Venomous shrew slaughtered by cat
The following is a photo of the head and upper body of what appears to be a Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda). Where did I find this deceased and otherwise tough to spot and secretive mammal? In its natural habitat, of course – the floor of a closed garage! The half of the body you cannot see has been devoured by a cat who does not leave a locked garage and the connected basement and is never permitted to even see an open door, let alone venture outside it. It would seem this shrew decided to come inside…looking for a snack? After taking a wrong turn with its poor...
Read MoreNEPARC Annual Meeting
Last week I got the opportunity to attend my first NEPARC (Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation) annual meeting held at Allegany State Park in Salamanca, New York. For those that aren’t familiar with the not for profit, NEPARC is a regional subset of PARC or Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. This organization forms inclusive partnerships with like-minded professionals and citizens that are dedicated to the conservation of amphibians, reptiles and their respective habitats throughout each region of the United States and beyond. PARC interacts with...
Read MoreAmphibians emerging
Yesterday it was over 50 degrees and raining in Western New York and more warm and wet weather will be on the way – ideal conditions for frogs, toads and salamanders to emerge from hibernation and start migrating to a nearby wetland at night! Please slow down for salamanders and frogs when you’re driving back roads near wetlands – even when they don’t get crushed by your tires, the slipstream generated underneath a vehicle when you’re moving more than 20-25 MPH will pick these animals up from the road surface and slam them into the underside of your car…...
Read MoreHappy first day of spring
Happy first day of Spring everyone! I took a walk on the trails here at RTPI in search of some signs of spring and found a bunch of vernal pools that could be used in only a matter of a couple short weeks! This particular ephemeral pool has thawed around its edges, so Jefferson Salamanders and Wood Frogs may soon be on the move to breed and lay their eggs there. Stay tuned as we will keep watch for the mass migration to begin and share pictures of our charismatic spring breeders.
Read MoreGhost Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex) by Twan Leenders
We’re back from a successful research trip to the Rara Avis Rainforest Reserve in Costa Rica with a group of hard-working and dedicated high school students from Litchfield, CT. There are many stories to tell and highlights to relay: we banded neotropical migrants, discovered rare frogs, tracked exotic mammals, extracted many miles of spider silk. Details will follow soon. For the time being, here is a picture of one of my personal favorite denizens of the Rara Avis forest, the Ghost Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex), to give you a taste of some of the amazing animals we work with.
Read More
