Bitter Sneezeweed

Posted on by

01 Bitter Sneezeweed_1685

While hiking in Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri, I noticed this familiar-looking flower. Though rather than being tall, like the six foot plus Autumn Sneezeweed in my backyard, it was growing low to the ground.

02 Bitter Sneezeweed_1664

This upper-branching native annual reaches 10 to 20 inches tall. The entire plant has a strong odor and is bitter to the taste. The leaves are narrow and located alternately on the stem.

03 Bitter Sneezeweed_1670

A member of the Sunflower Family, Bitter Sneezeweed has showy flowers that are noticeable in the late Spring or Summer and are located at the end of each branch. Each bloom has about eight petals that often bend downward at maturity.

04 Bitter Sneezeweed_1665

This genus is primarily found growing in sandy soils in the southeastern to southcentral United States, from Virginia to Florida west to Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

05 Bitter Sneezeweed_1668

With a Latin Name of Helenium amarum, the genus name comes from the Greek name helenion, which honors Helen of Troy. It is unclear as to the relevance of Helen of Troy to the within genus of plants which are exclusively native to North and South America.

Bitter Sneezeweed’s species name, amarum means “bitter” in Latin. Also known as “Bitterweed,” this plant is named in reference to it containing a toxic substance which causes milk to taste bitter when cows graze on its foliage.

06 Bitter Sneezeweed_1666

The common name of “sneezeweed” is reportedly in reference to the former snuff-like use of the dried and powdered flowers of this plant by members of some Native American tribes for treatment of blocked sinuses.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Grass Pickerel

Posted on by

01 Grass Pickerel_2342

I caught this very fine fish in a minnow trap while visiting southern Illinois in October. At an average size of about a foot long, it looks like a miniature version of its relative, the Northern Pike.

02 Grass Pickerel_2344

The Grass Pickerel occurs primarily in the sluggish, vegetated waters of pools, lakes and wetlands. It is the most common and widely distributed pike in Missouri and Illinois.

03 Grass Pickerel_2352

Like other pikes, it has a duckbill-shaped snout, a large mouth with many sharp teeth, and a single dorsal fin. Its back and sides are olive or yellowish brown, and often barred or mottled with a darker color. A dusky bar angles downward and slightly backward from the eye.

04 Grass Pickerel_2354

This species hunts by ambush, darting out to seize prey from a place of concealment. Young Grass Pickerel eat small crustaceans, amphipods, isopods, and young aquatic insects. Larger examples eat small fish, crayfish, and dragonfly nymphs.

05 Grass Pickerel_2348

Its sleek, muscular, torpedo-shaped body, with fins positioned in the back for quick bursts of speed, are perfect adaptations for its lie-in-wait predatory habits and are worthy of admiration.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Soybean Looper

Posted on by

cape-girardeau-conservation (1)

While visiting a nature center in Missouri, I noticed a few of these moths resting on the outside of the building. This species is attracted to light at night and often sticks around until the following morning.

02 Soybean Looper_7356

This insect is small, with a wingspan ranging 1 to 1-1/2 inches and is mottled brown to black in color. It is robust in body shape. This moth’s forewings possess silvery white spots, which can be used to distinguish it from similar-looking moths.

03 Soybean Looper_7358

Soybean Looper caterpillars form loops, or rings, with their bodies as they crawl across stems and branches. The wide rear end is brought up right behind the head, bending the body into a complete circle, just before the head stretches forward again. They feed voraciously on the leaves, stems, and even the pods of their food plants, which include soybeans, goldenrod, lettuce, sweet potato and peanut. Other host plants include cotton, tomato, and tobacco.

04 Soybean Looper_7364

This insect’s main habitat is fields and cultivated land. Adults are avid pollinators, drawn to flowers by their vibrant colors and distinct shapes. While feasting on pollen, they inadvertently transfer it, aiding in the reproductive process of plants. Their interaction with flowers is crucial for the ecosystem, and Soybean Loopers (as well as other moths) serve as unsung heroes of plant pollination.

05 Soybean Looper_7361

The Soybean Looper is known as “Falso Medidor” in north-eastern Mexico. It is found from southern Quebec and southern Ontario through the eastern and southern part of the United States to South America.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Golden Scalycap

Posted on by

01 Golden Scalycap_2463

While hiking along the edge of a swamp in southern Illinois last month, these very colorful mushrooms with their golden yellow hues caught my eye.

02 Golden Scalycap_2473

This species is perhaps the most noticeable member of its genus. It grows in large clusters on live trees, snags, and logs of conifers and hardwoods – most commonly Beeches.

03 Golden Scalycap_2461

The cap is sticky when young, and bears dark brown or reddish-brown scales that contrast with the yellow cap color.

04 Golden Scalycap_2470

Having the scientific name Pholiota adiposa, Pholiota means “scaly” and adiposa comes from the Latin word “adeps” which means lard or grease in reference to the texture of the caps.

05 Golden Scalycap_2467

Like other mushrooms, Golden Scalycap serve as decomposers in ecosystems, breaking down organic matter from dead plants and animals and recycling nutrients back into the soil. They play a crucial role in the carbon cycle.

06 Golden Scalycap_2464

With its striking golden-brown caps and intricate scales, the Golden Scalycap presents a visual spectacle in an otherwise dark swamp and made for a neat encounter on my trip.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Southern Painted Turtle

Posted on by

1 Southern Painted Turtle_1576

While visiting Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Missouri last month, I observed several of these fine reptiles basking. This species was officially recognized as a separate species from other Painted Turtles in 2014.

2 Southern Painted Turtle_1635

The Southern Painted Turtle is a small, colorful aquatic turtle with an olive brown to almost black shell, featuring a prominent yellow, orange, or red lengthwise stripe down its center. The adult upper shell length is 4–5 inches, occasionally reaching 6 inches.

3 Southern Painted Turtle_1626

This reptile is often found in the quiet water of shallow swamps, slow-moving streams, sloughs, oxbow lakes, and occasionally drainage ditches with aquatic vegetation and soft bottoms. Its preferred habitat is wetlands embedded within bottomland forest dominated by Water Tupelo, Bald Cypress, and Oak.

4 Southern Painted Turtle_1623

The Southern Painted Turtle’s diet consists mainly of aquatic insects, snails, crayfish, and plant material, with duckweed and algae also readily consumed. Younger individuals consume more animal matter in their compared to adults.

5 Southern Painted Turtle_1642

Their range is the midwestern and southeastern parts of the United States, stretching from Texas to Florida and up to southern Illinois. Finding these completed my quest to find all four types of Painted Turtles (Eastern, Midland, Western and Southern) in the wild.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Overcup Oak

Posted on by

01 Cache River_2493

This tree is native to lowland wetlands in the eastern and south-central United States and in all the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, inland as far as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois.

02 Overcup Oak _2245

Its common name refers to its acorns that are mostly enclosed within the acorn cup. This is a medium to large-sized deciduous tree, growing as tall as 150 feet, with typical height of 80 feet. The trunk averages 30 inches in diameter. It is slow-growing and often takes 25 to 30 years to mature.

03 Overcup Oak Oak_2243

Overcup Oak occurs in wet bottomland forests bordering swamps and in valleys with floodplain forests bordering rivers. This tree is adapted to use seasonal floodwaters as a way to float its acorns to new sites for dispersal. The cap that covers each seed is very corky, which causes the acorns to float.

04 Overcup Oak _2246

This species is unique among the White Oaks in that their acorns exhibit a prolonged dormancy. Normally, acorns of the various White Oaks germinate in the Fall, not long after they are shed from their parent trees. However, living in areas prone to flooding would make germinating at that time of year a risky endeavor. As such, Overcup Oak acorns lay dormant for months until environmental cues signal that enough time has passed.

05 Overcup Oak _2248

The species is known to provide both food and habitat for a range of wildlife. Its acorns can be eaten by small mammals and birds such as squirrels and Wild Turkey. Trees in general create their own small habitats upon their surfaces and with their shade. Countless insects creep around on the bark. Many plants, including wildflowers, can only survive among the leaf litter on a shaded forest floor.

06 Overcup Oak

Overcup Oak’s Latin Name Quercus lyrata, and the species name lyrata, means “lyre-shaped” referring to the shape of this tree’s leaves.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Murky Ground Beetle

Posted on by

01 Murky Ground Beetle_7034

Flipping rocks in southern Illinois revealed this cool creature. Adults are about one inch long, oblong, flattened, and dark in color with deeply grooved wing covers. There are a dozen or more common species of beetles in the genus, but all others are considerably smaller than this one.

04 Murky Ground Beetle_4S2B7954

Murky Ground Beetles are active insects, with long legs, large eyes, and strong sickle-like mandibles. They run rapidly and are active mostly at night.

03 Murky Ground Beetle_4S2B7953

These are regarded as very beneficial to agriculture. Adults feed on the larvae of Colorado Potato Beetle and other harmful larvae, ragweed seeds, and occasionally fruit (probably in search of needed water). They are often attracted to electric lights. Their larvae are wormlike in appearance with powerful prominent jaws.

02 Murky Ground Beetle_4S2B7948

The Murky Ground Beetle is distributed across North America and found in a wide range of habitats including grasslands, open meadows, forests, agricultural fields, and even in urban areas. Like many Ground Beetles, it can release pungent odor when threatened.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Rough Earth Snake

Posted on by

01 Rough Earth Snake_4561

While visiting a glade in Missouri, I found my first-ever specimen of this small reptile. This uniformly brown creature has a somewhat cone-shaped head and is usually less than ten inches long.

02 Rough Earth Snake_4563

Rough Earth Snakes are entirely terrestrial and are most commonly found under objects on the ground surface. This is primarily a species of open hardwoods, pine woods, grassy areas, and suburban woodlots – it prefers areas with sunlit openings.

03 Rough Earth Snake_1587

This reptile eats invertebrates. It feeds almost exclusively on earthworms, although slugs, snails, sow bugs, insect eggs and larvae have also been found in their stomachs. It is seldom found above ground. During warm, damp weather, individuals may become active at night.

04 Rough Earth Snake_4559

Rough Earth Snakes typically mate in spring or early summer and give live birth to 3-11 babies in July or August. The babies are usually darker than the adults and often have a distinct neckband.

05 Rough Earth Snake_1591

To verify its identification, and to distinguish it from the very similar Smooth Earth Snake, one must look closely: the Rough Earth Snake has strongly keeled scales along the back (which makes it feel rough).

06 Rough Earth Snake_4202

It was neat to encounter this snake in the field, especially after having found several example of its smooth-scaled relative.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Prairie Dock

Posted on by

01 Prairie Dock_5284

While visiting a glade habitat in Missouri in search of reptiles and amphibians, it was hard not to notice this very distinctive plant. This member of the Aster Family has enormous leaves, as rough as sandpaper, with beautifully scalloped edges featuring coarse teeth.

02 Prairie Dock_1524

The leaves of Prairie Dock tend to orient in a north-south direction. That is, the broad part of the blade faces east and west, to maximize sunlight for photosynthesis. This adaptation also minimizes water loss due to transpiration.

03Prairie Dock_5265

Even when it’s very hot out, its leaves feel cool to the touch.

04 Prairie Dock_5462

Its flowers attract long-tongued bees, including Honeybees, Bumblebees, and Miner Bees. Other flower visitors include Halictine Bees, Bee Flies, and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. It typically blooms from July through October.

05 Prairie Dock_5263

Prairie Dock is a very tall (sometimes over eight feet) perennial plant, with a nearly leafless flower stalk. Not only does the plant extend high into the air, it also has a long taproot that grows deep into the soil.

06 Prairie Dock_1526

This adaptation is beneficial, because this plant’s environment is often hot and dry, and the deep taproot allows the plant to reach water. This feature also helps the plant persist despite grazing and mowing. With so much energy reserves stored underground, sending up new shoots is not that costly for the plant.

07 Prairie Dock_1525

With the Latin Name of Silphium terebinthinaceum, the species name means “with turpentine” and refers to the resin, which gives this plant a pleasant, spicy scent.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Southern Redback Salamander

Posted on by

01 Southern Redback Salamander_8931

While walking along the edge of a glade in Missouri, I hiked along a creek. I rolled a few logs to see what herps would turn up, and I encountered this “lifer” amphibian. Noticeably territorial, this salamander marks its territory with scent to notify other salamanders of its presence.

02 Southern Redback Salamander_8938

The Southern Redback Salamander is typically gray or black in color, with a red-brown, fading stripe across the width of its back. It grows from 3 to 4 inches in length. This creature can evade predators by dropping all or part of its tail in the event of an attack.

03 Southern Redback Salamander_8933

Mostly nocturnal, this creature lives in ground debris in moist, forested areas. It is often found beneath rocks, logs and leaf litter in mixed hardwood forests. In dry seasons, it moves closer to permanent water sources. Its primary diet is small insects, spiders and other invertebrates.

04 Southern Redback Salamander_8936

Due to their lack of lungs, they need to live in damp or moist habitats in order to breathe. Unlike many other amphibian species, they have no aquatic larval stage. Females lay eggs in damp environments and the eggs hatch as tiny land-dwelling salamanders.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail