the dreams of trees unfold

Don Balke (American, b. 1933). Red Wolf, Bald Cypress, Louisiana, 1980. Gouache and watercolor on paper.

Illustrations by Zofia Fijałkowska for a children’s book “Aaa, kotki dwa”, 1950.

Happy 1st of June! Here’s its entry in the beautiful Très Riches Heures, a 15th-century Book of Hours: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/labors-of-the-months-from-the-tres-riches-heures https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/labors-of-the-months-from-the-tres-riches-heures

Snoot boopers, this one’s for you! Meet the duck-billed tree frog (Triprion spatulatus). Found on Mexico’s Pacific coast, this species inhabits altitudes of up to 1,640 ft (500 m). Arboreal and primarily nocturnal, it feeds on invertebrates including crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders. Scientists have observed this critter using its shovel-like head to plug the openings of its burrows, guarding itself while it rests inside, which is why it’s also known as the shovel-headed tree frog.