The first couple of weeks in October were rather cloudy and wet. Whenever the sun did show itself, the turtles of the Wetlands took advantage of it by hauling out and basking in its warm rays. Young and old alike were out on all available perches. Mostly Yellow-bellied Turtles, but even a large snapper was spotted enjoying the brief bit of sun. The last few days of September and first couple of days of October brought many young treefrogs emergingRead more
Posts tagged: #Yellow-bellied Turtle
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
Egg-laying Turtles, new Toads, and Treefrog Time!
I spotted two Yellow-bellied Turtles out of the water and hiking the paths around the Wetlands looking for a place to lay eggs. One of these large females was in the process of digging a hole for the eggs when I came upon her. If you happen to see a tiny brown-gray creature hopping along the path in Explore the Wild or Catch the Wind, take a closer look. The offspring of the American Toads that bred in the WetlandsRead more
Snakes Mingle, Snappers Tumble, and Yellow-bellies Hatch
Each day that I visited the Wetlands during the first half of April I was able to locate from four to six different Northern Water Snakes. Towards afternoon of each day, there were at least four of these variably colored snakes on a near horizontal Black Willow trunk no more than a dozen feet from the paved path next to the Wetlands Overlook. Hundreds of field-tripping school children from districts all over the state, including some from Virginia, were ableRead 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
Winter frogs, and a Strange Turtle Encounter
Frogs persist in the swamp across from the Wetlands Overlook. On warm days, especially when the sun warms the shallow water of the swamp in late morning to early afternoon, frogs begin to move about in the water. I’ve not actually seen one of these frogs, that is, before one of the resident Red-shouldered Hawks, who patiently wait for them to stir pounces on them from above. Even then, it’s usually a quick glimpse as the hawk adjusts its gripRead more