<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2OKLaI_0wEbiMPe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2OKLaI_0wEbiMPe00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Jonah</figcaption></figure><p>I had my mind blown today.</p><p>They say you learn something new everyday, but I didn't expect today's lesson to be so awesome. I guess the Hudson Valley still has a few secrets up its sleeve.</p><h2>Amazing Hudson Valley Wildlife</h2><p>From the enormous <a href="https://wpdh.com/monster-woodpecker-reappears-in-poughkeepsie-area/">pileated woodpecker</a> to the <a href="https://wrrv.com/woolly-bear-caterpillar-winter-prediction-ny-2023/">woolly bear caterpillars</a> that (allegedly) tell me how bad the upcoming winter will be, one of my favorite parts about living in New York is the wildlife I get to see everyday. There's one animal, however, I've never seen.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4OFXEv_0wEbiMPe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OFXEv_0wEbiMPe00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Woodpeckers and caterpillars are just some of the amazing Hudson Valley wildlife (Canva)</figcaption></figure><h2>Phasmids in the Hudson Valley</h2><p>"It's that time of year again, when Phasmids (from the Latin "Phasm", meaning 'phantom', 'specter', or 'apparition') appear near our homes", came a recent post in a local Facebook community group. <b>The animal in question was one of the most interesting insects in the world</b>.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2esD7p_0wEbiMPe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2esD7p_0wEbiMPe00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>There are two species of walking stick insects in New York State (Canva)</figcaption></figure><h2>Did You Know Walking Stick Insects Lived in New York?</h2><p>Phasmids are insects that are often known by a much more common name: <b>walking sticks</b>. These animals, which spend most of their lives high in the branches of Hudson Valley trees, have one of the most fascinating camouflages of all time.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=20hseR_0wEbiMPe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=20hseR_0wEbiMPe00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Walking stick insects might be hiding in your very own Hudson Valley backyard (Canva)</figcaption></figure><h2>Walking Stick Insects in the Hudson Valley</h2><p>While they might be more closely associated with tropical regions, walking sticks <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Walking-Sticks#:~:text=They%20mostly%20live%20in%20temperate,on%20trees%20in%20plain%20sight.">live</a> on nearly every continent on the planet, including North America. In New York State, there are two species of walking sticks, although <b>only</b> <a href="https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/bugsb.pdf">one</a> <b>lives in the Hudson Valley</b>.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4UxlEW_0wEbiMPe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4UxlEW_0wEbiMPe00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Bats are one of the most successful hunters of walking stick insects (Canva)</figcaption></figure><h2>Walking Stick Insect Predators</h2><p>Walking sticks often rely on their disguise to protect themselves from predators like birds and even rodents. Bats, however, might be their most formidable enemy, as they use echolocation instead of eyesight to hunt, rendering the walking stick's camouflage useless.</p><p>The community Facebook post shared that the fall season in the Hudson Valley is when residents may be most likely to find these insects, as many seem to "fall" along with the leaves. The insects are harmless and can easily be deposited on a tree trunk where they can return to the branches.</p><h2>Best Hudson Valley Views, No Hike Needed</h2><p>Here are some of the best scenic overlooks in the Hudson Valley that don't require a long hike</p><h2>11 Stunning Photos of the Hudson Valley in the Winter</h2><p>Check out the beauty of the Hudson Valley</p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Did You Know This Amazing Animal Lives in the Hudson Valley?

I had my mind blown today. They say you learn something new everyday, but I didn't expect today's lesson to be so awesome. I guess the Hudson Valley still has a few secrets up its sleeve. Amazing Hudson Valley Wildlife. From the enormous pileated woodpecker to the woolly bear caterpillars...