Did you know that skunk cabbage has a metabolic rate as high as a hummingbird? Or that it generates enough heat to melt its way through the snow, and has the ability to regulate its body temperature just like a warm-blooded animal?
Lots of skunk cabbage can be found along the Topsham Town Landing Trail, or on Cow Island. It grows best near water, so if you go searching for it, check near rivers or on floodplains.
Check out the video below, “Warm-Blooded Skunk Cabbages” in Bowdoin’s Nature Moments series with Nat Wheelwright to learn more about these interesting plants.
