Northern Watersnake
Snake 1, Gery 0. Nerodea sipedon
Nerodea sipedon
Midland Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picts. Starting to dig a nest; here comes the next generation.
Red-bellied Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata. A slug-eater, this tiny, 10-inch adult looks like she might be gravid.
Storeria occipitomaculata This is a pencil-sized, 10-inch adult.
Storeria occipitomaculata. I can never figure out how the taxonomists come up with these names.
Gery H
Blue-spotted Salamander
Ambystoma laterale. Found under a railroad tie. We also saw larvae in a vernal pond.
Ambystoma laterale Dude, you have a little something on your face.
Easter Hog-nosed Snake
Heterodon platirhinos. The Carl Koch memorial hoggie. This is the prettiest one we have seen at Carl's sites.
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake track in the sandy road
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake nest hole
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake digging a nest hole
Heterodon platirhinos
Smooth Greensnake
Opheodrys vernalis
Sandhill Crane and chick
Sandhill Cranes
Adult and two chicks - like gangly, awkward teenagers - cross the road.
Barn Swallows
Delivering fast food on the fly.
Tom V
Red Baneberry
Toxic, but it has a very bitter taste so you are unlikely to eat it.
White Baneberry, or Doll's Eyes
Purple Loosestrife
This invasive pest plant is being devoured and defoliated by loosestrife beetles, which are used as a biological control of the invasive plant.
Pale Indian Plantain
Cacalia atriplicifolia
Aphrodite Fritillary
These rare butterflies are only found in pristine habitat
Nerodia, sipedon
Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum, in situ under a railroad tie
Ambystoma tigrinum, in situ unde a different railroad tie.
British Soldier Lichen
Karner Blue Butterfly
Lycaeides melissa samuelis. Endangered due to shrinking habitat.
John A, Ralph S, Mike D
With a milksnake under a railroad tie at their feet.
Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum, in situ under a railroad tie.
Lampropeltis triangulum