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Water Boatman LbNA #5955 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 4, 2003
Location:
City:Brewster
County:Barnstable
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:1
Found by: capecodletterboxer
Last found:Apr 11, 2006
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFaaa
Last edited:Oct 4, 2003
The water boatman is a small pond critter that looks like a rowboat. It is an insect whose long hindmost pair of legs resembles a pair of oars. When swimming underwater, these legs appear to work in a similar fashion to real oars. The actual size of this bug is just under half an inch.

The water boatman eats algae, microoganisms, and decaying plant and animal matter at the bottom of ponds. When diving and swimming, it carries an air bubble from which to breathe next to its body. Besides being a good swimmer, this bug is also good at flying from pond to pond. There are about 115 species of water boatmen in North America.

Driving directions:

From the Cape Cod side of the Sagamore Bridge, take Route 6 East to Exit 12 in Orleans. At the end of the off ramp, turn left onto Route 6A West towards Brewster. After about 2 miles, turn into the entrance of Nickerson State Park on the left. Be sure to pick up a trail map at the booth on your way in.

Clues:

Find the section of trail that goes along the interesting strip of land separating Cliff Pond from Little Cliff Pond. This is one of several places in the park where a water boatman could practice all of its locomotion skills: swimming, diving, crawling, and flying. A good place for it to rest from its exertions is at the very crest of the hill at the more northerly end of this section of trail. A quiet place for a water boatman to catch its breath can be found between the multiple trunks of a small red maple tree on the Little Cliff Pond side of the trail, 4 paces in.

Planted by Curious Crane, Latte Man, Pigtographer, and Buddy