Black Caterpillar Hunter

Posted on November 19, 2016 by tspuckler

This It is a somewhat large beetle reaching about an inch in length that is more common in the southern United States than the north. It tends to roam at night and rest under rocks and debris in the daytime.

This large, beautiful black beetle that is especially fond of caterpillars. Its favorite meal is the caterpillar of the dreaded Gypsy Moth. The Black Caterpillar Hunter, while found in the woods, can also be found in cultivated grounds, especially in city parks and gardens. Its large jaws help it to dispatch and devour its meals.

Although dark in color, it has hints of metallic green, blue, bronze and purple that look airbrushed. Its lifespan can range from 2 to 3 years, which is rather long for a beetle.

The Black Caterpillar Hunter secretes an unpleasant odor to deter would-be attackers. It is identified by its black body that is often ‘punched’ with small dots of red or gold lines It was nice to get acquainted with this fine creature while out herping.

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Timber Rattlesnake

Posted on November 12, 2016 by tspuckler

Adaptable with a wide range, this is the only rattlesnake in most of the populous northeastern United States. This species is found in deciduous forests in rugged terrain. I have encountered them several northeast states, including southern Illinois on my trip there last month.

Adult Timber Rattlesnakes are typically from 3 to 5 feet in length. They have a pattern of dark brown or black crossbands on a yellowish brown or grayish background. The crossbands have irregular zig-zag edges, and may be V-shaped or M-shaped. Often a rust-colored stripe down the back is present.

This reptile is potentially one of North America’s most dangerous snakes, due to its long fangs, impressive size, and high venom yield; fortunately it tends to have a rather mild disposition. Contrary to popular belief, Timber Rattlesnakes are shy, retiring creatures that wish nothing more than to be left alone.

These serpents eat a wide range of small birds and mammals, including rodents, moles and rabbits. When it comes to hunting, they have a specialized adaptation. Like all pit vipers, these snakes have heat-sensitive pits located on each side of the head. These sensors help them hone in on warm blooded prey.

Timber Rattlesnakes give birth to live young in Autumn. When born, a young rattlesnake has a single “button” at the end of its tail. With each shed a new segment is added to its rattle. The segments are loosely attached and when the snake vibrates its tail they shake against one another, making the “rattle” sound.

Rattlesnakes are found only in the Americas.

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Bald Cypress

Posted on November 5, 2016 by tspuckler

This is a classic tree of southern swamps. It resides in flooded areas because it out-competes with most other trees in this habutat. It is a is a deciduous conifer, so while a member of the Pine Tree Family, it looses its needles in the Winter months, hence the name “bald.”

Bald Cypress trees growing in swamps have a peculiarity called “knees.” These are woody projections from the root system that go above the ground or water. Their function was once thought to be to provide oxygen to the roots, but a more likely purpose is for structural support and stability.

These are slow-growing, long-lived trees that regularly reach up to 600 years in age. Since they tend to grow along rivers and in wetlands, they are excellent at soaking up floodwaters and preventing erosion. They also trap pollutants and prevent them from spreading. The trunk base is swollen when the tree grows in water.

They have globose cones which turn from green to brownish-purple as they mature from October to December. The cones are measure 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and have scales that break away after maturity. Each scale can bear two triangular seeds.

Though I see them when visiting marshy, boggy places, like Heron Pond in southern Illinois, in yards in my home state of Ohio Bald Cypress is a popular ornamental tree, grown for its light, feathery foliage and orange-brown to dull red fall color. It thrives on a wide range of soils, including well-drained sites where it would not grow naturally due to the inability of the young seedlings to compete with other vegetation.

I enjoy seeing this classic swampland inhabitants on my travels. Snakes, turtles, birds and other animals rely on Bald Cypress swamps for habitat, while bees, wood ducks and owls nest in its hollow trunks.

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Mole Salamander

Posted on October 29, 2016 by tspuckler

This 3 to 4 inch amphibian seems to have a head and feet too big for the rest of the creature. It kind of reminds me of a Bulldog.

Mole Salamanders are black, brown or grey in color, with pale bluish or silvery flecks. Adults are found in forested habitats like bald cypress and tupelo swamplands, flatwoods sloughs and nearby ponds. I sometimes find them under logs or in moist leaf litter.

These were all from a swamp edge I investigated while visiting southern Illinois. Adult Mole Salamanders are nocturnal and burrow during the day; their common name comes from their underground lifestyle.

Adults move to fish-free pools or swamp edges for courtship and egg-laying during late autumn and winter rains. Females attach 200-400 small eggs, in jelly-covered clusters, to underwater twigs and leaves.

Mole Salamander larvae transform during summer or autumn and, in a few permanent ponds, some large larvae are known to overwinter. They have gills and breathe like fish until they metamorphose into adults.

It is always cool to come across this oddly proportioned amphibian, which is not native to my home state of Ohio.

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Leopard Slug

Posted on October 22, 2016 by tspuckler

The Latin name for this creature is Limax maximus, which literally means “biggest slug.” It is also known by the common name Great Grey Slug. Although I occasionally see them in my home state of Ohio, I saw quite a few while visiting southern Illinois.

Adults measure 4 to 8 inches in length and are usually a light grey or grey-brown with darker spots and blotches, although their coloration and patterning is quite variable. Although native to Europe, this species has been accidentally introduced to many other parts of the world.

It makes its home in forests, but is often also found in cellars and in cultivated areas. Leopard Slugs are mainly active at night, though they may also be seen in daytime during wet, warm and overcast weather. During the day they hide under stones, logs and in dark wall crevices.

Leopard Slugs don’t tend damage living plants, but instead eat other slugs, including species that can damage garden plants and vegetables. They also eat dead and rotting plants along with fungi and this recycles nutrients and fertilizes the soil.

All slugs are slimy, but this species is especially so, giving it a highly unappealing and defense against predators.

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Eastern Hognose Snake

Posted on October 15, 2016 by tspuckler

While driving down a country road in southern Illinois this month, I came across one of the most unusual serpents in North America. This snake is found in woodlands with sandy soil, fields, farmland and coastal areas. It is active during the day.

This Eastern Hognose Snake gets its name from its upturned snout, which it uses to dig up its favorite food – toads. It is medium-sized, usually 2 to 3 feet in length and stocky. This reptile can be yellow, brown, gray, black, olive or even orange. It often has large rectangle-shaped spots and blotches down its back and sides, but it can also be solid black or gray.

The “claim to fame” of this creature is its remarkable defensive behavior. It will first hiss loudly and inflate its neck in a cobra-like fashion. This has led to local names like “puff adder” or “hissing viper.” It is only bluffing, however, and rarely bites. Its bite is harmless to humans.

Then, if the bluff fails to ward off the potential predator, the Eastern Hognose Snake will begin writhing about before flipping over on its back and playing dead. At this point the it will appear to be completely lifeless, unless turned over on its belly, upon which it will promptly flip over on its back again.

Female Hognose Snakes lay their eggs in early summer and the young snakes hatch out about 60 days later; they are able to spread their necks and hiss immediately upon hatching.

I was thrilled to come across this extraordinary creature that I have not seen in the wild in several years.

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Green Treefrog

Posted on October 8, 2016 by tspuckler

These frogs are found in the central and southeastern United States and have large toe pads to help them grip the trees and other plants they climb. They may have a light white or yellowish stripe that runs from their jaw along the side of their body.

The Green Treefrog can be found in marshes, wet fields, cypress swamps and along the edges of lakes, ponds and streams. It likes spots with lots of ground cover and aquatic vegetation. During the day, it often sleeps on the undersides of leaves or in other moist, shady places; I saw this one napping on Poison Ivy near a swamp.

The creatures are sometimes called rain frogs. Some people think that they are good indicators of rainy weather because they call loudest during damp weather.

Like many other frogs, Green Treefrogs are insectivores that commonly consume flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects. Males are usually smaller than females and have yellow to greenish-yellow throats.

A familiar backyard species, it is popular as a pet, and is the state amphibian of Georgia and Louisiana.

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Southern Black Racer

Posted on October 1, 2016 by tspuckler

On my current visit to southern Illinois, I’ve encountered a snake that I more-often-than-not see when I visit the Land of Lincoln.

Adult Southern Black Racers are relatively large – to 5 feet – fairly slender, solid black snakes. They have smooth scales, large eyes, and often have some white under their chin.

Young racers do not resemble adults and are generally tan or grayish with a series of brown or reddish blotches running down the center of the back.

A large part of the reason for this widespread reptile’s success is it eats a wide variety of food items and are habitat generalists, occupying rocky ledges, pastures, overgrown fields, woodlands and the edges of wetlands.

Southern Black Racers are active during the daytime and are most often seen in warm weather. These snakes hunt by sight and actively forage during the day. They eat a wide range of prey including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, rodents and amphibians. These snakes are not constrictors and simply overpower their prey.

Racers are faster than most other snakes, very agile, and generally flee when approached, often climbing into small trees or shrubs.

These reptiles mate in the spring, and females lay up to 36 eggs in early summer. Their eggs hatch in late summer or early fall. Over time the blotched babies gradually turn solid in color.

It’s always cool to come across one of these sleek, speedy snakes when out hiking!

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Fan-shaped Jelly Fungus

Posted on September 24, 2016 by tspuckler

It has been rather rainy as of late and the ground is soggy, the air is heavy with humidity – these days are good days to look for fungi.

This decaying tree branch had fallen to the forest floor in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The bright yellow-orange coloration on it caught my eye. Fan-shaped Jelly Fungus enjoys a practically worldwide distribution.

It has a rubbery texture and lack of gills and is a specialist for growing out of cracks in dead wood, which it feeds on and breaks down into components that can be recycled back into the earth – without this process, wood and other plant matter would not decompose.

The fruiting bodies are less than 7/8 of an inch tall and grow in clusters or rows along cracks in decaying wood; often the wood has lost its bark. Each fruiting body has a curved fan-like shape, thin in cross-section and widening toward the top. They are translucent and bright in color, and are gelatinous to the touch.

In our modern-day, decomposition and decay are often viewed quite negatively, yet they are the yin to the yang of growth, and together they form two halves of the whole that is the closed-loop cycle of natural ecosystems. In Chinese culture, it is called literally “sweet osmanthus ear,” referring to its similarity in appearance to that flower.

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Virgin’s Bower

Posted on September 11, 2016 by tspuckler

Walking along the Cuyahoga River, I frequently see this flowering vine, which belongs to the same genus of a popular garden plant, Climatis, though this wildflower’s petals are much smaller.

Its flowers are in delicate round clusters and quite intricate. It is one of over a dozen species residing in the eastern United States.

The leaves of Virgin’s Bower are 3-part and sharply toothed. Its square-stemmed vine is often seen growing over fences or shrubs along riverbanks. This native plant is most often found in damp settings, such as along stream banks or in floodplains.

Virgin’s Bower is an aggressively growing vine which can climb to heights of 10–20 feet by twisting its leafstalks. After the flowers are polliniated, their feathery plumes look like a work of art.

Some other common names for this plant are Devil’s Darning Needles, Devil’s Hair, Love Vine, Traveler’s Joy, Wild Hops, and Woodbine. Whatever you call it, it’s a fine wildflower to come across in late Summer and early Fall.

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Tim Spuckler's Blog

Reptile Ramblings and More

Black Caterpillar Hunter

Timber Rattlesnake

Bald Cypress

Mole Salamander

Leopard Slug

Eastern Hognose Snake

Green Treefrog

Southern Black Racer

Fan-shaped Jelly Fungus

Virgin’s Bower