Xplor More: Do A Double Take

Nature is always changing. The forest, prairie, or stream you explore today will look much different than the same one you explore tomorrow. Animals move around, babies are born, unlucky critters get eaten. Plants grow, bloom, make seeds, drop leaves. Sometimes, it’s easy to spot these changes. Other times, you notice them only if you look closely.

Instructions

Look at the two nearly-identical photos below. What has changed in the photo on the right compared to the one on the left? Can you spot all 12 things that are different?

Answers

To pinpoint changes in the photo below, the answer key uses letters (on the left) and numbers (on the top). A1, for example, refers to the top left area of the photo.

A1 - Bare trees grow green leaves.

A1 - An eastern screech-owl hides in a tree cavity.

A1 - The white-breasted nuthatch has flown away.

A4 - Spring beauty blooms on the hillside.

A5 - A red-bellied woodpecker replaces the red-headed woodpecker.

A6 - An eastern copperhead slithers in the leaves.

B1 - A muskrat walks along the stream bank.

B2 - A tree has fallen across the stream.

C3 - A school of bleeding shiners swims in the stream.

C4 - The red-eared slider disappears from the tree root.

C5 - A twelve-spotted skimmer (a type of dragonfly) perches on the tree root.

D5 - The northern watersnake has slithered away.