The water level in the wetlands dropped significantly in January due to the lack of rainfall. This made wading around surveying for amphibian egg masses easier. The shallow water also made observing other creatures inhabiting this ecosystem more accessible. I didn’t find amphibian egg masses in this area, but I came across this creature crawling around. When I first saw it, I thought it looked like a roly-poly. I gently nudged it with my finger to see if it would roll into a ball to protect itself. It briefly stopped to investigate my finger and then continued on its way. I watched it as it moved among the decaying leaves covering the bottom of the pool. I gently turned over leaves and found more of them. The sun came out and reached through the leafless, winter canopy. It illuminated this small pool revealing a beautiful pattern and color across this animal’s body. I loved the stillness of the water and the textures and colors of the underwater landscape. It was peaceful watching this animal shuffle about in its home.
