Blogging about field adventures, interesting species, and wildlife ecology and conservation.
Blog post by Christopher E. Smith (FieldEcology.com). Subscribe via e-mail, RSS, or follow on Twitter.
Each spring and fall, visitors from around the world -- literally -- seeking amphibian and reptile encounters descend on southern Illinois to partake in a twice annual migratory phenomenon. The destination, Snake Road, is nestled within the U.S. Forest Service administered Shawnee National Forest - LaRue-Pine Hills-Otter Pond Research Natural Area, and is home to just over 20 species of snake (Palis 2016).
Read MoreThe Great Plains Toad is a wide-ranging species found primarily in the arid west and grasslands of the north-central states (Fig. 1). It reaches the eastern edge of its range in the tallgrass prairies of Minnesota and Missouri. It is an explosive breeder following heavy rains, and prefers to breed in shallow temporary fishless wetlands. In Minnesota and North Dakota, breeding typically occurs in late May or June (personal observation).
Read MorePlains Hog-nosed Snakes (Heterodon nasicus) are a fascinating small species of North American snake, with the largest individuals around 24 inches (60 cm) in Minnesota. But until relatively recently, very little has been known about its natural history. Believed to spend the majority of its time below ground, few areas are known where sufficient numbers can be reliably found for detailed study.
Read MoreAnother example of how social media and citizen science can add to our knowledge of the natural world... Below is a video that was recorded by Dana and Elaine Hilmer while out kayaking in Wisconsin. The video was subsequently posted to the Wisconsin Naturalists Facebook Group where Dr. Gary Casper and I were first made aware of the observation.
Read More
