photo by Greg Hofmann

5/30/2005: The critters of the little pond on the Renteria knoll are thriving. Pictured here is a Water Boatman (Notonecta sp.). You can often see them paddling from the bottom (where they forage for food) to the surface (where they get a gulp of air). Waterboatmen are an important link in the aquatic food chain, a favorite food of fish and birds. The large oars are the back pair of legs.