Of pheasant has a long breeding season, which runs from March to June. This means that the first pheasants are already breeding. Pheasants live in a harem, where one male fertilizes several females. A female can lay ten to fourteen eggs. Only females incubate the eggs. That is very handy, because they are a lot better camouflaged than the strikingly colored males.
Adders need heat from the sun as they cannot regulate their own body temperature. That is why they go into hibernation in the winter. When it gets hot outside, they wake up and warm up in the sun. So when it gets warmer in the near future, you can see vipers sunbathing. They are mainly active in the morning and in the evening. If it is not yet very hot during the day, the vipers can also be seen during the day. They want to enjoy the sun as much as possible! Adders can even make their bodies extra flat to absorb as much solar heat as possible.
Text: Marjolein Mooij, NatureToday.nl
Photos: Piet Munsterman, Saxifraga; Hans Dekker, Saxifraga
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