Fall Exploration: The Mountains

Hi Friends,

After a few months off from blogging, I am back and I thought it would be neat if we learned about some interesting places to explore in NC as well as a few places in VA during the Fall months. I would recommend checking them out at other times of the year too, but fall can especially be a fun time with the leaves changing color and all. Now, I will not go into real deep detail of these places as I want to encourage you to do some research and exploring for yourself.

Waterfall up in Boone, NC. Photo by ME.

Let's start with NC's mountains! So lets look at the Blue Ridge Parkway.

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Viewing Guide, by Charles E. Roe, "The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470 mile scenic motorway down the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It passes through an array of habitat types and elevations ranging from 2,000 to over 6,000 feet." Roe also writes that they extend from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in NC, to the Shenandoah National Park in VA.

Beautiful sunset in the NC mountains. Photo by ME.

Along the Blue Ridge. Photo by ME.

Along the parkway, are places you can stop and enjoy the view and even check out historic buildings and the like and learn what life in the mountains was like a long time ago. There are some neat places and views to check out.

If your ever up in the parkway in VA, here are a few places that are really neat to explore.

Meadows of Dan, VA.

Located up in Patrick County, VA, and certainly around the mountains, it is a small but neat tourist attraction. This place is the Mabry Mill.

Mabry Mill. Photo by ME.

Photo by ME.

It's construction dates back to 1903 and the use of it started in 1910 as a gristmill. Today tourists can look around and learn about what life in the region was like, There is a restaurant and also a black smith shop ( inside of it is pictured below. Photo by ME.) you can look at. The mill had originally started off as a black smith shop. (wikipedia).

It is an interesting place to check out.

The next place, is what you could certainly exclaim "Sweet!" Be sure to check out Nancy's Candy Company.


This place is amazing! The lady who owns it, of course is named Nancy. This place makes home made fudge and truffles as well as other goodies. They offer various candies too.  Pictured below are some of their truffles, so good! I apologize if this blog makes your mouth water.

Photo by ME.

Truffles! 

So yeah, go to this place if you love chocolate!

Of course in that and around Fancy Gap, VA area, there are some pretty views of the mountains!

Photo by ME.

One final note on this region of VA, there is a great winery called Chateau Morrisette, located in Floyd, VA. It is great! Really neat atmosphere and great wines. Would highly recommend if your a wine consumer.

Chateau Morrisette Winery. Photo from Internet. 

Ok, now lets get back to more nature related exploration in the mountains.

A really neat place you might not have heard of, that I would highly recommend checking out is the Crabtree Meadows Park and Waterfall. This is on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC, near the Asheville area.

Crabtree Falls. Photo by ME. 

Crabtree Falls. Photo by ME.

As you can see, the Crabtree  Meadows Park and Falls has a spectacular and massive waterfall. According to http://www.hikewnc.info/besthikes/blue-ridge-parkway-section-3/crabtree-falls.  This trail "descends on a moderate path to a majestic 70' waterfall, which is widely touted as one of the most photogenic in the area. You'll climb steeply up the opposite ridge for a short distance, then hike a wide, smooth trail beside the stream."

The trail certainly does get steep, so prepare accordingly when you visit. It is a fun place to hangout at and explore.

Another cool place to go is the Linville Gorge, Falls, and Caverns.

Linville Falls 

Linville Falls. Photo by ME. 

In describing the Linville Gorge and Falls, Charles E. Roe,author of North Carolina Wildlife Viewing Guide, writes: "In this national wilderness area, the Linville River plunges ninety feet as it enters the deepest gorge in eastern America."

There are few trails here and as you can see, some pretty scenery and waterfalls.  The Linville Caverns are pretty neat too as it is the "largest limestone cave in state, with interesting cave fauna." (Roe)

Pictured below is the Linville Caverns. Photo from Internet.





I honestly could keep going on about the cool places to explore in the NC and VA mountains, since those are locations I am focusing on in this blog.

A final place I want to touch on is a bit more "wilderness" like. This place is the Pisgah National Forest.

Photo by ME. 

The Pisgah National Forest is a super cool area to explore; some of the places I have talked about are located in or around this forest. You may have heard of the Mitchell Mountain and the Black Mountains; they are along this forest too, it is big.

A friend and I use to, when we were in college, would take a couple days over fall break and go camping in the Pisgah and spend time exploring. We would explore streams like the one pictured below, drive around and stop at certain viewing points to see the mountains. It was awesome!

Beautiful Stream in NC Mountains. Photo by ME.

The really cool thing about not only the Pisgah, but all of the NC mountains is the diversity of wildlife and plants! Salamanders in particular, are quite abundant there.

According to Salamanders of The Southeast, authors Joe Mitchell and Whit Gibbons writes: "...the salamanders found in the Southeast constitute 17 percent of the world total of 578 known species recognized in early 2009....More salamander species live in the tropics than in temperate North America, but more major groups (families and genera) are found in the Southeast than anywhere else." A lot of those are found here in NC.

Spring Salamander found near a spring. Photo by ME.

Yonahlosse Salamander. Photo by ME.

So, I hope you learn about some neat places to check out the mountains. Fall is a great time to go, the leaves are changing color and the scenery is breathtaking. Some other places you might want to go include: Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Hanging Rock. I would encourage you to look into other places and look for an adventure in mountains over this fall season. Again, feel free to ask me any questions you might have,

I will leave you with some more mountain photos.

Colorful Leaves Near A Stream. Photo by ME.

The view is amazing! Photo by ME. 

NC Mountains

Snake Safety 101

Hello Friends,

In this blog, I thought we would learn more about snakes and how our interactions with them can be positive and safe.

Eastern Kingsnake. Photo by ME. 

If you live in wooded areas, swampy areas, or areas with plenty of places for critters to hide and water sources, it is likely at some point you have and/or will encounter a snake. Encountering a snake is a pretty cool event, though not for a lot of people. Especially, when the snake is not expected to be found. There are many reasons an encounter might be "scary". One big reason is that snakes are misunderstood animals and there is also a lot of false information and misconceptions about them. Another reason, is that the fear of snakes may have been passed on from another person in your life through their own fear or experiences or even false information they have learned. Another reason is that snakes bite. Well, they do, but they do not have hands, and they need to defend themselves somehow.  Of course there are the venomous snakes; of course deaths have occurred but they are not as common as you may think.More on the venomous snakes next in the blog.

Copperhead. Photo by ME. 

According to Snakes of The Southeast, authors Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcas write "One of the biggest misconceptions about snakes is the extent of the danger they pose to humans. In actuality, in the United States, a person is far more likely to be killed by lighting than die from a venomous snake's bite. Certainly, some snakes can seriously harm or even kill humans. But although hundreds of people are bitten each year by copperheads ( which are responsible for most of the venomous snakebites in the Southeast), only one human death has ever been documented, and no deaths from pygmy rattlesnakes or eastern coral snakes were reported between 1983 and 2003."  They also write that "According to the Centers for Disease Control, more people are seriously bitten by domestic dogs every year in this country (800,000) than by venomous snakes (7000)." 

So deaths by venomous snake bites are uncommon, and many of them happen when people keep venomous snakes in their homes. That being said, there are many responsible keepers out there, but there are also dumb keepers too.

In regards to venomous snakes around your yard, here are a few things to keep in mind that can help you avoid a bite:

1. Know you're snakes! Try to learn about the snakes in your area and what venomous snakes are found in your region. Learn the venomous ones at least. Teach your kids about them too! Teach them to enjoy them from a safe distance.
There are 6 species in NC. The copperhead is the only one in wake county; though there are a few records of cottonmouths, but they are pretty rare in wake county. I did a series of blogs on NC venomous snakes, be sure to check those out to learn more about NC Venomous Snakes.

2. Watch where you step and use common sense. If your out in your yard around sundown or at night, have a flashlight and walk carefully. Copperheads tend to be active around sundown and sometimes at night.  Do not step in places where you cannot see your own feet. Do not put your hands in places that you cannot see your hands either. 

3. Do not attempt to handle or capture a snake if you do not know what that is, that could get you in trouble. Also DO NOT ATTEMPT TO KILL THE SNAKE. A lot of the copperhead and other venomous snake bites occurred because of individuals trying to kill the snake. 

4. Keep a distance from the snake. Snakes are not out to get you, they are just afraid of you as you are of them. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. 

So those are some basic things to know in being safe around snakes. Again, with the medicines and technology we have today, death by snake bite is not a common thing at all. It does happen. 

Pictured below is an Eastern Cottonmouth ( water moccasin) it is venomous. Myself and a few other people were able to get some photos and enjoy this cool reptile safely and calmly, while the snake was pretty relaxed. We gave it some distance and it was fine. 

Eastern Cottonmouth. Photo by ME.

In regards to a snake bite. I will begin with venomous snake bites and what to do if you are ever bitten.

First of, the copperhead is really the only venomous snake in wake county. Cottonmouths are pretty rare in the county and it is not likely you will encounter one, if you live in wake county. Though if you do, scientists will want to know about it.   

Copperheads can be found in various, wooded habitats. They are common and it is recommended that you know how to at least identify this species. They are often mistaken for corn snakes and mole kingsnakes. As far as their bites, "they can be very painful, but only one death has ever been documented. The venom of copperheads destroys red blood cells and other tissues but is not considered highly toxic to humans. However, if you are bitten, you should seek medical attention immediately." (Snakes of The Southeast)

Here are some things to know if a bite happens, and many of these tips come from the book Venomous Snakes of North Carolina written by Alvin L. Braswell, William M. Palmer, and Jefferey C. Beane; all three whom are highly respected and well known herpetologists. Some of these tips also come from the book, Snakes of the Southeast, by Whit Gibbons, and Mike Dorcas.

1. Stay calm! Getting super anxious and running all over the place will just make the situation worse. 
2. Seek medical attention as soon as you can.
3. Try to identify the snake if at all possible. But do it without putting yourself in any further danger.
4. Do not try to kill the snake as I wrote why earlier in the blog. 
5. Do not use a tourniquet.
6. Do not cut the wound.
7. Do not try to suck out the venom.
8. Do not pack the wound in ice
9. Do not drink alcohol.   
10. Do not use a snake bite kit. To quote a movie "son, just don't!" quote from The Avengers.

Some other things to know is that snake venom can be a lot more dangerous to small children and to elderly people; so they will need medical treatment ASAP. But again, the chances of dying is still low, if situation is handled properly. 

Gibbons and Dorcas writes this: "The good news is that a study of more than 1,000 venomous snake bites in the United States found that in more than 60% of cases, the snake injected little or no venom."  So even when a bite occurs, there is a good chance no venom is released. Snakes are thought to use their venom primarily for catching prey items. However, you still want to seek help. 

Neonate Northern Water Snake. Photo by ME.

In regards to non-venomous snake bites, some of the larger snakes such as boas and pythons, their bites are going to hurt. However, the non-venomous snakes around the NC region have small teeth and if they do deliver a bite, will generally cause lacerations. I have been bitten many times and they are not so bad, certainly not nearly as painful as a bite from say a rabbit, squirrel, hamster, or other rodents kept as pets. In my experience, the bites have felt like someone with lengthy finger nails, pinching me. I am sure there people out there whose bite experiences have been different from mine, but again, just sharing from what I have experienced. 

Sometimes a snake bite will draw some blood, other times it will not. It really depends on various things like the size of the snake, what kind of bite, and where the bite is delivered. Pictured below is my hand after receiving a bite from an Eastern Kingsnake. This bite was my own doing; I grabbed the snake when it was not expecting it and was simply trying to avoid being eaten. Snakes will not go out of their way to bite you. They will bite if you pick them up and startle them ( like in my case), or they may be hungry and mistake your hand for food ( this happens more often in captivity, especially if you do not feed the snake in a separate container or handle it much), or a snake may bite if you step on it or deliver a serious injury to the animal.   
    

Kingsnake Bite. Photo by ME.

I do not wish to scare anyone, just simply shed some light upon these misunderstood and important animals. They help keep rodents and other animal populations in check as well as being food for other critters.

I will say that snakes are cool and unique creatures. They do not have any limbs whatsoever, they gotta eat, defend themselves, thrive somehow. My goal is to help you understand snakes a little better and hopefully gain less fear of them. Again, feel free to ask me questions.

Corn Snake. Photo by ME.

What to do and NOT to do in assisting Turtles

Hello friends!

Time again for another blog. It is full swing in nature activity and you can see it all around you. There is a particular group of animals that are moving all over the place: Turtles.

Turtles are a really neat and unique group of animals that are ectotherms; cold-blooded. They are reptiles and have the distinctive shell and are generally slower in movement than many other animals, though many of the aquatic turtles can be rather quick in the water.

E. Mud Turtle. Photo by ME.

During the warmer months, you can often see turtles by simply going to a pond or some other wetland and observe 1 or more often times than not, multiple turtles basking on fallen tree logs that are sticking out of the water. Sometimes turtles will bask right on top of another. Why they bask you might ask? well, it is because they are ectotherms and they need the sunlight to warm themselves up.

Not all turtles are entirely aquatic; even those that are, come onto land at some point to bask and/or reproduce. Snapping turtles are aquatic turtles that do not often come onto land and bask. Sometimes you can observe them floating on the surface, sort of "bask."  Eastern Box Turtles are North Carolina's prime example of a non aquatic turtle that mostly spends time on land. However, they can sometimes be found "soaking" in shallow pools of water.

  Pictured below is a Common Snapping Turtle.

Photo by ME.

Pictured below is an Eastern Box Turtle

Photo by ME.

Now that we have learned some basic things about turtles, let us now learn about how to help these animals.

It is neat how turtles are such recognizable animals to so many people. It is also great how people like to help turtles when these animals seem to be in distress. If you help turtles, good for you, that is great!

However, even when people mean well and want to help turtles, sometimes "helping" them, can actually do more harm than good. First off according to the book Turtles of The Southeast, authors Kurt Buhlmann, Tracey Tuberville, and Whit Gibbons write: "Most people's outdoor experience with turtles involve seeing them basking on logs or rocks along a river or pond, or finding them crossing  a road." Sometimes, you may find a turtle in your yard.

In regards to helping turtles when they are crossing roads, let us first see why turtles cross roads to begin with. Well,  Buhlmann, Tuberville, and Gibbons go on to write: " A turtle crossing a road usually has a purpose. Most turtles that live in isolated wetlands mate in late winter and early spring, and males move from one body of water to another in search of  females... Later in the season, especially in late spring and early summer, females leave the water to find nesting sites and frequently have to cross a road to reach a suitable site...In late summer and early spring, hatchling turtles travel from the nearest to the nearest wetland." So, turtles cross roads to find mates, wetlands, to lay eggs, and even find new territory.

Hatchling E. Mud Turtles

Turtle egg shell. Photo by ME.

In regards to helping these reptiles, there are some things you can do that can help them. There are some things that people who mean well, do that hurts the animals more than helps. So let us learn more about that.

First of all, it is great if you stop and move a turtle across the road in order to save it. If you do stop, make sure it is safe; do not put yourself or others in danger. Make sure you pull off to the side of the road and make sure there are not any cars coming. Also, look for cars before you walk out into the road.

An important thing to remember about helping turtles: Move the turtle to the side of the road the turtle was walking to when you discovered it. If you just move the turtle back, further into the woods or wetlands of the side the turtle is or was just coming from, the turtle is just going to try and cross the road again.

Being alert while driving can certainly help turtles; for one thing you can be alerted to a turtle crossing. Also, being alert, will help decrease the chances of being surprised by a crossing turtle and help you avoid hitting it. Of course being alert can help you be aware of other drivers who may swerve around a turtle or even stop for a turtle. Another thing, there are people out there who will sadly go out of their way to run over animals; turtles included, so BE CAREFUL. 

 Another way to help turtles, is to look for ways to help protect habitat or even create habitat for them. One of the reasons you see turtles in the road and often run over, is due to development of houses, roads, ect. Building a pond or a wetland of kind can be helpful in helping turtles as it can give them a place to live as they are losing places to live. Creating habitat in your yard can also give them a place to lay their eggs and so forth. 

A interesting thing about turtles is that they remember the location of where they hatched out of eggs at and do have a range or territory to some extent. It is critical that you do NOT take them out of the general area you found them in ( unless the area is completely developed and the animal is pretty much toast. Then you might want to call a museum or park or some other organization to see how to proceed), 

Taking the turtle of the range you found it in ( unless it is completely developed ( i.e. busy roads, lots of houses, no where really for this turtle to go with out getting killed) ( again, consult someone in this situation), Can be a death sentence for the turtle. If you take them away, they will try to get back to that range and may starve to death or even get run over in the process. I will talk a little more on this later in the blog.

E. Box Turtle. Photo by ME. 

Another thing that is NOT recommended when helping a turtle cross the road, is simply taking the turtle home.  There various reasons why you should not take the animal home, but I will cover that a little later in the blog. It is best covered under what to do if you find a turtle in your yard. 

Again, before we move on, be careful when helping turtles cross the road; stay safe. Be mindful that from time to time snapping turtles cross the road, so you will certainly want to be careful in dealing with them. 

The next thing we will learn about, is what do you do if you find a baby turtle?

Well, it depends really on where you find it. Generally, it is best to enjoy observing it and look at it, but also leave it where it is ( unless it is in the middle of the road, then move it across if it is safe to do so).

If you find the hatchling ( baby) turtle in your yard, either it has hatched from a nest that was there, the little critter is passing through to get to a body of water or other habitat depending on the species. Or it could be your yard is the habitat or territory your turtle is going to.

Juv. Yellow-bellied Slider. Photo by ME.

However, if you do find a hatchling turtle in a heavy developed area and you are uncertain what to do, then it is recommended to consult somebody. A park or a museum, or wildlife commission or research on the internet. You may want to do some research on the area of where the turtle is  found as there probably is some suitable habitat within the turtle's territory. Again, it is not good to remove a wild turtle far from its range from where it is encountered, as the turtle will try to get back to the territory and could face serious problems trying to return.

Again, if there is no suitable habitat nearby, consult some body.

Another thing about taking turtles out of the wild, removing them can be harmful to the population of that species in the region as a whole. Here is why:

Buhlmann, Tuberville, and Gibbons writes: "All turtles take much longer to reach maturity than most other animals... Early maturity is.. generally coupled with a shorter lifespan..." Turtles can live a long time; Red-eared sliders can live around 25-50 years! "Alligator snapping turtles have lived for more than 70 years..." (Turtles of the Southeast). Eastern Box Turtles, given the right conditions, can live up  to 100 years! In short, turtles and tortoises both can live a long time!
This means, it takes them longer to reach an age they can reproduce. In fact, "Males of most freshwater turtles including map turtles, painted turtles, and sliders, take a minimum of 4-5 years to reach maturity. As many as 7-10 years seems to be the average for males of... and box turtles...Females of all turtle species require even more time than males to mature." ( Turtles of the Southeast).

So it takes turtles several years before they reach the age they can reproduce. So, taking turtles out of an area can hurt the population.

In regards to keeping turtles as pets, well, first of all it is recommended not getting a turtle as a pet due to the fact they live along time, they can be costly to care for, and especially aquatic turtles, can be smelly. I have two red-eared sliders and they are pretty cool, but they take quite a bit of work.

My 2 Sliders. Photo by ME.

Another problem with people keeping turtles is the fact of the long life span and they get tired of taking care of the turtles. Therefore, the turtles get released. It is a bad idea to release a captive turtle into the wild. The turtle could die from being out competed with other turtles. The temperature in the region could be too much for the turtle to handle, as well as other problems. Red-eared sliders on the other hand, have been released and have taken over a lot of places and have out competed other native wildlife. They have also bred with yellow-bellied sliders and that is causing problems. As the hybrids could completely replace the yellow-bellied sliders. 

So, turtles are neat pets, but keep in mind that they will be around for a long time. They do take a lot of work and resources too.

I hope you have learned something about how to help your neighborhood turtle. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Red-Bellied Cooter. Photo by ME.

Frogs In The Trees

Hello Everyone,

Spring is in full bloom and nature is busy, busy, busy with activity. Frogs have been hanging around ponds at night and calling for mates for a while now. In this blog, we are going to learn about some rather cool and unique group of frogs: TreeFrogs!

Mating Pair. Cope's Gray Treefrogs. Photo by ME.

 As their name suggests, treefrogs do hangout up in and around trees, though, only a few will actually go real far up into them. Treefrogs like other frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians, are amphibians. Amphibians, like reptiles, are cold-blooded, or as scientists call it, ectothermic. Which pretty much means the temperature in their environment determines their body temperature. It's interesting for sure!

Treefrogs are cool in many ways; such as how they are able to climb up into and on trees as well as other surfaces. According to Roger Conant and Joseph T. Collin's book, Peterson Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern/ Central North America, Treefrogs "are well adapted for an arboreal existence. Their toes end in adhesive discs, and their long limbs and digits help them cling to twigs and bark."

Now that we have learned a little general information about treefrogs, we will now dive into learning about some neat species of treefrogs in North Carolina.

Green Treefrog. Photo by ME.

  

The first species we will learn about, is one you may not be familiar with due to its rarity and limited range in NC as well as in the US in general. This is a species that scientists are still learning about it. This species is the Pine Barrens Treefrog.

I'm currently needing to track down some new photos for this and maybe a few other blogs as well. Be sure to look up the Pine Barren's Treefrog online. They are beautiful animals. 

As you can see the Pine Barrens Treefrog is a beautiful frog that many consider the most beautiful frog in the state, which I would agree with that. A neat fact about these guys is that they are listed as one of 2 of North Carolina's state amphibians; the other one is the Marbled Salamander.

According to The Frog and Toads of North Carolina: Field Guide and Recorded Calls by authors Michael E. Dorcas, Steven J. Price, Jeffrey C. Beane and Sarah Cross Owen, Pine Barren Treefrogs are "found in the pine forests and sandhills...Breeding habitats include Carolina bays, pocosins (shrub bogs)... and bogs adjacent to pine forests." Among other wetland habitats. They also seem to like to hang around wetlands with pitcher plants.

Pitcher Plants. Photo by ME.

As far a their diet, I do not know for sure what they eat, but I imagine they would eat a variety of insects and arthropods, perhaps some larger prey items as well.

These particular treefrogs breed during the spring months through part of the fall months. Their calls are described as a nasal "honk" or "quonk" as is repeated swiftly. (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). Like other frogs, they lay eggs, then the eggs will hatch into tadpoles, then the tadpoles metamorph into young frogs.

Range of Pine Barrens Treefrog. Photo from internet.






As beautiful animals these frogs are, they are sadly becoming more rare. This is due to an already limited range and habitat loss. Conservation efforts are currently underway.



The next species of treefrog we will look at, has a similar name and can sometimes be mixed up with our first species, though they do not look a like at all. This species is more common and have a much more widespread range.

This species is the Pine Woods Treefrog.

Pine Woods Treefrogs are"reddish brown, reddish brown, brownish or grayish." (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). They can sometimes be a greenish brown color too.  These guys can be a little tricky to identify and sometimes may have to be captured for certain identification. These frogs have "a row of small orange, yellow, or whitish spots in the rear of the thigh(s)." (Conant, Collins).



As the name suggests, these guys can be found in pine wood forests as well as other wetland type habitats. These frogs are one of the few species that will climb high up into the treetops.

Note the distinctive yellow dots along rear of thigh. Photo by ME.

Good habitat for treefrogs.

 Like other treefrogs, these guys would probably go for various insects and arthropods for prey items.

Pine Woods Treefrog. Photo by ME.

From March up until October, male pine woods treefrogs gather around wetlands and temporal pools to call for females and breed. The males make a "kek-kek-kek" call which is distinctive and is sometimes described sounding like Morse code. (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). Like other frogs and toads, these guys go through metamorphosis.

Pine Woods Treefrog range in NC. Photo from herpsofnc.org

Our next species of treefrog we will learn about, is one of my favorites. This is the Barking Treefrog.

Barking Treefrog. Photo by ME.

As you can see, Barking Treefrogs are rather large and chunky frogs. They are North Carolina's largest treefrog. Like other treefrogs, they be various colors. They are "generally green with reddish-brown or purple spots...The barking treefrog can change color rapidly, from green to gray or brown." (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). 

In regards to habitat, barking treefrogs hangout in pine forests, swamps, and various wetlands. If you look closely at the picture below, you can see that these frogs have rather large pads on its toes. These pads help them to climb high up into the trees. A neat fact about this species is that they will not only climb up into trees, but will also burrow. "In hot, dry weather, often takes shelter in sand or soil beneath roots or clumps of grass or other vegetation." (Conant, Collins).

Barking Treefrog

In regards for their diet, barking treefrogs would probably eat various insects and arthropods, as well as other small critters they could get a hold of.

Like their names suggests, the males of this species makes a call during their breeding season that, from a distance, sounds like dogs barking. It is very cool! "Their call is a single "toonk" given every few seconds." Another neat fact is that unlike other treefrogs, barking treefrogs will call while floating on the water surface. (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). Breeding season for this species is from April to September.

Below is the Range of the Barking Treefrog. Photo from amphibiaweb.org



Our next species is the Green Tree Frog.

Green Treefrog. Photo by ME.

 As you can see, the green treefrog is, well, green. This is not always the case as sometimes they can be olive or brownish. (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). As seen in the picture below.

Green Treefrog. Photo by ME. 

A key characteristic of this species is a bright white to yellowish stripe that runs along its face and body( both sides). There are exceptions and some individuals may not have it. Some also have yellowish or orange speckles on their backs. These guys are often confused with the Squirrel Treefrog, which I will write about a little later in the post. Look for the stripe along the face and body to help identify a green tree frog.

Green Treefrogs can be quite plentiful in the right habitats. Such habitats include: swamps, ponds, and other various wetlands where there are places to hide, breed and there is a food source.

Green Treefrogs prey on various insects and arthropods. Sometimes they will hang around porch lights and hunt the insects hanging around.

Breeding season for these frogs is typically from April to September. "During the breeding season, their loud, monotonic, nasal "queenk, queenk, queenk" call can be heard... From a distance, large congregations of green treefrogs sound like cowbells." (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen).

A neat fact about these frogs is that you can sometimes find them sleeping on some vegetation. I have found them on several occasions sleeping on cattail plants.

Photo by ME.

 Also, another neat fact about them as well as other species of treefrogs, scientists will often put out PVC pipes around wetlands to attract treefrogs to observe and study them and their populations. Treefrogs will often hide and even sleep in the PVC pipes during the day.


 Here is the range for the Green Treefrog in NC. Photo from wikipedia.
 


So, our next treefrog, is a species that often gets mixed up with the green treefrog. I am writing about them, next to each other so hopefully it will help you differentiate the two.

Our next species is the Squirrel Treefrog.

Squirrel Treefrog. Photo by ME.

So as I have mentioned already, the Squirrel Treefrog is often confused with the Green Treefrog. However, the squirrel treefrog "generally has a poorly developed yellowish stripe on each side and sometimes spotting on the back." The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: Field Guide and Recorded Calls.

Squirrel Treefrogs are found in a wide range of habitats: swamps, pine forests, and even in people's backyards. These are commonly seen hanging around a porch light at night, hunting the insects flying around the light.

I have even encountered one (pictured below) out in the outer banks at Jockey Ridge! So if there is suitable habitat, these guys can be common and widespread!

Squirrel Treefrog. Photo by ME.

Squirrel Treefrogs will eat a variety of insects and arthropods. One night, I saw one hanging out near my front porch light and he jumped out at a moth, captured it with its mouth, and ate it. It was cool!

Breeding season typically goes from April through September. The males call and it is a "nasal "waaak, waak," repeated about 15 times in 10 seconds. They also have a "rain call," which is a scolding, squirrel-like rasp usually performed away from the water before or during rain storms." The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: Field Guide and Recorded Calls.

Another neat fact is that they can sometimes be found hiding in PVC pipes that scientists put out to attract them. You can sometimes find them with other squirrels, or even other species of treefrogs. I have encountered a few hiding with a pine woods treefrog. Another few occasions have seen a squirrel hiding with a green treefrog.

Here is the range of squirrel treefrogs in NC. Photo from amphibiaweb.org





So the final treefrog we will be learning about is the Gray Treefrog. So, there are actually 2 species of Gray Treefrogs in North Carolina; the Common Gray Treefrog and the Cope's Gray Treefrog. Despite its name, the Common Gray Treefrog has been documented from only two counties in NC; Warren and Caswell Counties.  The Common Gray is considered rare, and they look very similar to the Cope's Gray. There is a difference in calls and chromosomes; so very tough to tell the 2 apart. I will only be covering the Cope's as it is the most common and most likely one you will encounter.


Cope's Gray Treefrog.

Cope's Gray Treefrog. Photo by ME. 

In addition to fact Cope's Gray Treefrogs are in fact gray, they also somewhat rough, warty skin. If you look closely, they have somewhat large toe pads. So, they are fairly easy to identify. They do also have "bright orange or golden yellow on the underside of each hind leg." The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: Field Guide and Recorded Calls.

Note the golden yellow on the underside of leg. Photo by ME.

Note the golden yellow on the underside of leg. Photo by ME.

As for habitat, they like places with lots of shrubs and trees near ponds and other wetlands. Cope's Gray Treefrogs will eat various insects and arthropods.

Breeding takes place from April-August. The males "have a harsh, rapid trill." (Dorcas, Price, Beane, Owen). During breeding season, like other treefrogs, cope's gray treefrogs will come down from their trees and gather around a wetland of some kind to call and breed, and lay eggs.

Photo by ME.

A neat thing about these frogs, is that after the tadpoles metamorph into young frogs, the frogs are a greenish-gray color. It is neat!

Newly Morphed Cope's Gray Treefrog. Photo by ME. 

Another neat fact about these frogs is that their grayish coloration as well, like other treefrogs ( which is so awesome), their ability to change color, helps them blend in very well with trees that they hangout in.

Here is the range of Cope's Gray Treefrogs in NC. Photo from amphibiaweb.org

So that pretty much sums it up for NC's treefrogs. If you are interested in learning about the Common Gray Treefrog, I would encourage you to look it up and conduct some of your own research.

Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!