Their tail continues to move and wiggle on its own, distracting predators until the salamanders can move to safety. With barely a four-inch wingspan and armored only with powdery scales, the Monarch Butterfly confronts wind and weather flying high above the meadows and trails at speeds as fast as 30 mph and at heights up to one mile. They are known to migrate to Mexico, and some of them even come back. Adorned in its handsome red coat, the Northern Cardinal , Virginia's State Bird, can be seen throughout the area. Listen for the springtime duet of courting couples.
Cardinals are one of the few songbirds in our area for which females, as well as males, sing.
Painted Turtles with their brightly colored orange markings can often be seen sunning themselves on a warm afternoon in the Washington Channel. Beavers , which can be found on Theodore Roosevelt Island and near the Potomac Heritage Trail close to Rossyln, can live up to the age of 20 and reach weight levels of 100 pounds. Beavers start their lives with their eyes wide open and with all their fur. They begin swimming when only four days old. . . The caterpillar of the spectacular Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly feeds on its leaves.