06 August 2009

I wouldn't eat those if I were you

At the top of the path behind the waterfall in the "Aztec" themed section. (Aside from wanting a place to put jaguars and parrots, no, I don't get why the zoo wanted an Aztec temple ruin, simulated, one of, either, but it was the 70s.) No idea what they are, but they've got that not-quite-scarlet squishy-red "some bird has evolved to be a very specific mutualist for these, mind the nasty, nasty alkaloids" look to them. (At which point an astute reader will tell me they're obviously on a feral lingonberry bush and quite tasty.)
One of many shots where I notice the spider web only when processing the picture; missed it completely at the time.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

has that shrub honeysuckle look to it with those sometimes-fused berries.

and yeah, i wouldn't eat them. if they are lonicera, they're mildly toxic.

-piranha

Graydon said...

I tend to assume that anything only one or two species of bird shows any interest in whatsoever is ... inappropriate for human consumption. :)