When nature talks to us…listen

 SQUIRRELING

You know who isn’t a friend to squirrels? Snakes! Just ahead of the rain, I found two VERY large rattlesnakes near my house. I’ve always known the legend to be that snakes are on the move just ahead of a rain, so I wasn’t extremely surprised. But is it true?

The animal kingdom gets a much closer first-hand experience with extreme weather than most humans do. So evolution teaches well. Bees, for example, are sensitive to barometric pressure fluctuations, or air pressure changes, and will work extra hard to collect pollen ahead of a storm, before fleeing to safety. But what other signs might be easier to catch?

As birds are flying creatures, they notice when there are significant changes in barometric pressure, and it makes flying harder. Old farmer’s wisdom says, “when leaves show their undersides, be very sure rain betides.” Loosely translated, flipped-over leaves mean rain is on the way. Even the colors of the sunrise and sunset can help to show what type of weather is coming, as red skies signify good or bad weather.

The moon can even be consulted to help with weather predictions, as a circle around the moon is almost a sure sign that there’s inclement weather expected soon. A sign you might have an easier time trying to observe around South Texas? Look for herd animals uniting. Herd species, such as deer, horses, and cows will often group together and all face the same direction.

There are many signs that nature gives us about all types of changes before they happen. How many do you know?