Illustration – “R” is for…

…Rainbow Trout, the next letter in the Illustrated Alphabet Project, along with a short “Once upon a time” story and a few fun facts.

In many cultures, the fish is seen as a bringer of happiness and good fortune. One of my favorites is in Celtic mythology, where the rainbow trout is said to be a sacred creature that carries the spirit of the otherworldly realm. I grew up accompanying others when fishing. I could sit for hours on a rock in the middle of a stream. It was so very peaceful, like a meditation, and listening. This is the gift of nature.

The rainbow trout can only survive in clean water. Rainbows have beautiful coloring. Colors and patterns vary based on environment, age, and spawning condition. As members of the Salmon family, they always try to return to spawn in the same part of the river that they were hatched.

Rainbows have teeth on the roof of its mouth but no lower teeth. They are carnivores that eat insects, crustaceans, and small fish. A rainbow trout’s nest is in the gravel at the bottom of the water. It’s called a redd, and a group of rainbow trout is called a hover.

Rainbow trout have been introduced to every continent except Antarctica, and have been commercially farmed since 1870. Predators of rainbow trouts include, kingfishers, eagles, herons, eagles, raccoons, and humans.

And this….. was the letter “R” and a bit about the rainbow trout. – Thank you.