Baby Painted Turtles Migrating to Ponds
In May, at the very same time that adult painted turtles are laying their eggs, some of last year’s young turtles are migrating from their nest site to ponds or rivers. Painted turtle eggs actually hatch in late summer, with the young turtles remaining inside the nest cavity for varying amounts of time. Here in New England, in the northern part of their range, they often overwinter in their nest and emerge the following spring.
Wood Turtles Laying Eggs
Congratulations on correctly identifying the trails as being made by turtles! Even though you did not have the benefit of knowing their width, many of you took a stab at the naming the species of turtle that made them. Hats off to Jason, who correctly identified them as wood turtle trails, especially as it is relatively early in the season for them to be laying eggs.
Two female wood turtles (so-called because of the resemblance of their top shell, or carapace, to wood), were on their way out of a shallow wetland to dig into soft sand about 6” deep and lay their (4 – 18, usually 8 or 9) eggs. The size of the footprints, tail drag and 7-inch flattened shell path help to identify these trails as those of wood turtles. Although you can follow the tracks and see exactly where the trails end, it would be hard to detect that excavation and egg-laying has taken place at these sites, as the holes have been filled in and smoothed over with the turtles’ bottom shells, or plastrons. Predators with a good sense of smell, such as foxes, raccoons and skunks, however, have very little trouble locating turtle nests. Research shows that 85% of wood turtle eggs and hatchlings are lost to predation. The wood turtle population is in decline in the northeast in part due to human development which not only decreases wood turtle habitat and increases the number of people collecting these turtles, but also increases the number of predators. (The wood turtle in the photograph has just laid her eggs and smoothed over the nest site in front of her head by walking backwards over it while pressing her plastron to the ground.)
Painted Turtles Basking
Hibernation has come to an end for painted turtles in central Vermont, or at least for the early risers. Painted turtles actually became active a while ago, beneath the ice before ponds were completely thawed. Once some of the ice melts, they are quick to climb up and bask in the sun on any available floating log or rock, or even on the melting edge of the ice. Having spent the winter in the mud at the bottom of the pond at the rather brisk temperature of 39 degrees F. (at 39 degrees F. water achieves its greatest density and sinks to the bottom of ponds, which is where the turtles are), painted turtles are more than ready to get warm. Like black bears, painted turtles find March and April the most challenging months of the year. More of them die now than at any other time, due primarily to a shortage of food.
A Great Christmas Present!
If you’re looking for a present for someone that will be used year round, year after year, Naturally Curious may just fit the bill. A relative, a friend, your child’s school teacher – it’s the gift that keeps on giving to both young and old!
One reader wrote, “This is a unique book as far as I know. I have several naturalists’ books covering Vermont and the Northeast, and have seen nothing of this breadth, covered to this depth. So much interesting information about birds, amphibians, mammals, insects, plants. This would be useful to those in the mid-Atlantic, New York, and even wider geographic regions. The author gives a month-by-month look at what’s going on in the natural world, and so much of the information would simply be moved forward or back a month in other regions, but would still be relevant because of the wide overlap of species. Very readable. Couldn’t put it down. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the natural world, but there was much that was new to me in this book. I would have loved to have this to use as a text when I was teaching. Suitable for a wide range of ages.”
In a recent email to me a parent wrote, “Naturally Curious is our five year old’s unqualified f-a-v-o-r-I-t-e book. He spends hours regularly returning to it to study it’s vivid pictures and have us read to him about all the different creatures. It is a ‘must have’ for any family with children living in New England…or for anyone that simply shares a love of the outdoors.”
I am a firm believer in fostering a love of nature in young children – the younger the better — but I admit that when I wrote Naturally Curious, I was writing it with adults in mind. It delights me no end to know that children don’t even need a grown-up middleman to enjoy it!
Common Gartersnakes Basking
This is the time of year when snakes take advantage of sunny, mild days by basking in the sun and warming their bodies. It’s possible to come across basking Common Gartersnakes as late as November, as they are more cold tolerant than many species of snakes. All too soon, however, they will be retreating into their hibernacula (hibernation site), where they are protected from severe cold (being ectothermic, snakes cannot control their body temperature). To further protect them, a high level of glucose acts as antifreeze in snakes. The ideal hibernaculum not only serves as a temperature buffer, but also conceals its occupant from potential predators, permits gas exchange, and prevents excessive desiccation. Rock crevices, abandoned woodchuck burrows, rotting tree stumps and old foundations are favorite hibernacula for snakes and other hibernating animals. Gartersnakes typically overwinter in groups, and some even share their hibernacula with other species of snakes, including Smooth Greensnakes, Ring-necked Snakes and Red-bellied Snakes.
Northern Watersnake
Northern Watersnakes can be found in rivers, ponds and bogs throughout New England, except for northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. They spend time foraging both day and night for fish (61% of diet), frogs and toads (21%), salamanders (12%) as well as insects and crayfish at the water’s edge. (Snake jaws can separate at both the front and back, allowing them to eat impossibly large prey , such as the catfish in Chris Crowley’s photograph.) They also spend a great deal of time basking on rocks and overhanging branches. Northern Watersnakes can be formidable looking – they can grow over four feet long – but while they can be aggressive if threatened, they are not poisonous. Watersnakes give birth to up to 70 (typically 20-40) live young between August and early October.
Snapping Turtle Eggs Hatching
Every fall, roughly 3 months after they’re laid, snapping turtle eggs hatch. The hatchlings’ gender is determined by the temperature at which they were incubated during the summer. In some locations, they emerge from the nest in hours or days, and in others they remain in the nest through the winter. When they emerge above ground, the hatchlings often do so within a few hours of each other. Somehow (questions remain as to exactly how) they navigate to the nearest body of water, which can be up to a quarter of a mile away, and once there, seek shallow water . Look for young hatchlings in small brooks near ponds that are known to have adult snappers. (White object is part of the egg shell that surfaced with this hatchling.)
Snake Eyes
You can often tell whether a snake is active in the day (diurnal) or during the night (nocturnal) by looking at its eyes. Diurnal snakes, such as the pictured Common Gartersnake, typically have round pupils and moderate-sized eyes. Many nocturnal snakes have large eyes and many also have vertical, elliptical pupils. A round pupil is able to close tightly to a pinpoint opening, allowing a minimum amount of light to enter the eye on very bright days. In contrast, a vertical pupil can open wider than a round pupil to allow more light to enter the eye, a useful adaptation for night vision.
Determining the Sex of a Painted Turtle
It’s pretty difficult to determine the sex of a Painted Turtle unless you’re extremely close to it, and they are so wary when basking that it takes some maneuvering to get a bird’s eye view of one. If you should be so lucky as to approach a Painted Turtle without having it slip into the water long before you get near it, take a look at the nails, or claws, on its front feet. Males have long claws, female short. The male uses his long claws to stroke the female’s head and neck during courtship, as well as to hold on to the female’s shell when they mate. When trying to determine the gender of a Painted Turtle, it helps when you find the two sexes together, as you can easily compare the relative length of their claws. In the photograph, the male Painted Turtle is on the left, female on the right.
Wood Turtle
Wood Turtles (named for the woody appearance of their shells) are primarily river and stream-dwelling reptiles. They forage for food on land near streams, where, at this time of year, they also lay their eggs. Like most turtles, female Wood Turtles seek out sandy soil in which they dig several holes (to confuse predators) and choose one in which they usually lay seven or eight eggs. Their diet consists of both plants and animals, with berries and mushrooms at the top of the list. Earthworms are also a favorite, and their method of attracting them is a sight I would like to see — they stamp their front feet alternately in order to get earthworms to surface from their underground burrows. The Wood Turtle population in New England is in decline (collecting has greatly reduced their population) and any sighting of this species should be reported to state Fish & Game as well as, in Vermont, the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas.
How Snakes Smell
Many snakes, including this Common Gartersnake, use smell to track their prey. In the roof of a snake’s mouth are two openings, called the vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson’s organ. Snakes smell by sticking their forked tongue in the air, keeping it constantly moving while they collect particles (mostly pheromones) on it from the ground, air and water. Next they pull their tongue back into their mouth and insert it into their Jacobson’s organ (one fork in each opening). Then the particles are analyzed and the snake determines whether prey or a predator is in the vicinity.
Turtle Nest Raid
A hole 4” – 5” deep surrounded by scattered empty, dried up eggshells is a telltale sign of turtle nest predation. A painted turtle (judging from the size, depth and location of the nest) dug a hole in the bank of a beaver pond last summer and proceeded to lay roughly a dozen or more eggs in it. After covering the eggs with soil, the turtle returned to her pond. The eggs hatched in August or September. Sometimes young turtles immediately climb up through the earth and emerge above ground, but occasionally, this far north, they overwinter in their underground nest and emerge in the spring. A raccoon, fox or skunk discovered this painted turtle nest early this spring (the digging was fresh) and one can only hope that by the time the nest was raided, the young had already exited and headed for the nearby pond. Research has found that a very small percentage of turtle nests avoid detection by a predator.
Painted Turtles Basking
After spending several months hibernating in the mud at the bottom of ponds, painted turtles are out, basking in the sun. Because they are ectothermic, or cold-blooded, they are the same temperature as the air around them. In order to warm up and also to properly digest their food, painted turtles bask in the sun, and there is great competition for safe basking locations, such as rocks and floating logs. When these ideal basking sites are limited, the turtles will pile up one on top of the other, staying that way until the bottom turtle gets good and tired of supporting the turtles on top of it, and wobbles enough to make the turtle tower tumble.
Common Gartersnake Pigments
12-8-10 Common Gartersnake
The Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is New England’s most common and widespread snake. It’s not unusual to find one that has been run over on the road, but rarely have I found a carcass of one in the woods, especially this late in the year. Gartersnakes usually are hibernating (often in groups) in rock crevices, rotting logs or holes dug by mammals by October or so. The warmer-than-usual fall certainly allowed for extended basking in the sun and the ability to find active earthworms later in the season. If you look closely you may see that this gartersnake has a blue tinge where it’s normally a greenish color. Yellow and blue pigments in a snake’s skin fuse to produce the green color in living snakes. After death, the yellow pigment breaks down very quickly, whereas the blue pigment is more stable and remains much longer. Gartersnakes that have been dead for a while can have bright blue dorsal and lateral stripes.
Naturally Curious wins National Outdoor Book Award
I am delighted to be able to tell you that this morning I learned that NATURALLY CURIOUS won the Nature Guidebook category of the 2011 National Outdoor Book Awards. I’m honored and humbled by this recognition. http://www.noba-web.org/books11.htm
Common Gartersnakes Giving Birth
Most species of snakes lay eggs (oviparous), but some give birth to live young (viviparous), including the common gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis). Gartersnakes are born at this time of year, and are on their own from the moment of birth. The greatest number of gartersnakes to be born in a single litter is 98, but 14 – 40 is more typical. The common gartersnake in the accompanying photograph is a newborn, measuring 6 inches in length.
Painted Turtles Laying Eggs
Female painted turtles leave their ponds a month or two after mating, in search of a nesting site. More often than not they do this in the late afternoon, after a good rain. Like the snapping turtle, the painted turtle may dig several holes, depositing up to 20 eggs in one of them. Although the eggs will hatch in August or September, in the northern part of their range, the young turtles may remain in the nest cavity over winter and emerge in the spring.
Snapping Turtles Laying Eggs
It’s that time of year again
– when female snapping turtles leave their ponds and seek sandy soil in which
to dig a hole and bury their eggs. Usually
20 or 30 ping pong ball–size eggs are laid, but there can be as many as
80. The sex of the turtles that hatch
from these eggs is determined by the temperature of the eggs during their
two-to three-month incubation. Because
they are not all at the same level in the ground, the eggs incubate at
different temperatures, assuring that each batch of eggs produces both male and
female turtles.
Red-tailed Hawk with Fresh Catch
Red-tailed hawks are impressive predators, consuming large numbers of mice, voles, rats and cottontails. Occasionally birds and snakes are also eaten. This particular red-tail had just caught a common gartersnake (the hawk looks like it is holding on to a stick, but trust me, it is very much a living reptile) when it perched on a white pine in order to get a better grip before flying off, perhaps to recently-hatched nestlings. A typical red-tailed hawk is about 19” in length, if that helps you estimate the size of the gartersnake.
Painted Turtles
During March and April, when there is still ice on ponds, it is possible to see painted turtles swimming under the ice. At this time of year they emerge from the mud at the bottom of ponds and become active. Eventually, when the ice opens up, they seek rocks and logs (and even ice) on which to bask in the sun and warm their cold-blooded bodies. You’re most likely to find painted turtles soaking up the sun early in the day.
Milksnakes – Welcome to a photographic journey through the woods, fields and marshes of New England
Find more of my photographs and information similar to that which I post in this blog in my book Naturally Curious, which is being published this fall.
MILKSNAKES
Some snakes lay eggs, while others give birth to live young. Milksnakes belong to the former group and this past June or July female milksnakes were busy laying 3 to 20 eggs beneath logs or in compost piles – locations that offered protection from predators and cold weather. Those eggs are now hatching, and 7”-10” milksnakes are emerging. Newly hatched milksnakes have especially vibrant colors as well as an egg tooth (no longer present on the young milksnake pictured) at the tip of their snout, which enables them to slice out of their egg.
Snake Spectacles – Welcome to a photographic journey through the fields, woods and marshes of New England
Unlike humans, snakes do not have separate upper and lower eyelids that open and close. Their eyelids are fused into transparent scales over each eye, called spectacles or eye caps, that protect their eyes from dust and other particles while helping to keep them moist. When a snake outgrows its skin and sheds it, the outer layer of the spectacles is shed as well. The new, larger skin that is revealed when the old skin has been shed comes equipped with new spectacles.
Many of the images and much of the information in this blog can be found in my book, Naturally Curious, which is being published this fall.
SNAKE SPECTACLES
Painted Turtles Laying Eggs – Welcome to a photographic journey through the fields, woods and marshes of New England
Many of the images and much of the information in this blog can be found in my book, Naturally Curious, which is being published this fall.
PAINTED TURTLES LAYING EGGS
Painted turtles are aquatic and rarely seen on land except at this time of year, when females leave their ponds and travel over ground to soil sandy enough to bury their eggs in. I followed this individual across a road and into the woods, hoping to see her laying her eggs, but she chose to plow head first into the leaf litter where she remained half buried and motionless until I had to leave. Notice the hitch-hiking slug on her neck. Hopefully (for the slug’s sake) it didn’t glide too near the turtle’s mouth. Although toothless, like all turtles, this painted turtle might have considered the slug a tasty snack and snapped it up with her horny beak.
Snapping Turtles Mating –
SNAPPING TURTLES MATING
Our largest turtle, the snapping turtle, is breeding in the shallows of ponds right now. I came upon two mating snappers in a nearby pond, and just as I was going to photograph the consumation of this reptilian activity, my labrador couldn’t resist the thrashing going on in the water, and leapt in to join them. The female submerged and the male exhibited a startled look indicating that this interruption was perhaps not appreciated. In a month or two, female snapping turtles will be climbing out of the water and onto land, seeking sandy soil in which to lay the eggs that result from this month’s mating.
What Other Naturally Curious People Are Saying