Nature & You: Are forest gnomes fact or fiction?
Are you one of those people who believes everything you hear? If you responded with an unabashedly and emphatic, "YES!," then please allow me to toss out a faint trail of bread crumbs to one intriguing aspect of the natural world.
My challenge to you is to go take a nature hike on any of those locations hereabouts where dry, crunchy tree leaves lie scattered upon the forest floor. Pay particular attention to what you hear. Likely as not, you'll hear the excited footsteps of tiny forest people as they go scurrying away at your approach. Try to see if you can catch a glimpse of these very small humanoids.
Call them what you will, the Cherokee Nation has a name for these Little People: Yun wi Tsundi ("Yun-Wee-Joon-Stee"). If that does not float your boat, you might feel more comfortable to call them forest gnomes, woodland fairies or something akin to Leprechauns.
Then again, I'd be much more inclined to steer you into a discussion of forest facts. The rustling sounds you hear emanating from the forest floor are the frantic skeedaddle sounds of fear when you approach too close to some very tiny lizards. Ground skinks take off running as fast as they can, and then they dive into "hidey holes" that are underneath the leaf litter on the forest floor. By the time you hear the sound of their footsteps and you initiate your search, these miniscule creatures are already hidden out of sight.
Ground skinks live in a dusty world. In order to protect their eyes, they wear goggles. Well, I jest. The truth of the matter, however, is even more exhilarating. The eyelids of these lizards have transparent "windows" through which these lizards can see when they are making their mad dash to safety.
In some instances, truth is stranger than fiction.
Neil Garrison was the longtime naturalist at a central Oklahoma nature center. His email is atlatlgarrison@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nature & You: Are forest gnomes fact or fiction?
