hard wing cases that

cover the body.

Axolotl means “water beast.”

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