Male Red Wolf #1369 howls in answer to a siren off in the distance.

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.

Snakes are still being seen, due in part to the warm weather we’ve been experiencing the past several days. An Eastern Garter Snake surprised a young visitor Tuesday afternoon by sliding across the pavement in front of her next to the Wetlands Overlook and a Northern Water Snake was at the Main Black Bear Overlook Wednesday (11/9).

Northern Water Snake at the Black Bear viewing area. Is that a slight bulge midway down the snake's body? Probably one of the slow moving frogs that are lingering in the area.

See you in the Wild.

Crawling away from the Wetlands.

Back to the Wetlands.

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 heading for higher and presumably warmer ground, I’ve seen it make the crossing of the pavement several more times, in both directions. I’ve also seen it coiled up in the sun next to the path within a meter of hundreds of school kid’s feet as their field trips wound their way through Explore the Wild.

A familiar sight these past four weeks greeted me yesterday afternoon as I rounded the corner of the path below the Lemur House. It was Big Red. But something was different, the snake’s once long tail which used to narrow to a fine point was now a stump, about 7 or 8 inches of the tail was missing.

Notice anything different?

Big Red's stump.

How did this snake loose its tail? I saw the snake a few days before and it still had all of its parts. I can only guess at what caused this snake’s unfortunate lose. There are plenty of raccoons wandering the Museum grounds and Gray Fox are residents. Perhaps our snake had a run in with one of those characters, either of which would eat a snake if the opportunity presented itself.

Or was it a Red-tailed Hawk or Barred Owl who thought this snake small enough to master, and found out different? Don’t know.

Does a snake really need its tail? Is this snake going to be any worse off without its tail? A wound a little higher up on the body would probably be a bit more problematic since the reproductive and waste organs are located at the spot where the tail begins.

It appears as though this snake had a narrow escape and will be fine. The next time though, that something grabs the snake by the tail, it just might be terminal.

UPDATE 13:30 10/14/11

I just spoke with Animal Keeper Mikey and he suggests that the tail was removed by a snapping turtle. That makes sense. If the snake had been in a tussle with a raccoon, fox, or raptor there would probably be other wounds visible on its body. There is one gray spot a few inches up from the current tip of the tail (visible in the small photo above), but other than that the snake looks clean, so maybe Mikey’s right.

One of six species of warbler seen, a Prairie Warblers gleans from a willow in the Wetlands.

For the birder, I saw 6 species of warbler this morning including Common Yellowthroat, Prairie Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, and topped it off with White-eyed Vireo (not a warbler).

There were several individuals from each species and they were all very hungry, barely paying attention to me just below them in the trees.

And for the herper, or herpetologist…

What's that on the path ahead?

Apparently the thirty degree difference in temps from yesterday has prompted this Northern Water Snake to hit the pavement and head for high ground. I have a feeling that it’ll be back in a few days when it warms up again.

Making haste for the warmth of the rocks just a dozen or so yards away (9/16/11).

What more could one ask for, a cool day with no chance for a sun burn, a small group of warblers moving through, and a big fat water snake crossing the path in front of you.

Whats appears to be a peaceful scene in the Wetlands is actually a struggle for dear life. This frog has a snake attached to its right leg (underwater).

Alerted by a chaparone from one of the many school groups present that day (May 4) that a snake was swimming along the banks of the Wetlands, I saw Big Momma, a large female Northern Water Snake, swim by just a few feet off the shore. Moments later the snake had a frog in her jaws. The grip was a tenuous one as only the frog’s foot was in the snake’s mouth.

Some ten minutes after being caught by the snake the frog's right leg was completely within the snake. There was no turning back.

Two minutes later, the snake was working on the left leg.

Oddly, the frog didn’t struggle as much as I thought it would.

The snake getting a better grip on the frog. Notice in this (and above) photo how the snake's throat is stretched to where the skin is visible between the scales.

Forty minutes into the drama and the frog is less than half within the snake.

As if it wasn't difficult enough to swallow a frog more than three times the width of the snake's mouth, now our female has to deal with a suitor, a male snake looking to mate.

The suitor gone, the female works at getting the frog into its digestive tract. Nearly there.

It’s now over an hour into the event.

For some reason that I don't understand the snake partially regurgitated the frog. Perhaps one of the legs went down the wrong hole? Notice that the male is back on the scene.

The female made quick work of re-swallowing the frog. Eight minutes has elapsed from the previous photo.

The next day…

Twenty-three hours later and the male finally got what he wanted. Note the bulge midway down the larger female's body (the frog).

Is that little speck a bird?

If you know what the bird in the photo is, good for you!

It’s a migrant. I only see this species over the Museum in the spring and fall, and there’s usually only ONE that I do see each season. They typically circle the Wetlands once or twice and move on. It’s an Osprey.

This very grainy enlargement of the above photo allows you to see that it is indeed, an Osprey (3/31/11).

On Saturday (4/2/11) I saw the first swallow of the season, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. There have been many other swallow sightings in our area, but this rough-winged was the first for the Museum this spring.

Rough-wings nested nearby last year, I would see one on a regular basis over the Wetlands. They’re not colonial nesters like the other local swallows, but they will nest in close proximity to others of their kind, or even with other swallow species, if nest sites are available for them. They nest in tree cavities, holes in rock or brick walls, pipes, or just about any other cavity large enough for them to squeeze into.

Just stopping by for a meal and drink of water on Saturday (4/2) was a Swamp Sparrow.

A Swamp Sparrow stops to rest and replenish on a rock just off the boardwalk in Explore the Wild.

Swamp Sparrows nest in or near, you guessed it, swamps or marshes. Do Swamp Sparrows nest at the Museum? We do have a swamp of sorts at the Museum, but I haven’t seen any evidence of these rufous-winged sparrows nesting here. I think that the Swamp Sparrows may prefer a swamp with cattails and other dense marsh grasses in which to nest. It is, however, nice to see them during migration.

And finally, the water snake that appeared on March 19, disappeared for about a week due to cool weather. It was back on station on 2 April.

Back on the willow next to the Wetlands Overlook after a brief trip back under its favorite rock is a Northern Water Snake

Good luck 1287!

American Toads (Bufo americanus) were out mating on Saturday (3/19/11). I’d seen their eggs previously but they were out in force this past weekend!

This happy toad is about to let loose with its high pitched trill in his attempt to attract a mate. Note that his vocal, or gular, pouch is just beginning to inflate. The vocal pouch is where the sound comes from when a toad sings.

One male rides atop a female while another male looks to the wall to mate.

Mating can be a rough and tumble affair for toads, anything that moves is fair game. Here, three males vie for a single female. One male goes so far as to stick his fingers in another male's eyes!

In this close view of the above photo you can see how mating can be difficult for some toads. I'm sure the eye poking was purely accidental.

There were at least 6 toads swimming around in the filter that cleans the water in the pond at the Black Bear Exhibit. The toads were oblivious to where they were, concerned only with passing on their genes.

Animal Keeper Jill holds a pair of toads that she removed from the filtration system for the Black Bear pond.

Skinks.

The first of the season Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) was seen wiggling across the path in Explore the Wild (3/19/11).

Snakes.

The first of the season Northern Water Snake (Norodia sipedon) was basking on a willow trunk in the Wetlands (3/19/11).

More to come!!

The rat snake was on an overturned stump near the head of the Dinosaur Trail on Saturday. It was still there Wednesday (10/27).

A small rat snake sits on an overturned stump on an unusually warm October day.

The water snake was on the path next to the Wetlands Overlook. It was a young snake, about 9 inches in length. I didn’t have my camera strapped to my hip as usual, so I hurried off to get it. By the time I got back within sight of the little serpent, I could see it quickly turn and slither towards the water, a missed opportunity (for me).

A Brown Snake (about 12") which had unfortunately not made it across the pavement.

The Brown Snake was also on the path, but unfortunately it had expired. It looked to have been stepped on, by accident I’m sure. I’ve also found two Ground Skinks in the same condition this week. This is indeed unfortunate because these are gentle little herps.

With all of the leaves and pine needles that have been falling to earth this past week it can be difficult to see such small, cryptically colored animals on the path. They sometimes freeze when approached, apparently relying on their coloration to make them “invisible” to whatever it is that’s approaching them, which in reality, while on the path, makes them more likely to be tread upon. I almost stepped on a skink myself this past week.

Keep an eye out for our little friends. Both the skink and the snake do us a service by eating many insects and other invertebrates.

First, a few plants.

Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) is not a native plant but it is quite attractive. This tiny flower is easily observed near the entrance to the Red Wolf Enclosure.

Another viola, or violet, growing near the Lemur House. This flower seems to be a color variation of the native Common Blue Violet (Viola papilionacea).

A non-native flowering plant, Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica) can be seen along the path in Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind. The word Indian in its common name refers to country on the Asian Subcontinent, the plant's origin.

A few trees.

Just about to burst open in all its glory, this Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is native from Canada to Florida.

Red Maple which put on a show for us at the begining of March is now showing both seeds and leaves.

Finally! After having seen damselflies emerge from the Wetlands since the 19th of March I was able to get a photo of one, a Fragile Forktail, another “punctuation mark” insect.

This male Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) was perched on a boulder alongside the path near Catch the Wind. Note the green exclamation point on its thorax.

Reptiles made themselves more available for viewing in the past week as well. Since March 10th when I saw the first Common Snapping Turtle of the season they have been out foraging in the shallows and even basking on the boulders of the Wetlands.

A Common Snapping Turtle on the small rock and a yellow-bellied Turtle on the boulder.

Northern Water Snakes disappeared for a couple of days due to cool weather, but came back out of hiding towards the end of this week.

A Northern Water Snake on a prostrate Black Willow in the Wetlands (its head is to the left).

Later in the day, another water snake joined the first.

A juvenile Northern Water Snakes slides across the path in Explore the Wild during Robot Rumble (3/20).

And finally, many birds have been busy with mating and nesting activities. On at least two different days I watched a male Belted Kingfisher fly wildly around the Wetlands, splashing in the water after fish (usually unsuccessfully) then fly over to the female, who had been observing this behavior, and mate with her.

A crow carries off a small branch to its nest.

A crow was seen plucking a twig from the upper branches of a tree and carry it off to its nest.

Anyone willing to hazard a guess as to which crow this is, American Crow or Fish Crow? I heard it calling as it went about its business, so I already know. Not fair, of course, and I don’t think that I could tell which crow it was from this picture, but I’d be happy to entertain your educated guesses.

A little after noon I spotted the first-of-the-season Northern Water Snake coiled up under a Baldcypress at the bottom of the boardwalk in the Wetlands.

Although not necessarily known as even tempered snakes, Northern Water Snakes are harmless.

The same day, Lead Animal Keeper Kristen spied a Copperhead along the path in Explore the Wild.

And today, Lead Horticulturists Joe found several Rough Earth Snakes (Virginia striatula) and a Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) under some debri at one of the Museum’s storage areas. Both of these snakes are small snakes, maxing out at about 13 inches and 18 inches respectively.

One of several Rough Earth Snakes seen on the 11th of March.

Brown Snake.

Close-up of head of the Brown Snake.

Brown Snakes are gentle little snakes, please respect them by leaving them be if you come across one on the trail.

March 10 was also a busy day for turtles. Besides the dozens of Painted and Yellow-bellied Turtles out basking, the first Common Snapping Turtle of the season was seen from the Wetlands Overlook.

The turtles were stacked up on the Wetlands (3/10/10). Pictured here are all Yellow-bellied Turtles (sliders).

I wonder what will show up today?

Green Treefrogs

Finally, after approximately 8 weeks, a Northern Water Snake made an appearance in the Wetlands on both the 14th and 20th of August. The snake seen on those days was probably the same individual, a large female. At this time last year there had been frequent sightings of many individuals, as well as several juvenile water snakes in the Wetlands. Where are all of the water snakes?

An Eastern Garter Snake slid across the path of the Dinosaur Trail on 14 August, pausing briefly midway across, much to the delight of one family (the kids) on their way to see the Troodons.