The Nature of Halloween
This article by Dr. Scott Shalaway originally appeared in the Post-Journal on October 29th,2016. I thought it was a perfect piece to share given we are hosting a program on snakes, spiders and bats this week! Learn more about “Snakes, Spiders and Bats! Oh, My!” this Friday, October 26th. THE NATURE OF HALLOWEEN Halloween, as I recall, was a day for friends to scare each other with nature’s creepy crawlies – spiders, snakes and bats. And often those fears lasted a lifetime. We all know people who recoil at the sight of these critters. Spiders are probably the most notorious of the...
Read MoreWild Turkey: vicious predator
‘Tis now the season for the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). I have been regularly spotting a couple of groups lately, one with around 18 individuals and another with around 8. Here is one bird passing through on a showery and cloudy afternoon. It is hard to believe how rapidly the species has expanded in many areas in the last couple of decades. Is their population increase partially responsible for a decrease in some woodlands herpetofauna? I posted a great deal about Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) this summer, and would you believe this very turkey is a potential...
Read MoreNorthern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
This tiny bundle of Halloween fear and dread was photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser as he had a very successful night of netting and banding Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) earlier this week in New Jersey. They are definitely on the move well now in the Mid-Atlantic.
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