Reptiles and Amphibians Posts

Spring at the Museum? by , Ranger

December 7th, 2011

It’s December not April. What’s going on with the wildlife here at the Museum. Ranger Lew saw a Northern Water Snake on Saturday (12/3). Spring Peepers were calling and Yellow-bellied Sliders were out basking in the near 70 degree air of yesterday afternoon (12/6). Neither peepers or basking Turtles are unusual during this time of [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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Green Darner and Bullfrog by , Ranger

November 29th, 2011

On Friday of last week the weather was unusually warm, as it had been all week. Besides the Autumn Meadowhawks buzzing all over the edge of the Wetlands, as mentioned earlier, I also saw a Common Whitetail. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a photo of that slightly out of season skimmer. The next day as [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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On the way to the Wetlands I saw… by , Ranger

November 17th, 2011

            …and much, much more. Read the rest of this entry »

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Speaking of howling…and snakes by , Ranger

November 11th, 2011

To the delight of a group of children visiting the Museum Wednesday the Red Wolves got into a howling match with a fire engine (11/9). At times, sirens set the wolves off but it has to be the right frequency and distance from the Museum for it to work, not every siren works for them. [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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A Lady, a Snake, and a Late Bloomer by , Ranger

November 4th, 2011

An American Lady (Venessa Virginiensis) was spotted in the aster patch in Catch the Wind yesterday (11/3). In fact, there were several butterfly species and both bumble and honey bees working the tiny asters. An Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) was seen slowly crossing the path in Explore the Wild near the Red Wolf Exhibit. [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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A little musky by , Ranger

October 29th, 2011

A few weeks ago I reported on a very small, newly hatched turtle seen making its way across the path to the Wetlands. Well, on Thursday morning (1/27) while helping out with a Wetlands Program down in Explore the Wild I managed to catch two of the same species in a hoop net!   Both [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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Brief Fall Update by , Ranger

October 21st, 2011

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flickers, Winter Wrens, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets have all been seen here at the Museum. We’re still waiting to see the first White-throated Sparrow of the season. The cool weather brought in by a cold front yesterday had the local birds feeding heavily at the Bird Feeders in Catch the Wind. Even though [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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A Snake’s Tale by , Ranger

October 14th, 2011

The snake in the photos is Big Red, or at least that’s what I call it. It’s a Northern Water Snake and it resides in our Wetlands here at the Museum. Since September 16 when the mercury (or alcohol) took a thirty degree nose dive on the temperature scale and I first noticed this snake [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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A musky herp and some avian arrivals by , Ranger

October 12th, 2011

The thumbnail sized Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), or Stinkpot, in the photo above was walking up the middle of the path in Explore the Wild. The light markings on the marginal scutes of its carapace and face identify it as a musk turtle. To get a feel for its size, the willow leaf next [...] Read the rest of this entry »

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Copperhead: Part III by , Ranger

October 4th, 2011

The snake in the photo is about the size of a pencil. It’s probably not much older than a week.   Read the rest of this entry »

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