Nature Cat
What's A Vernal Pond?
Clip: Season 1 Episode 38 | 2m 13sVideo has Closed Captions
Fern, a spotted salamander, takes Nature Cat and his friends to a vernal pond.
While playing in the woods, Nature Cat and his pals come across Fern, a spotted salamander who just so happens to be pregnant, and ready to have her babies! But she needs help getting to the safest spot in the woods to have her babies, the vernal pond. Nature Cat knows these woods like the back of his hand, and he has never heard of or seen the vernal pond. Fern cannot wait to show them why!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Nature Cat
What's A Vernal Pond?
Clip: Season 1 Episode 38 | 2m 13sVideo has Closed Captions
While playing in the woods, Nature Cat and his pals come across Fern, a spotted salamander who just so happens to be pregnant, and ready to have her babies! But she needs help getting to the safest spot in the woods to have her babies, the vernal pond. Nature Cat knows these woods like the back of his hand, and he has never heard of or seen the vernal pond. Fern cannot wait to show them why!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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on the other side of those trees.
Fern, I've been to this area a million times.
There is absolutely no pond.
That's a pond.
Whoa!
NATURE CAT: Where did this come-- I've never seen this.
What he's trying to say.
Welcome to a vernal pond.
But Nature Cat is right.
A pond hasn't always been here.
We came here in the fall.
Roll flashback, please.
We were playing leapfrog and Nature Cat jumped into a pile of leaves.
Tally-ho!
There was no pond, just a small depression in the ground.
And then when we went sledding last winter, there was no frozen pond.
Tally-snow!
Aah!
FERN: Nope, it's called a vernal pond.
"Vernal" means "spring," and that's when this pond happens.
So did the pond just magically appear?
Well, kind of.
After last winter, the snow melted and that, along with the rain we've been having, filled up this sunken space.
It happens every year.
Voila.
A vernal pond.
Why I'd love to hear more about this vernal pond.
How about you give it to me in song form?
Hit it!
♪ Frog, toad, and salamander ♪ ♪ All have one great wish ♪ ♪ A safe place to lay our eggs ♪ ♪ That's in water but away from fish ♪ ♪ So when the snow melts and spring comes ♪ ♪ A cool thing occurs ♪ What's that?
♪ Some water sticks around to form a temporary habitat ♪ Wow!
♪ Vernal pond a vernal pond ♪ ♪ It's only here for part of the year ♪ ♪ Then, poof, it's gone ♪ ♪ Migrating ducks stop for a swim ♪ ♪ And birds like to nest around the rim ♪ ♪ They never starve-a live off the larva ♪ ♪ Vernal pond ♪ ♪ This is the best-est for bugs and insects ♪ ♪ Vernal pond ♪ ♪ Fairy shrimp thrive here live their whole lives here ♪ ♪ For an amphibian it beats the Caribbean ♪ ♪ You've learned your lesson a shallow depression ♪ ♪ Makes vernal ponds ♪
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