Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge

I arrived in SE Alabama last Thursday, after two grueling days in the car, Addie and I were glad to be free! I'm living in a 24' camper, and it's very comfortable, right on the National Wildlife Refuge! I am currently without a personal computer, an internet connection, and I'm not even allowed on the computers at work yet... so my access to blogging will be limited. I'm currently sitting in the town library, trying to get some things done...and thought I'd try to upload a few pictures!

American alligator, ~2 feet in length

Unknown species...probably a Sora or a Rail? I don't have a book in front of me. And those massive plants! What are they?!

Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Drive

Eastern Screech Owl in a Wood Duck nest box

The Owl's view, and my truck

My first sighting of a venomous snake. Although it was dead, it was a little disconcerting. I'm guessing a rattlesnake, even though the rattles are gone. This guy was AS THICK AS MY ARM, and about 2-3 feet in length. Impressive!

Sunset at ENWR

Red-winged Black Birds feeding on a grass of some sort.

And my favorite sighting so far! I heard a scuffling around under my camper, and of course all I had available was my phone, so the image isn't great...but this is my first Nine-banded armadillo! Such an interesting critter...

Nonnatives vs invasive species

My posts concerning the Florida Keys have all been fluffy and full of pretty pictures and cute animals. I’ve decided that for this entry, if there’s anyone out there reading this, then I will teach you something!

I want to discuss native/nonnative/invasive species. I live in an area that is warm– nay, HOT, all year round. There is this general rule, that the closer you get to the equator, the more diverse the flora and fauna is. As far as American soil goes, I’m pretty much as close to the equator as one can be (OK, fine Puerto Rico is closer, but I’m talking STATES here people). Let’s define these terms, shall we? Then I can be on my way and get to the cool pictures I’ve been wanting to share with my blogosphere friends.

(I’ve kind of gleaned these definitions from various sources, and recollections from undergrad courses, and mushed them into the following…and I’m speaking to North America)

Native: those species present pre European settlement
Nonnative: species introduced intentionally or unintentionally post European settlement
Invasive: species that have a negative impact on the economy, environment, and/or human health.



It’s important to note as well, that not all nonnatives (or sometimes referred to as introduced species) are invasive, and sometimes natives can becoming invasive.



A male Ring-necked Pheasant, seen in the

Finger Lakes region of NY. Photo credit: Art Kirsch

Here are some examples: the Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) ranges across North America, and was brought here in the 1880′s from Asia, as a game species (All About Birds: Ring-necked Pheasant). Back in those days, this was common practice, and in some parts of the world it still is. This bird is a popular upland game bird hunted by many, but it’s not a species that has not become invasive. In fact, in New York for example, the population isn’t as abundant as hunters would like, so there’s a Pheasant Propagation Program. An example of a invasive nonnative species in NY, is the Eurasian boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus). They are aggressive, compete for food with native species (black bear, Turkey, white-tailed deer), and they can destroy crops and agricultural lands. This is not a species NY wants on it’s landscape. For more info: NYSDEC: Eurasian boar.

 

Ok, so the point of all that information, was to provide you, the reader, with some definitions and information. I really wanted this posted to be all about the cool reptiles and amphibians I’ve seen in the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, many of the “herps” down here are nonnative and invasive. Here’s what I’ve seen, by order of discovery!

*Please note that my classifications of what is invasive, may be incorrect. This is information that I’ve learned living and working here, but may differ by opinion, agency, and location.

Six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus), NATIVE, No Name Key, FL, June 2014

Brown/Cuban anole (Anolis sangrei), NON-NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Green iguana (Iguana iguana), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014



Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactlyus turcicus, turcicus), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Florida softshell (Trionix ferox), NONNATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Southern leopard frog (Rana spenocephala), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014



Juvenile ashy gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014

Key ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014



Eastern narrowmouth toad (Gastrophrynae carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014

Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014
*Note, these individuals are copulating in this picture. The female is smaller.

-Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, September 2014 (Look these guys up on YouTube... they TALK!)

Other reptiles observed, but lacking photos:
-Southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL June 2014
-Atlantic green turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas), NATIVE, Open ocean in Key West NWR, June 2014
-Black spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, No Name Key, June 2014
-American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), NATIVE, Key Largo, FL, July 2014

Many, if not most of these reptiles/amphibians, were released pets at one point. This is not only illegal, but unfair to that individual critter. The way someone once described this scenario to me, is to imagine yourself naked, without ID or money, and suddenly finding yourself in a foreign country. Now try to survive. Oh, and by the way it might snow and freeze on you! Other ways animals are finding their ways around, are as stowaways. As kids, my mom found an anole in BJs, in Albany. We don’t have those types of lizards in NY, nor does BJs have a pet department. A shipment of plants from a nursery in Florida had recently come in. Guess which kid got a free pet lizard that day?! This happens on cargo, freight, boats, cars, trains, etc. regularly.

The point of this entry was not to bore you with definitions, but to share some of the neat slimy and scaly wildlife I’ve seen this summer. It’s all cool to me, and I learned most of these guys in the herpetology course I took last year at SUNY Cobleskill. I just hope no one ends up in my car for the drive back to NY the end of this month!

Sunsets over Big Pine Key

I’ve been scarce this summer, I know. I’ve been super busy running around the Florida Keys working, educating, learning, playing, and soaking in the sunshine.

Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014

Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014

Highlights of my summer have included watching a pair of Anhingas court, build a nest, lay eggs, incubate, and now care for their 2 chicks.

Anhingas on the nest, Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, FL

Exploring Long Beach

I developed and help run a 6 week guided nature walk series throughout the summer. It ran Wednesday evenings, which quickly became my favorite time of day to be outside. The temps are lower, the sunsets are beautiful, and the bugs aren’t that bad! We’re finished now, as the kids here are back in school, which has surprised me! In NY I didn’t go back to high school until after Labor Day Weekend.

Our 6 weeks of walks had a different theme. Week #1 brought the group to the Long Beach part of the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge. This is an ocean-side (as opposed to bay-side, this is Keys lingo) beach. It’s not very pleasant for us humans, as there is a lot of vegetation, coral, rocks, and sea grasses. It’s fun to explore the intertidal zones, watch for birds, and run into Key deer along the way. We scooped up handfuls of sand, and realized that it’s not born from granite and quartz, like on the East Coast beaches, but it’s biological in nature. We could pick out tiny shells and bits of corals, which was really neat.

Gambusia sp. or more commonly known as Mosquito-fish, 

are dumped in the freshwater wetlands by a mosquito 

control company. These fish are used as a biological control 

for mosquitoes, which eat the larvae, and therefore help make 

the Keys liveable.

On our second guided walk, we ventured off the beaten path and explored a hidden freshwater wetland. People are surprised to hear that we have an abundance of available, fresh water. But, that’s a reason why we have wildlife like Key deer, marsh rabbits, wading birds, and amphibians. Personally, I wanted to find frogs during this trip. I spent a lot of time online the day before, looking up documented NATIVE species of frogs found on Big Pine Key. I even spoke with a herpetologist who had done work in the Keys, and was familiar with local critters. Unfortunately, we were skunked, and did not catch any frogs. We saw a couple, but they were much too quick! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it though, getting wet, catching fish with little nets, and I think just being outside!

Green Heron seen at the Blue Hole during the photo safari!

Week #3 brought us to a popular place on the Refuge, the Blue Hole. This is an old limestone quarry, and has filled in naturally with freshwater. Alligators, fish, turtles, birds, deer, lizards all spend a lot of time in and around Blue Hole. There’s a nice gravel patch that walks you through the trees, and out onto a wooden observation deck to view the pond. We encouraged our guests during this trip to take pictures. We called it a “photo safari”, and when we were finished, we returned to the visitor center to view everyone’s pictures and to print a couple of the best ones out.

Myself and a male fiddler crab! 

You can tell it’s a male, because of that 

one very large claw, used for defense and courting.

Week #4 wasn’t really a walk per se, but an adventure! We used seine nets at a boat launch area, to try and catch some little fish, crabs, or whatever else was present. The kids were really into it! We caught 2 different kinds of crabs (and these may not be 100% accurate names); mangrove crab and fiddler crab. We also caught a few species of “bait” fish which was awesome! We talked about the importance of mangroves, and the ethics of handling live animals. The weather was “mild” (as mild as it can be in the FL Keys in July… so, not SCORCHING), the sunset was gorgeous, and the kids got soaked! All around a great night, one of my favorites this summer.

These tree snails (Liguus fasciatus), are listed as species
of special concern in the State of Florida, and were almost
 completely wiped out due to over-collection.
We were lucky to spot some on No Name Key!

Week #5 took us onto the No Name Key, and the goal was to learn about and hopefully spot a White-crowned Pigeon. This is a very cool bird that is elusive, and wary. In the United States, it’s only found in South Florida, specifically the Keys. It is found through the Caribbean and Bahamas as well. Of course along the way we saw other cool critters like the tree snails, Key deer, spiders, and other birds! We had an assortment of folks join us throughout the summer, but had 2 families stick with us for the entire series. On this night, one of our youngest, a 6 year old little boy, led the pack. He was outfitted with a flashlight, binoculars, stainless steel forceps, and a “poker” stick. This kid cracks me up, but I’m refreshed by a kid who LOVES the outdoors and nature just as much as I do. His 3 year old sister as well was really into it. She collected every little thing she found to show me, and it was adorable.

Our final walk led us to find this rare Key ringneck snake 

presented itself to us. At first, I thought it was a juvenile, 

but after some research, it may be an adult! Very small, 

and that ring as seen on other ring-necked snakes, is faint.

The final walk was my favorite. We had perfect weather, the humidity seemed to slack off a little, and the sun was low. We took this walk to get folks out into the pine rockland habitat, which Southern Florida used to be in abundance of, especially the Keys. We saw birds a-plenty, and hoped for Lower Keys marsh rabbits and Key deer, but I think our group was a little too rambunctious!

The summer is winding down here. Even though this is the land of perpetual summer it seems, I can feel a difference in the air, the water looks different when I’m snorkeling, and the days are shortening. My time here as well is dwindling. It’s bittersweet, as I’ve made some great friends and contacts, and truly enjoyed the Keys lifestyle. But, I’ve landed another temporary position within the National Wildlife Refuge System, this time in Alabama! I’ll be journeying to NY the end of next month to visit friends and family (including the Albany area!), and to retrieve my dog Addie. Then Addie and Alyssa will make the journey south, once again! Alabama, here I come!

Sunset over the pine rocklands on Big Pine Key, August 2014.

Guest post: Hello, herpetofauna!

James and I met several years ago as FLCC students, on a Wildlife Society club trip to the Adirondacks for a weekend. All I knew of James was that he was quiet, but really smart. Over the next year or so, we got to know each other better (while struggling through chemistry classes), and since we’ve graduated and split to different SUNY campuses, have remained in touch. James asked me about blogging, and put out a feeler on Facebook to see if his friends and family would be interested in a reptile and amphibian themed blog. I offered up my blog for a guest entry, and so here we are. Please welcome my friend James Beach!

Meet James, a Finger Lakes Community College 

alumni, and friend of mine.

Every year around this time I anticipate the emergence of the local herpetofauna that surrounded my urban apartment. The many wetlands within a 15 minute drive from my apartment are home to an abundance of species, from frogs and toads, turtles and snakes, and last but not least, the salamanders and newts. To me, the emergence of these animals a reason to celebrate! Hearing the symphony of wood frogs and spring peepers signifies the end of winter and the start of longer days, but beyond that, it also rejuvenates my spirit.

My love for reptiles and amphibians began when I was a small child in the late 80s and early 90s. I would spend my free time in a stream behind my parents’ house in rural upstate New York. Although my identification skills were not yet developed, I would try as hard as I could to learn as much as possible about these marvelous creatures. It was that small stream, the memories it helped create, and all the beautiful animals I found, that stayed with me into adulthood and shaped my career and personal goals of getting as many people as possible interested in herpetofauna. I am currently perusing a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Brockport where I am majoring in Environmental Science with a focus in wetland ecology.

Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Photo credit: Melissa Fadden, SUNY ESF

March 20th typically marks the start of the “herping” season. For those new to this term, herping is the nickname for the activity of searching for reptiles and amphibians. It’s fun, easy to get involved in, and can be done almost anywhere. Many children growing up find many species in their backyard, as well as ponds, streams, swamps, marshes, and ditches. I cannot begin to explain how many different species I used to bring home to my mother, asking, “Can we keep it?” Usually she would say NO, but on occasion she would oblige my interest as long as it stayed outside. This is probably a typical scenario for many kids growing up, but what are the consequences? Is it okay for children and adults to take animals from the wild and bring them home, thinking that they can somehow provide a much better environment than its natural residence? It is this question that I seek to answer with this blog post.

Midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) 

Photo credit: Melissa Fadden, SUNY ESF

How we interact with nature is in essence a reflection of our values: if we value nature, which I think we all should and mostly do, then it should be in our interests to leave whatever creatures and natural objects where we find them. We can instead pay homage to nature by storing beautiful sights in our memories, drawing pictures, or taking photos. Herping is a great activity in which to get family or friends involved, and it’s rewarding for both the young and the old. But to be ethical about it, there are a few questions one should ask.

First, how do you do it, and where and when do you go? Herping is a fairly inexpensive hobby requiring only a field guide, headlamp, snake hook (this item is optional and can be found at most pet stores), a first aide kit, rain gear and warm clothing.

Eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) 

Photo credit: Melissa Fadden, SUNY ESF

The easiest thing to do is find a wetland around you and go a half hour after sunset, when it’s raining lightly and not terribly windy. You’ll find that the first spring rains are the best time to get out there because this is when many salamanders are on the move and begin breeding. Salamanders will leave the forest floor where they are hardly ever seen, and migrate to wetlands to begin mating. The sounds of wood frogs and spring peepers will also begin to be heard around this time. There’s a short window of opportunity, but by mid April the chances of finding some of the less common species begins to decrease. I have been in wetlands where hundreds of spotted salamanders are abundant and are moving into wetlands, and no one would ever know if they weren’t out there on those chilly rainy nights. If any of these animals are present you will see them.

The next question one should ask before herping is, how should these delicate animals be handled, if they are to be handled at all? Amphibians breathe through their skin, and because of this, are susceptible to toxins from pollution. It is okay to handle them very gently. I recommend that the best way to do so is to wash your hands in the wetland first to make sure you don’t transfer any toxins to them. If you smoke or put on any hand sanitizer, you should refrain from handling them, because the toxins on your hands could potentially kill them.

Wood frog (Rana sylvatica) Photo credit: Melissa Fadden, SUNY ESF

 How do you find specific snakes, lizards, and turtles? This is a tough question to answer, because it largely depends on luck along with knowing the habitat of the target species. The best time to search for turtles or snakes is early in the morning around 7am until 1 or 2 in the afternoon throughout the breeding season, although some, like painted turtles, will stay active beyond that. Many of the more secretive species will be hard to find after that point. Mornings that reach temps in the early to mid 60s with lots of sunlight are great for getting outside and seeking out the turtles in your area. Many species will begin to bask once they emerge from hibernacula, and can easily be spotted as they purge their system of the lactic acid that has built up over the winter. If targeting snakes, one can try to manipulate the habitat a bit by putting large objects around the area for the snakes to hide under. Checking these locations every couple of days should yield great results, and you’ll begin to be more conscious of the species located around you that perhaps you had no idea existed.

If a child asks to take any of these animals home as a pet, what should the response be? It should always be NO! In New York State, all of our native species are protected, and it is illegal to take any of them from the wild. If the child is interested in having a pet, please do some research and consult a pet shop. Beyond that, these animals are also important members of their local ecosystem, and it’s extremely important that they remain there for others to enjoy. Currently, herpetofauna are experiencing a huge decline due to habitat loss, fragmentation, invasive species, chemicals, climate change, and poachers. These species are very important to scientists as they are viewed as environmental indicators, meaning their presence in a wetland will show what kind of condition their environment is in. If the area is severely degraded, these species will be absent.

A common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) Photo credit: James Beach

Please keep all of these things in mind when herping. It’s important to have fun, and also to recognize the importance and aesthetics these animals have. If looking to become more familiar with frog and toad calls in your area, I have posted a link that will get you started: USGS Frog Quiz. I have also included links to books and audio CDs that aide in identification: The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State and The Frogs and Toads of North America.

Thanks for reading, and of course happy herping!



*All comments and questions will be relayed to James!

Mudpuppy dissection!

WARNING: The included pictures may be considered graphic or offensive by some.

You know what’s great about being hosted by a major newspaper like the Times Union? Last Wednesday I had 21 hits on my blog. A sad, lonely, 21 hits. Thursday, after being featured on the front page of the TU website brought me 536 hits. And today, 317 so far. That’s pretty awesome exposure for me. So, thanks for stopping by!

As I’ve mentioned in recent entries, I’m enrolled in a Herpetology course. Herpetology is a branch of zoology which focuses on the study of reptiles and amphibians. I’ve never been really into the “herps”, mammals and birds are more my forte in the world of wildlife, but I’m interested to know more about them. They are sensitive to environmental changes, they are abundant in New York (we have snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, and lizards!), and they are fairly easy to come across. Especially in the few months as they are emerging from hibernation and beginning to breed.

Check out the NYSDEC’s website for

 more information: 

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7485.html

The class is 4 hours long: 2 hours of lecture, 2 hours of lab. Friday’s lab was really fun for me, as we did a dissection of a mudpuppy! Mudpuppies are large salamanders that spend all of their time in fresh water. They have external gills, and can be found all over New York State. The only time I’ve seen one in the wild was while using a “gill net” (a type of sampling equipment for fish) in the middle of Canandaigua Lake in late May. They’re really cool!

The following pictures are kind of a walk through how my group conducted our dissection. The mudpuppies that we had to dissect came from Ward’s Natural Sciences, which is located in Rochester, NY. These animals were raised in captivity and then humanely euthanized for educational purposes. This is also true for the rats, frogs, pigs, etc that we’ve all dissected in general biology courses.

Our mudpuppy of choice!

Before cutting into our mudpuppy, Dr. Losito wanted us to do an external examination of the cloaca. All herps have only one opening for defecating, urinating, and reproduction. That’s what you see here. The males are supposed to be very puffy and swollen looking, and to us, this looked that way. We would receive our definitive answer once we cut it open.

Upon cutting it open, we immediately saw the ovary, which are those small yellowish balls.

Photo credit to lab partner: 

Lauren Richardson

Depending on the sex of our mudpuppy, Dr. Losito wanted us to follow and identify all digestive organs, and then the reproductive system. The digestive system was laying on top of the reproductive organs, so we had to get through that first!


The path of digestion is as follows: mouth > esophagus > stomach > duodenum (which contains the pancreas which creates insulin) > small intestine (nutrient absorption) > large intestine (water absorption) > colon > excretion through the vent.

We also identified the lungs, spleen, liver, gall bladder, and urinary bladder.The digestive organs that we identified include: ostium, oviduct, ovary, and the archinephric duct. Our female was considered “gravid”, because she was full of eggs. Other groups also had females that showed these parts, but the body cavity was not nearly as full as ours was.

Below my lab partners Lauren Richardson and Chelsea Gendreau are trying to sort through organs so that we can find everything. In the picture below that, you can see a nice upclose picture of what a truly gravid female mudpuppy looks like.

Lauren (L) and Chelsea (R) examine our mudpuppy.

 

A gravid, female mudpuppy.

A final shot: mudpuppy skin is full of mucous ducts that keep the skin moist and lubricated for water travel. They’re not scaly, but feel like frogs. They are really cool animals, and ARE found in NY, so if you’re lucky enough to see one (or catch one while fishing) consider yourself lucky!

I hope you enjoyed this brief entry, and I’m glad I got to finally post a longer entry sharing what I get to do in school. This is my LAST semester of my undergrad! I couldn’t be more happy, but I’m also a little nervous. Wish me luck this last semester and while I continue on this job hunt!