Life in the Soil

Shared by Kim Bailey
Naturalist at the Nature Center
kim.bailey@nashville.gov
Photos credit Kim Bailey unless otherwise noted

Spring is the time of year I most enjoy gardening. When the songs of migrating birds aren’t distracting me, I turn my attention to the greening trees and emerging plants and sink my hands into the soil. And being the critter lover that I am, I always look forward to the surprises that I inevitably uncover as I dig.   

Some years ago, I began to appreciate soil for what it is: a rich and varied habitat as diverse as its inhabitants. All those air spaces between the soil particles are filled with animals that range from microscopic nematodes feeding on bacteria, fungi and each other to the incredibly adaptive, shovel-pawed mole who moves through its landscape like a swimmer in water! Once I saw a mole emerge from a hole in the ground, run across the driveway, and dig a new hole in a matter of seconds. He literally disappeared before I could finish yelling “look at the mole”! I have respected the power of his front feet ever since. No photo proof of that quick encounter! 

However, over the years I have found some interesting animals that did allow me to photograph them. I have been entertained by both a crayfish and an American toad poking out of holes in the ground. 

Crayfish burrows extend deep into the soil where it is moist.

Chimneys like this are a sign that crayfish are nearby. 
Photo credit Science Photo Library via Google Images

American toads spend most of their lives on land and sometimes burrow into soil to stay moist.  

Have you ever found an obvious hole or space extending beneath the surface of the ground? I mistakenly dug this Trapdoor spider up, destroying her carefully constructed home in the process.  

Trapdoor spiders live in burrows underground. At ground level they construct a little door that is hinged with silk on one side. The door is perfectly camouflaged in the ground. The spider opens the trapdoor and waits for prey to approach.   

Lately I have come across a number of beetles.  

 

This June Beetle pupa began life as an egg laid in the soil. While in the grub stage, it fed on the roots of grasses and other plants. This stage lasted for three years! It pupated this spring and will soon emerge as an adult but stay underground until the following year. 
 

I found two different species of June Beetles (also known as June Bugs) not far from the pupa. Perhaps they recently emerged and will remain in the soil until 2021. Or are they females preparing to lay eggs? So much to learn! 

Another common encounter is the multi-legged centipede!  
 

Centipedes are often confused with millipedes but are unique in a number of ways. They have 1 pair of legs per segment vs. 2 pairs in millipedes.  Centipedes also have 2 “poison jaws” on their head which they use to paralyze their small prey. The round-bodied, slower-moving millipedes are detrivores and have no need for deadly mouth parts!   

Naturalist Rebecca Dandekar recently found this bark centipede tending her eggs in her garden.   

Clearly soil is not just a bunch of lifeless dirt! It is the matrix for life for thousands upon thousands of species. In fact, scientists estimate a billion organisms can be found in a teaspoon of soil.   

With that in mind, I can’t wait to get back to my garden and see what surprises await!