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Article: Imperilled, Streams Exhibit at Tennessee Aquarium.
- Article from:
- Endangered Species Update
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A banded water snake (Natrix sipedon) slithers upstream defying the strong current. A huge wrinkled hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) peeks from behind a boulder. The stilt-like legs of a great blue heron (Ardea herodius) step gingerly across the rocky bottom. Rooted submergent plants bend to the force of rushing water. Thrusting out its hand-like jaws, a dragonfly larva snatches an unsuspecting juvenile fish. Various freshwater mussels attempt to lure a host fish for their temporarily parasitic larvae.
These and numerous other aquatic creatures and plants comprise a composite underwater stream ecosystem of the southeastern United States. The rarely seen ...