Without question, American Toads (Bufo americanus) have taken the lead in the chorus of amphibian songsters. Peepers, chorus frogs and Pickerel Frogs have nearly completed their seasonal breeding and are now less frequently heard or seen. The toads began to move down into the Wetlands in numbers during the last week in March, crossing the pavement and massing on the north side of the water amongst the willows and rushes. Once the toads reach the water the males find aRead more
Posts tagged: #Painted Turtle
Spring?
Spring is wound up and ready to pop! Sure, it was colder than usual the first two months of this year. And, it seems as though it has snowed more this year than within memory. It’s predicted to snow today! But, there’s much evidence pointing to a new season springing forth. The days are getting longer. Both the maples and elms are ready to burst open their buds and Hazel Alder is nearly in full flower. The sun is coming upRead more
Late May Herp Transitions
I’ve not seen a Northern Water Snake in the Wetlands since the first week in May. Yellow-bellied Turtles continue to come ashore to lay eggs. The one pictured was alongside the path in front of the Lemur House. Following the downpours on Memorial Day, a Painted Turtle was spied crossing the paved path headed towards the Wetlands, presumably on its way back from laying eggs. Before and during the heavy showers which came through on Memorial Day the treefrogsRead more
Basking Sites at a Premium, Amphibs Exploit the Season
By the end of the first week of this period the Wetland’s turtles, frogs, and toads were out in numbers. Yellow-bellied Turtles and Painted Turtles were basking on logs, rocks and any other object projecting from the water, with little room to spare. The young Yellow-bellied Turtle in the image at left (perhaps a two-year-old) was lucky enough to find a perch all to itself on a piece of flotsam too small for other, larger turtles to climb onto. TheRead more
February’s Bold Turtles and a Peep from the Frogs
With the return of more seasonal temperatures during the latter half of February the only reptiles or amphibians in evidence were the occasional Painted or Yellow-bellied Turtle out basking in the Wetlands and Spring Peepers which sporadically break out in song wherever there is water (image at left). The peeper activity should pick up in the next few weeks along with Upland Chorus Frogs. In fact, herp (herpetological) activity in general will pick up in the next few weeks.Read more
Wetlands Slowly Awakens
One Painted Turtle and 2 Yellow-bellied Turtles were out basking on the 7th of February; many more joined them later in the period. I thought I heard a Gray Treefrog calling early in this period and positively heard Spring Peepers and at least one Upland Chorus Frog sing out as things heated up. At least one small Bullfrog was in the Wetlands and several Green Frogs were seen out on logs or clumps of moss during the second week ofRead more
Brave Souls
Frogs persist in the Wetlands. Besides the BullFrogs being harvested by the Red-shouldered Hawk in the small swamp adjacent to the Wetlands Overlook, a Pickerel Frog was seen busily hopping along the grass near the restrooms in Explore the Wild on the relatively warm day of 24 January. Where it was going, and the reason for its haste, can only be supposed. A Painted Turtle and a couple of Yellow-bellied Turtles were out basking in the bright sunshine of theRead more
Looking back: Herps
With the closing of the year it’s perhaps time to look back and see what we’ve observed on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. Below, in the appropriate segments, I give totals for some of the species seen since January of last year. Following a week of relatively warm, cloudy, misty, and drizzly weather, a Yellow-bellied Turtle was seduced by the bright sunshine of December 21 into basking on a rock in the Wetlands. Unfortunately for the turtle, theRead more
Brown Snakes
Seen on the last day of the previous period (November 15th) but too late to make the presses were Northern Brown Snake, Yellow-bellied Turtle, Painted Turtle, Spring Peeper (heard only), Pickerel Frog, and Bullfrog. The 15th was a warm and humid day with strong southwest winds. Two Northern Brown Snakes were seen in two different locations. These small gentle snakes were both laying out on the paved surface of the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. Many of the Museum’sRead more