Sunday, August 31, 2014

Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

Recently, I was doing some gardening, actually pulling tufts of grass up by the roots from around the border of my raised-bed gardens, when a noticed that there was a small snake in the grass clump I had just uprooted. The snake was very small and brown. At first, I almost mistook it for a night-crawler. It turned out to be a northern red-bellied snake of about seven or eight inches in length.

Northern Red-bellied Snake
Photo by Brad Sylvester. All rights reserved.

According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game website, this diminutive snake eats snails and slugs. As it happens, the border to my raised bed garden is made of wood and when we have wet weather, small black slugs can be found on the wood. All the sources I found include small slugs as the preferred menu item for the northern red-bellied snake although a number of sources add other various prey to the snake's diet. It's worth noting that the sources don't agree exactly on what those other items might be. At any rate, eating slugs from around my garden earns this little snake my favor.

The red-bellied snake is quite small with a maximum length
of about 16 inches.
Photo by Brad Sylvester. All rights reserved.
The northern red-bellied snake doesn't grow more than 16 inches in length and is completely harmless to humans and pets. Because of its small size and tendency to hide under woody debris (where it's primary prey resides), it is not often seen. In fact, this specimen that I found accidently while working in my garden is the first of its species that I have ever encountered.

The red-bellied snake is viviparous which means that it gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Sources vary on the maximum litter size ranging from highs of 14-23 although average litters are much smaller by all accounts, with about six to nine baby snakes being the average estimate.

The specimen that I found living in my yard was brown with a pinkish belly with an almost blue border separating the pink belly from the darker area of its body. While not typical, this coloration is well within the range for this species. The belly can range from red to orange to pink, while the upper body may be brown, grey or black with four darker stripes running along its length. Some of these snakes have 3 pale dots around the nape of the neck, but the one I found in my yard did not.

According to the Michigan Society of Herpetologists. the northern red-bellied snake can often  be found around dumps that contain wood scraps or sheet metal that provide good habitat for slugs. If present, they can be found by flipping over bits of wood or sheet metal that is lying on the ground.
The one I found in my yard was in tall moist grass growing against the sides of my raised bed garden which is made with wood that frequently has little black slugs patrolling its surface after a rain or a heavy night dew fall.
The underside of the red-bellied snake may be pink, red or orange.
Photo by Brad Sylvester. All rights reserved.
 




 

Friday, August 1, 2014

How to Catch and Hold a Dragonfly

There are literally hundreds of different species of dragonflies. They come in many bright colors and beautiful patterns. They are, arguably, as beautiful as butterflies, but because they fly so fast it is often difficult to see them in any detail. The reason they fly so fast is because they are insect world's equivalent of an air to air missile. Dragonflies, you see, eat other flying insects. Not only that, but they catch them right out of the air as they are flying. To do that, dragonflies must fly faster and be more maneuverable than their prey. Their flying prowess is wonderful for them, but not so great for spectators who want to see their colors and figure out what species they might belong to.
 
The Fear of Dragonflies

Maybe it's the dragonfly's reputation as a predator or maybe it's the viciousness of the aquatic dragonfly nymph, but these colorful winged missiles have a reputation as having a nasty bite-or a nasty sting, most people aren't really sure which. Most people do know however, that dragonflies are something to be feared. Actually, however, most people are completely wrong on this account. Dragonflies don't bite and have no stinger at all. They are, as a matter of fact, completely harmless to people.

How to Hold a Dragonfly
Those studying dragonflies often hold them in their bare hands in order to get a closer look. The proper way to hold a dragonfly without injuring it, is to fold its wings upward into a vertical position relative to its body so that the left and right side wings are touching, and then hold the wings between the thumb and index finger near the wingtips.

Holding them is easy; the hard part is catching them. Dragonflies, as I've already mentioned, are fast and nimble fliers. Like most insects, they also have compound eyes that give them a very wide field of view. This means that even when they do alight on a leaf or a blade of grass, they will probably see you coming and take wing before you can get close enough to reach out and grab them.

How to Catch a Dragonfly

Fortunately, we humans are a good deal more technologically advanced than dragonflies. As of right this minute, the absolute pinnacle of technology when it comes to catching dragonflies is the butterfly net. The butterfly net should have a long handle which allows you to take a swipe with the net at stationary dragonflies without getting close enough to scare them off. You can try netting them from the air, but you may find you have better luck waiting for them to land.
The net portion should be a fine mesh that is transparent enough for you to see inside the net. The net portion should be long enough that it flops over the net frame so that it effectively closes itself off, preventing whatever you have netted from flying out. That way you can reach in and grab the dragonfly by its wings.

Let it Go Unharmed

Once you have it in hand, you can examine the dragonfly closely, noting its features and coloration in order to help determine the species to which it belongs. In some cases, however, a microscopic examination to differentiate between closley related species may be required. Once you have finished, it should be released. Adult dragonflies do not make good pets because of their dietary habits and their high-speed flying.

Note: This article was originally published at Yahoo! Contributor Network on August 15th, 2011, where it was viewed 3212 times. All publishing rights reverted back to me as the original author when Yahoo! decided to discontinue the Y! Contributor Network on August 1st, 2014.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Natural History: The Science of Quiet Observation

As a child, I remember visiting several museums of natural history and seeing the vast collections of insects, birds, and all the other animals, plants and minerals. I read accounts of naturalists' detailed observations of animal species describing their habits and behaviors. So much can be learned simply by quiet, unobtrusive observation. It is really the only way to learn how animals behave when they are not being influenced by human presence.

Today, we may modern tools to help us observe animals in their natural habitats. We have trail cameras, for example, that not only take still photos, but also record video clips of animals in the wild. GPS monitors can follow the extended flight paths of birds in a way that no clever naturalist could ever hope to do just 50 years ago.

In the April issue of BioScience (1), a group of scientists wrote "Despite the importance of detailed natural history information to many sectors of society, exposure and training in traditional forms of natural history have not kept pace with growth in the natural sciences over the past 50 years." Their paper details the decline of focus on natural history and natural history projects within the scientific community.

Yet, they say, natural history, "the fundamental properties of organisms- what they are, how and where they live, and the biotic and abiotic interactions that link them to communities and ecosystems," remains important and has an important role to play in modern science.

On the one hand, popular citizen science initiatives like the Great Christmas Bird Count and Cornell University's eBird website have increased the amount of observational data available to researchers by enrolling huge numbers of ordinary people as observers. On the other hand, natural history lacks visible role models to inspire new generations to take up the practice, say the authors.

This blog is really an exercise in natural history focusing very tightly on the five and a quarter acres of land in southern New Hampshire on which I live. The species entries provide overview level observations and comments combined with researched data about the animals that live on this particular piece of the Earth.

It's not ground-breaking science in the popular sense (although I do occasional break into the ground to look for some of the creatures that reside there), but it does increase my knowledge and understanding of the world in which I live and the animals with whom I share it. Hopefully, it accomplishes some measure of that same purpose for faithful readers of this blog as well.

Going forward, I thought it might be interesting to take a more detailed look at one or more of the species that lives in my yard. Finding out where it lives, how it interacts with other animals, how it behaves, how it adapts to the seasons or extremes of weather, and essentially everything we can learn by just watching it in its natural environment.

To do this successfully, it will be important to pick a species that spends all or the great majority of its time in or around my property. It need not be a single individual that is constantly followed and observed, but could be multiple individuals, some of which live on the property and others which may be passing through.

Ideally, it would be something that isn't going to be so bothered by my presence that it's behaviors are substantially altered whenever I am present, and it would be something that I can reliably locate on a regular basis.

A number of birds might fit the bill, as might any number of insects. There a few mammals: squirrels, chipmunks, wild mice, perhaps even porcupines. Suitable reptiles and amphibians might include any of the several species of salamanders, snakes, frogs and toads that live on my property.

I'll have to give it some thought and pick one. Once I do, all the detailed observations, including photos and video clips will be presented at this link. I'll use every tool at my disposal- remote cameras, night vision video, tracking, and especially patience- to find out everything I can about this one particular species. If it works out, perhaps I'll add natural history pages for other species that live in my yard as well.

I encourage you to spend time in quiet observation of the natural world as well. Aside from the knowledge gained in the study itself, I find watching nature to be akin to quiet meditation that relaxes and renews one's spirit.  After all, if one can find time to sit and observe the behavior of Sheldon Cooper, Tyrion Lannister, or other fictional television characters, surely one can find time to just sit and watch what is really happening around them in the great outdoors.

---


1) Joshua j. Tewksbury, John G. T. Anderson, Jonathan D. Bakker, Timothy J. Billo, Peter W. Dunwiddie, Martha J. Groom, Stephanie E. Hampton, Steven G. Herman, Douglas J. Levey, Noelle J. Machnicki, Carlos Martínez del Rio, Mary E. Power, Kirsten Rowell, Anne K. Salomon, Liam Stacey, Stephen C. Trombulak, and Terry A. Wheeler
Natural History's Place in Science and Society
BioScience 2014 : biu032v1-biu032.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

White-breasted nuthatch male (Sitta carolinensis)
Photo credit: Brad Sylvester, all rights reserved
 The white-breasted nuthatch and its cousin the red-breasted nuthatch, both use their long toenails to dig into bark and wood allowing them to hop along the sides of a tree-trunk, or even to hang upside down under a branch or overhang so comfortably they may make you wonder if they are immune to the effects of gravity. Using their sharply pointed beaks they dig into the nooks and crannies of tree bark or into soft deadwood to find insects much like a woodpecker. They don't typically dig deep holes into the trees or make loud knocking noises like many woodpeckers, but otherwise, their behaviors might seem similar.

The white-breasted nuthatch is most easily distinguished from the red-breasted by it facial markings, or its lack of facial markings. Both the male and female red-breasted nuthatch have a dark bar that runs directly through their eyes. The white-breasted nuthatch has no eye bar at all. Additionally, the male red-breasted nuthatch has a rufous/red breast and throat and a small, raised black crest on its head. The male white-breasted nuthatch has a smooth black cap that runs back to the nape of its neck, and, as its name suggests, has white feathers on its breast and throat areas.

One can also distinguish the male white-breasted nuthatch from the female of the species by the color of their caps. The male's will be black while the female's is grey.

These small birds are common visitors to backyard birdfeeders in New Hampshire, and, indeed, are often present at my feeders in the spring. They are a bit more shy than the black-capped chickadees that often accompany them around the feeder. Outside of breeding season, they will often form mixed flocks with chickadees and tufted titmice.

They have a very distinct song that reminds me a little of a hairy woodpecker's call. Listen to the white-breasted nuthatch's song at this link to Cornell University's All About Birds web site.

Note the long toe-nails of the white-breasted nuthatch. It uses
these long, curved talons to hold onto bark and wood, allowing
it to hop up and down vertical surfaces and hang upside-down.
Photo credit: Brad Sylvester, all rights reserved.
Introducing this resident of my yard gives me a good excuse to discuss the convention of hyphens in bird names. If there is a hyphen following an adjective in a bird's name (such as the color white), then the adjective refers directly to the bird's body part that follows the hyphen. For example, if we were to make up a couple of birds to demonstrate, the white-crested flyer would be a bird with a white crest although the rest of the bird might be any color. A white crested flyer (without the hyphen) would be a white bird with a crest of any color. Although in practice, word order is also used to help reduce ambiguity, so the second of our fictional creations would more likely be called the crested white flyer.

Quick Facts about the white-breasted nuthatch

What does the white-breasted nuthatch eat? It's diet consists of both insects and seeds, especially larger seeds and nuts. The bird gets its name, according to Sterry & Small's Birds of Eastern North America, from it's habit of tucking hard-shelled seeds and nuts into the bark of a tree and, then, hammering away until the meat of the hut "hatches" from the broken shell.

Where does the white-breasted nuthatch go in the winter? The white-breasted nuthatch is present throughout its entire range in both winter and summer without a significant migration. In the winter, it may move to search for the best food sources during harsh weather, but otherwise stays put. In the spring and summer, the bird establishes a home territory for nesting and raising its young.

Where does the white-breasted nuthatch live? The range of this species extends from southern Canada to most of the United States and down into inland Mexico. Although found along the east and west coasts of the United States, it is generally absent from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, according to Mitch Waite's iBird Pro 2 app for the Kindle.

What is the white-breasted nuthatch's preferred habitat? The white-breasted nuthatch is most commonly found in and alongside deciduous forests. Although it's range covers most of the United States, it is generally not present in the high mountains and plains where there is an absence of forestland.

What are its nesting habits? The white-breasted nuthatch, says iBird Pro 2, builds its nest inside woodpecker holes or natural cavities 10-60 feet high in trees. Inside the cavity, it builds a cup-shaped nest out of twigs, grass, hair, feathers and other similar materials that it may find. The female lays between three and ten eggs which are white or light pink on color with irregular brown, purple or red spotting. It takes about 12 days for the eggs to hatch according to iBird Pro 2.

What predators eat the white-breasted nuthatch? The adult birds may be eaten by owls and hawks. Bird eggs and helpless chicks can become targets of opportunity for many forest animals including snakes. Of course, the high, protected nest limits the number of predators that can reach the nest.

Is the white-breasted nuthatch an endangered species? No, the white-breasted nuthatch population is quite healthy and even increasing in size. Perhaps the increased availability of food from bird feeders during the winter months is helping the species to thrive (although I have no direct evidence or source for this speculation). The IUCN Redlist shows Sitta carolinensis as a species of Least Concern.

Taxonomy of the white-breasted nuthatch:

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Chordata
Phylum: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
Species: Sitta carolinensis