Dramatic Snake

Are YOU Smarter Than A Cephalopod?!

A Congress of Salamanders

Did you know that a group of salamanders is called a congress?

Sundae Snakes

Sunday Snakes

Salamander Eggs

Field Pictures

These are from the last few weeks in the field...

A Bess Beetle

A Leopard Frog got caught in one of our Sherman traps!

A bunch of wild ecologists.

A prairie vole.

A spider friend.

Salamander larva! I think this is Ambystoma opacum.

Possibly a paedomorphic Ambystoma talpoideum!

Either Hyla versicolor or Hyla chrysoscelis. 

Fossorial Snakes

From left to right: Diadophis punctatus, Carphophis amoenis, Virginia striatula

Herps

I totally forgot to post this over the summer! Here are a few herps local to our area!

Start of school

Hi there!

So, school has started again and it's looking to be a great semester! I'm excited to say that, not one, but TWO of my classes are field intensive... What a way to wrap up undergraduate! I'm still working away at my salamander research and it is going beautifully. I am so glad I got to work on a project like this over the past three years; I've really learned a LOT about herpetological/ecological research (and salamanders of course).

I went into the field Wednesday for lab and one of my classmates caught a baby ribbon snake. I have a picture, but it is very blurry. It's always fun to see how people who don't have much experience with snakes react when they hold one for the first time. You can tell they're hesitant or scared at first, but then they cave in and admit that it's totally awesome. We also saw some skinks, toads, frogs, and a wood rat who had built her nest under an overturned boat. I found that my friend, Miranda, is an excellent herp spotter. My friend and fellow Ecology major, Austyn is also in that class (and most of my other classes) with me. We're definitely going to have lots of field shenanigans this fall.

My name is Blurrysnake and I care what you think.

I don't know what this is, but it's awesome!

Yesterday, I got to go out into the field again with my professor/research mentor who is studying lichens. We didn't get as many lichens as we'd hoped (field work almost never goes as planned), but we saw some other amazing things! On the way into the park, we saw dozens of woolly bears zooming across the road. I swear I've never seen caterpillars move so fast! Watch out Nascar drivers, you've got competition! Along the sides of the road, blue herons and green herons stood like sentinels while the shy turtles dropped into the water. If you've never seen a blue heron take flight, shut down your computer right now, go out to the nearest body of water, and watch one. Trust me, it's breathtaking.
Once in the forest, we drove through a rabble of butterflies who were flocking around a piece of smashed-up roadkill (who knew that butterflies were so morbid??). As we drove past, they swarmed around the car and fluttered around the windows. It was pure magic. I love the forest.

One of the many hitchhikers who rode with us yesterday.

Caution: Minnows Ahead

I've been working on lots of comic pages, but I'm not ready to upload any of it quite yet. I'm hoping to finish something before this semester's over, but I have much to do in the coming  months. For the three of you who actually read this mess, I'll try to update this trainwreck of a blog with more field pictures and doodles as often as I can.

Have a great day and thanks for reading,

Megan

To my cat...

Whiskers | February 14, 2000 - July 16, 2016

"For I will consider my Cat...

For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.

For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way.

For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.

For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.

For he rolls upon prank to work it in.

For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.

For this he performs in ten degrees.

For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean.

For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.

For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended.

For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.

For fifthly he washes himself.

For sixthly he rolls upon wash.

For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.

For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.

For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.

For tenthly he goes in quest of food.

For having consider'd God and himself he will consider his neighbour.

For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.

For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance.

For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.

For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins.

For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary.

For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.

For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.

For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.

For he is of the tribe of Tiger.

For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger.

For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.

For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.

For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he's a good Cat.

For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon.

For every house is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.

For the Lord commanded Moses concerning the cats at the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt.

For every family had one cat at least in the bag.

For the English Cats are the best in Europe.

For he is the cleanest in the use of his forepaws of any quadruped.

For the dexterity of his defence is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly.

For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature.

For he is tenacious of his point.

For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.

For he knows that God is his Saviour.

For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.

For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.

For he is of the Lord's poor and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually...

For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it in complete cat.

For his tongue is exceeding pure so that it has in purity what it wants in music.

For he is docile and can learn certain things.

For he can set up with gravity which is patience upon approbation.

For he can fetch and carry, which is patience in employment.

For he can jump over a stick which is patience upon proof positive.

For he can spraggle upon waggle at the word of command.

For he can jump from an eminence into his master's bosom.

For he can catch the cork and toss it again.

For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser.

For the former is afraid of detection.

For the latter refuses the charge.

For he camels his back to bear the first notion of business.

For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly.

For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services.

For he killed the Ichneumon-rat very pernicious by land.

For his ears are so acute that they sting again.

For from this proceeds the passing quickness of his attention.

For by stroking of him I have found out electricity.

For I perceived God's light about him both wax and fire.

For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast.

For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.

For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.

For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadruped.

For he can tread to all the measures upon the music.

For he can swim for life.

For he can creep."

- Christopher Smart

I love you, Whiskers. You were a good cat.

Toad

Caudata

I just returned from a two-week salamander class in the Southern Appalachians. North Carolina is a sparkly, breathtaking state with waterfalls and mountains and fireflies. There was a salamander under nearly every rock. As a class, we caught over 600! I learned a lot. Here are some pictures.

Desmognathus ocoee

Eurycea wilderae

A cool plant growing out of the rock!

Plethodon shermani x Plethodon teyahallee

Reminds me of Tangaloor Firefoot! If you don't know who that is, PLEASE go pick up a copy of Tailchaser's Song (aka the best work of fiction ever written!!!)!

Spot the salamander!

You could see for miles.

Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens red eft stage

An awesome cave, begging to be explored!

Aneides aeneus

Mama Dinosaur Snapping Turtle

!!!!!!!!!

Moth

Snakes Playing Poker

My people and I went out to Shelby Forest for a BioBlitz this weekend. A BioBlitz is an event where you spend the day running around in the woods with a bunch of nature-lovers, identifying and documenting every living organism you possibly can. My friend, Austyn, and I went out really early for the birds and then ran across half of the herpetology class after it got a little warmer (it was so cold that morning!). It was a good day for plants. A great day for plants! Not so much for herps... We did end up seeing a slimy salamander and a few frogs, though. The snakes were too busy playing poker to come out and greet us.

Anole March Madness!!!!!

I'm very excited about this: http://www.anoleannals.org/2016/03/16/anole-march-madness-2016/


Here are my (and Iggy's) predictions: