Spring continues to move along and the flora and fauna here at the Museum rolls along with it. Thousands, no, millions of neotropical migrant birds are moving through our area, flowers are inviting insects to pollinate themselves, tadpoles are becoming frogs, fish eggs have hatched, and an old friend showed up in the Wetlands. Warblers, thrushes, cuckoos, swallows, and many other birds are migrating north at this time. Most migrate at night (less likely to be seen by hungry hawkRead more
Posts tagged: #Painted Turtle
Other September Sights
Top Photo: Magnolia warbler gleans insects from black willow tree. As many of you know, birds are on the move. The other day I ran into a group of neotropical migrants out on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. In attendance were common yellowthroat, American redstart, Blackburnian, magnolia, northern parula, and prairie warblers, and red-eyed and white-eyed vireos to name just a handful. I’m sure I missed seeing many of the birds that were around that day, but there’sRead more
Chasing Turtles
I’ve been watching turtles here at the Museum since my arrival some 6 years ago. We have about five species in our Wetlands: Yellow-bellied Slider, Red-eared Slider, Eastern Painted, Eastern Musk, and Common Snapping Turtles. You might be thinking, “Hey, what’s he talking about, you either have five species or you don’t,” and you’d be right. The reason I say about five species is because the red-eared is not native. I haven’t seen any adults that I can definitely call red-eared,Read more
Turtles: The Evolution of a Project – Part 2
So, there we were, it was the end of April and we had a permit to mark aquatic turtles as they come ashore to lay eggs along the paths and trails here at the Museum. Data sheets, tools, and whatever else I need to do the job were at the ready. Now we wait on the turtles to start emerging from the water to search out nesting sites. The plan is to catch the turtles as them come ashore, notRead more
Turtles: The Evolution of a Project – Part 1
We have many turtles living in our Wetlands of at least five different species. This is the time of year when we see some of those turtles up on dry land hiking about the landscape. There are at least three reasons for aquatic turtles to crawl out of the relative safety of their watery habitat, to bask in the sun, to seek out a new stream, lake, or pond to live in, or to lay eggs. We see some ofRead more
Turtles Out A-laying
The Wetland’s turtles have been up and walking about the paths and woods of the Museum for the past few weeks. What are they doing? Why, laying eggs of course. There were many reports of turtles out and about during the past few weeks. So, with all of the turtles climbing out of the water to look for nest sites, please be careful and respectful when you see them while you navigate the paths and trails of the Museum.Read more
Herpetological Report from The Wetlands
A lone Yellow-bellied Slider was out basking on Friday January 28, and again the next day, 29 January. The yellow-bellied Slider (above) was up and about due to the unusually warm 60? weather. The temps slid down to the near normal 40?s for the next several days and the turtles went back under cover. – – Today (2/2), it’s supposed to climb to 70 degrees. There are currently half-a-dozen or so turtles basking on rocks and logs of the Wetlands.Read more
May Herpetological Happenings
Above: After successfully laying eggs, a yellow-bellied slider heads back into the pond. At this time of year many turtles are moving up to dry land to lay eggs. They turn up in the most peculiar of places in their quest for the perfect spot in which to dig a hole and lay their eggs (According to Ornithopter Operator, John Hammons, a Yellow-bellied Slider was found on the Ornithopter one May morning). Museum staff often encounter Yellow-bellied Turtles walking downRead more