Shorter Time Between Moonrises

The Harvest Moon is also sometimes called Corn Moon, after the corn harvest in the months of fall.

Equal Day and Night

Most locations on Earth do not experience equal day and night on September equinox.

A Moment in Time

The staircases at the main Maya pyramid, El Castillo, at Chichen Itza, Mexico, are built at a carefully calculated angle which makes it look like a snake of sunlight slithers down the stairs the moment the equinox occurs.

Shorter Time Between Moonrises

The Harvest Moon is also sometimes called Corn Moon, after the corn harvest in the months of fall.

Short-tailed Weasel or Stoat (Mustela erminea)

The Stoat, or Short-Tailed Weasel, is a small mammal in the northern hemisphere. Its black-tipped tail distinguishes it from other creatures, and its coat changes color from brown and white to snow-white to help it blend in with its surroundings. 

The Stoat can also reach up to 20 miles per hour despite its size. These adaptations help the Stoat avoid predators and hunt prey efficiently. 

It is a bold solitary hunter that often takes on prey much larger than itself. It prefers small mammals, birds, insects, and eggs, with voles being a primary food source. 

Its unique hunting technique involves a dance-like movement to mesmerize its prey and allow for attack. While the Stoat prefers to be alone, it will mate during mating season.

Indonesian Shortfin Eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor)

The Indonesian Shortfin Eel is a deep-brown to light-yellow eel that inhabits the Indian Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, and Indonesian waters. It is a unique subspecies of the Shortfin Eel, characterized by its shorter dorsal fin beyond the pectoral fins. This catadromous eel lives in freshwater rivers and streams.

During the breeding season, these eels swim against the current and return to the ocean. Moreover, the Indonesian Shortfin Eel embarks on land excursions, using its slender body and sharp pectoral fins to explore new territories. They undertake these journeys at night when they emerge from their burrows and crevices.

Scanning their surroundings for prey, they mainly feed on small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.

Southern Shortfin Eel (Anguilla australis)

The Southern Shortfin Eel typically inhabits cooler freshwater areas in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. This species is dark brown and olive green, with a lighter underbelly and a shorter dorsal fin. Due to their snake-like locomotion, they can briefly go on land.

The Southern Shortfin Eel also starts life in the deep Coral Sea, turning from larvae into transparent glass eels. Braving numerous challenges, these eels journey from their birthplace to freshwater habitats. Female eels are larger than males, growing up to 3.3 feet long.

These types of eels prefer to stay hidden during the day under rocks and vegetation. They are active at night, feeding on fish, crustaceans, insects, and worms.

Stoat, or short-tailed weasels (Mustela erminea)

Three species of weasels swap their warm summer browns for icy whites: the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), the long-tailed weasel (M. frenata), and the short-tailed weasel, or stoat (M. erminea). The latter species is perhaps best known as the ermine, also the name of its winter fur, which is white except for the black tip of the tail. The uniquely patterned fur was once used to trim the robes of royalty and clergy. Weasels of the same species that live in more southerly climates usually don’t change color, though their more northerly relatives do. In transition zones, some weasels only partially change color, resulting in patchy white-and-brown fur. Interestingly, color-changing weasels have been shown to change color regardless of temperature or location, suggesting that they too rely on photoperiod to cue their molts.

Shorter Time Between Moonrises

The Harvest Moon is also sometimes called Corn Moon, after the corn harvest in the months of fall.

Exotic Shorthair

Exotic Shorthair