Spring Salamander
Hey look – a hot-dog with eyes! Wait, that’s a Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)! This large, lung-less salamander is a common resident in the many springs and streams that run through our local forests. It’s stature and bright coloration make it stand out, but also serve as protection from predators. Spring salamanders can grow to over eight inches in length and produce noxious skin secretions while using their color to mimic even more toxic species. It isn’t a salamander any predator would want to mess with, and it probably wouldn’t taste anything...
Read MoreWinter’s Not Over Yet
The fresh blanket of snow across the Western New York landscape is a good reminder that winter isn’t over just yet. However, some of our resident amphibians have been receiving crossed signals due to recent increases in daylight hours and above average temperatures; we have actually gotten reports of salamanders and frogs moving to nearby ponds and vernal pools to lay their eggs. With this weekend’s dropping temperatures, local pools have started to ice over indicating freezing temperatures near the surface. The eggs of some amphibian species are able to cope with fluctuating spring...
Read MoreRoger at Hawk Mountain
We hope that you keep cozy and warm this weekend, much like Roger Tory Peterson appears to be doing in this photo from our archives! It was taken during a visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania ~ 1950.
Read MoreWhite Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
While Scott has been doing a marvelous job documenting and sharing the spring migrants, I thought the plant life that is becoming more and more evident needs some representation too! Over the past couple of weeks the trees have been slowly budding, enabling ample sunshine to continue to kiss the forest floors. The warm rays have been kick-starting growth of ground cover and mid-story plants, including one particularly beautiful flower: the white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum). This flower is common in rich, upland forests and can be easily distinguished by its showy, wavy petals. Unlike...
Read MoreGray Squirrel
This Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) was darting around like the summer had ended and fall was upon us again last week. After such a warm February and March, compared to long-term averages, the chilly start to April and freezing temperatures – not to mention snow – had plenty of animals scurrying back to cold mode. The squirrel was grabbing food and looking at me like, “Shouldn’t you be doing this, too?” as I walked past. Thankfully those days are over because hello, spring! This welcome change in the weather should keep us warm for a while and...
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