Copperbelly Water Snake

Posted on December 29, 2023 by tspuckler

I often find this cool creature while visiting southern Illinois. Copperbelly Water Snakes have a solid, dark (usually black) back with a bright orange-red underside that is visible from a side view. Adults range from three to five feet in length.

The snake’s habitat is permanent, vegetated, shallow-edged wetlands mixed with continuous swamp-forest and woodlots. Copperbelly Water Snakes usually are active between April and late October or early November. After emergence from their hibernacula sometime in April or early May, these snakes migrate through forested or vegetated corridors to shallow ponds, lakes, shrub swamps and other shallow wetlands.

Copperbelly Water Snakes require large landscape complexes comprised of diverse suitable wetland habitats and surrounding upland habitats. They are considered one of the most terrestrial water snakes, spending considerable amounts of time away from water.

These snakes are found in two distinct population segments in the United States – the north and south. The northern population is federally listed as “threatened,” and its range includes southern Michigan, northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana. Another population of these snakes lives in southwestern Indiana and adjacent Illinois and Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana. That population is not listed as threatened by the USFWS.

Frogs and tadpoles are the Copperbelly Water Snake’s main prey. This species hunts on land and in shallow water and favors seasonal wetlands where frogs, toads and salamanders lay their eggs. In addition to a large number of prey items, the gradual drying of these wetlands provides excellent feeding conditions as tadpoles become stranded.

Copperbelly Water Snakes give birth to live offspring. Newborns are about six inches in total length, and in a year are about 18 inches in total length. They are patterned with two-toned, reddish-brown, saddle-like crossbanding with reddish-orange chins and lips. Their bellies are light orange. Babies are cryptic, camouflaged, secretive, and hardly ever seen.

This snake is always a fun find for me when visiting southern Illinois.

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Great Spangled Fritillary

Posted on December 22, 2023 by tspuckler

While walking along railroad tracks in southern Illinois, I observed an example of this fine butterfly, which I also see in my home state of Ohio on occasion.

This beautiful insect is named for the orange and black fritillary pattern on the upper side of the wings and the silvery spangled areas on the underside of the wings. The sexes are colored differently, with females being more pale with a dark blackish color on the rear half of their wings. This pattern is not seen as distinctly in males.

The species is long-lived and many individuals that are found in late August and September (and in this case early October) are often very worn, with frayed and even missing parts of their wings.

The wingspan of the Great Spangled Fritillary is 3 to 4 inches. As mature butterflies, due to their large size, prefer large flowers including Common Milkweed, Thistle and Joe-Pye-Weed.

Similar to many other butterflies, they have chemoreceptors on the bottom surfaces of their four walking legs. These allow butterflies to find nectar with their feet.

Their caterpillars eat the leaves of different types of violets. They eat at night. During the day, the caterpillars hides under leaves. Unlike most butterfly larvae, which molt five times, they molt six times, becoming bigger each time that they molt until they they reach the final larval stage.

Great Spangled Fritillaries live mostly in temperate climates, but can be found in extremes from the arctic to the subtropical. They can be found in both open woodlands and prairies, preferring to be in moist habitats. Look for this butterfly in open, damp places including fields, valleys, pastures, meadows, open woodland, and prairies.

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European Black Pine

Posted on December 15, 2023 by tspuckler

While exploring a sand prairie in Missouri, I came across a couple examples of this tree. European Black Pine (also called Austrian Pine) was one of the early tree introductions into the United States, first reported in cultivation in 1759. Today, it is one of the most common introduced ornamentals in the United States.

This is a large coniferous evergreen tree, growing to 65–180 feet high at maturity and spreading 20 to 40 feet wide. The bark is gray to yellow-brown, and is widely split by flaking fissures into scaly plates, becoming increasingly fissured with age.

At maturity, its brown cones are about three inches long, and have small prickles on the backside of their scales. They spread their scales to release their seeds, and remain on the tree for up to several years.

European Black Pine is a tree of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. The majority of its range is in Turkey. It needs full sun to grow well, is intolerant of shade, and is resistant to snow and ice damage.

In the United States and Canada, it is planted as a street tree, and as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks. Its value as a street tree is largely due to its resistance to salt spray (from road de-icing salt) and various industrial pollutants.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, when demand for natural trees was extremely high, its rapid growth, deep green color and low cost made it briefly a popular Christmas tree, but the extreme length of the needles (making it very difficult to decorate) soon led to its fall from favor.

Although not native, this tree has a long and interesting history in the United States.

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False Map Turtle

Posted on December 8, 2023 by tspuckler

While out and about in southern Illinois, I saw a few examples of this turtle basking along waterways. It is a medium-sized species with a prominent keel along the center of the upper shell and thin yellow lines on the head, neck, and limbs. A yellow marking behind each eye extends upward and then backward, approximately forming a right angle or “L” shape. However, these yellow markings can vary among individuals.

Large rivers and their backwaters are the preferred aquatic habitat for Northern False Map Turtles. The species also occurs in river sloughs, oxbow lakes, lakes, and reservoirs. On the Mississippi River, False Map Turtles particularly prefer the main channel of the river, especially around wing dikes. A muddy bottom, some aquatic vegetation, and numerous basking sites are important habitat requirements.

Map Turtles of all species are avid baskers, spending many hours during the day in the sun. When with other turtles, they also are very communal, sharing space and using each other for predator-watching, increasing the odds of surviving an attack. In this photo, one was basking on top of a Red-eared Slider.

False Map Turtles will overwinter at the bottom of lakes and sloughs, in muskrat dens, or under rocks and logs. Mating occurs in the water during the Spring. Females dig nests in open, sandy areas and deposit between 8-22 eggs per clutch during the summer; females can lay 2-3 clutches. The young emerge after 69-75 days.

Females are twice the size of males with ranges of 5 to 10 inches and 3 to 5 inches, respectively.

Map Turtles get their name due to the patterning on their shells, especially in young individuals, where the concentric yellow lines look like a topographic map. This reptile is also know as a “Sawback Turtle,” due to the projections on its upper shell.

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Texas Brown Tarantula

Posted on December 1, 2023 by tspuckler

While herping in a glades habitat in Missouri, we came across this awesome arachnid. It is one of the most common species of tarantula living in the southern United States.

The Texas Brown Tarantula is a stocky, hairy species and is Missouri’s largest spider. The body and legs are uniformly dark chocolate brown, with reddish hairs on its back.

This species is commonly found in grasslands, in underground burrows, or using logs, stones, or other small animals’ abandoned dens as their homes and feeding grounds.

Like many hunting spiders, tarantulas are nocturnal, pursuing insects such as crickets and beetles. Like other spiders, they have fangs that deliver a venom that both subdues their prey and helps digest it. They are not dangerous to humans and tarantulas prefer areas seldom frequented by people.

Texas Brown Tarantulas use their spinnerets to line the entrance of their shelters with webbing to detect passing prey. In this photo the spider’s shed exoskelton is outside of its burrow entrance.

Though it is not aggressive, like any frightened animal, it will defend itself if it feels threatened. Running for cover is its usual response after being spotted.

This is a relatively long-lived creature. Most males do not live for more than a year, however some females can survive up to three decades. This Texas Brown Tarantula was the first adult example I’ve ever encountered and was a welcome find on our herping trip.

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Multicolor Gill Polypore

Posted on November 22, 2023 by tspuckler

While looking for reptiles and amphibians in the woods in southern Illinois, I noticed this bracket fungus on a tree stump.

Multicolor Gill Polypore is widespread across Europe, Asia, and North and South America. In the United States it is very common from the East Coast to the Great Lakes states, south to Texas, and on the West Coast.

From the top, it looks very much like Turkeytail Mushroom, but by viewing the underside of the cap, there are gills instead of pores.

The “gills” of the multicolor gill polypore are actually radially arranged tubes that are forked and fused, which can make them look like gills. These tubes are tough and leathery, as opposed to true gills, which are more fragile.

This species exists as a network of fungal cells (mycelium) within rotting wood. The mycelium obtains nourishment by digesting the wood. When ready to reproduce, it develops the brackets outside of the wood, which are reproductive structures.

Multicolor Gill Polypore plays an important role in the ecosystem, breaking down dead wood and returning nutrients to the soil. This species also helps to recycle carbon and nitrogen, aiding in the growth of new plants and trees.

Mushrooms decorate nature the way wildflowers do, adding to our pleasure on hikes. Many mushrooms are most prominent in the fall, when wildflowers are winding down.

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Water Scorpion

Posted on November 17, 2023 by tspuckler

This was a super cool creature that I encountered while on my trip to southern Illinois. It is sometimes called a Needle Bug or Water Stick Insect.

They are more commonly called “Water Scorpions” due to their superficial resemblance to scorpions – raptorial forelegs and the presence of a long slender tube at the posterior end of their abdomen, which resembles a tail.

These insects mostly inhabit stagnant or slow-moving freshwater habitats like ponds, marshes, canals and streams. Though they do not sting with their tail, but they do have a painful bite, although it much less harmful to humans than a true scorpion’s sting.

Water Scorpions are rather poor swimmers and typically crawl about on aquatic vegetation. To swim, they rely on an alternating oar-like movement of their second and third pairs of legs to slowly propel them along; they are built much more for camouflage than they are for swimming. They can fly, but this is an infrequently seen behavior.

An underwater predator, the Water Scorpion hides among dead leaves where it waits to ambush its prey. Its tail actually acts as a kind of “snorkel,” rather than a stinger, so it rests hind-end-upward with the tip of this tube projecting above the water surface; therefore it can stay submerged for long periods of time.

Their front legs are modified into pincer-like grabbers that are used to grasp their prey. They feed primarily on aquatic invertebrates such as other insects, as well as worms, but occasionally take small fish or tadpoles.

Interestingly, Water Scorpions produce sound by friction. In this case, a leg segment is rubbed against the body, making noise underwater. Sometimes a faint squeak can be heard from a Water Scorpion that is pulled from the water.

When fully grown, this species measure about two inches in length, from the tip of their tail-like breathing tube, to their head. This slow-moving, cryptically colored and shaped invertebrate was a fun find while exploring the Land of Lincoln.

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Blanketflower

Posted on November 10, 2023 by tspuckler

While on a hike in Missouri, I noticed this eye-catching plant growing in a dry field. It has a flower that resembles the brightly patterned blankets of Native Americans.

Another possibility for its common name is that it refers to the plant’s habit of “blanketing” the ground in areas where it thrives. Either way, this colorful wildflower is much loved by bees, which are drawn to its bright petals.

The plant also happens to be a food source for caterpillars of the brilliantly colored Gaillardia Flower Moth and Painted Schinia – these insects have wing patterns and colors that mimic blanketflower’s petals.

Blanketflower is often found on the dry slopes and meadows of uplands and mountains. It is drought tolerant and capable of growing under very harsh conditions. It prefers full sun.

Its flowers are typically bicolored with an inner red band surrounded by an outer yellow band. However, they can also be entirely red or yellow, have an inner band surrounded by a white band, or, on rare occasion, be entirely white or yellow.

With the Scientific Name of Gaillardia aristata, the genus Gaillardia was dedicated in 1788 in honor of the early French botanist Gaillard de Charentonneau. Aristata means “bearing bristles” in botanical Latin, in reference to the rough hairy leaves and stems.

Blanketflower has flowers to three inches in diameter, and very hairy, light green, elongated leaves. It typically grows to about a foot tall. This was a neat find on my trip.

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Prairie Kingsnake

Posted on November 3, 2023 by tspuckler

While driving back to my hotel one evening last month after a long day of herping in Missouri, I crossed the Mississippi River and not long afterwards saw this snake crossing the road.

The Prairie Kingsnake is a medium-sized, tan or gray snake with numerous brown blotches. The top of the head usually has a backward-pointing, arrowhead-shaped marking, and there is usually a thin dark marking between each eye and down to the corners of the mouth.

The name “Prairie Kingsnake” is somewhat misleading because this common, harmless species lives not only in prairie habitats, but also along the edges of crop fields, hayfields, fallow farm fields, or the edges of open woodlots, on rocky, wooded hillsides, and near farm buildings.

Small mammals such as mice, voles, and shrews constitute some 60 to 80 percent of this reptile’s diet. It also eats lizards and occasionally small snakes. This species kills its prey by constriction. As with other kingsnake species, it is immune to the venom of Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Rattlesnakes.

Although sometimes called the Yellow-bellied Kingsnake, the belly is often cream to tan in color and interrupted by faint rectangular or square markings that extend across several belly scales.

The Prairie Kingsnake is active during the day in Spring and Fall, but becomes nocturnal in the summer. It may be found hiding under rocks, logs or boards or in small mammal burrows. When disturbed, this 3 foot long snake may vibrate the tail rapidly, hiss and strike (although it is harmless to man).

This was a serpent that I’ve wanted to see in the wild for quite some time, so it was an excellent find on this year’s trip to the Midwest.

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American Gizzard Shad

Posted on October 27, 2023 by tspuckler

While visiting Illinois this month, I came across a couple examples of this cool fish.

A member of the Herring Family, American Gizzard Shad is native to large swaths of fresh and brackish waters in the United States. Adults have a deep body, with a silvery-green coloration above, which fades to plain silver below. Although they can grow as long as eighteen to even twenty inches long, they are often in the range of eight to fourteen inches.

This fish is so named because it possesses a gizzard-like organ, a sack filled with rocks or sand, that aids the animal in the breakdown of consumed food. The American Gizzard Shad inhabits a variety of quiet-water habitats, including natural lowland lakes and ponds, artificial impoundments, and the pools and backwaters of streams and rivers.

It is most active at dusk and at night. American Gizzard Shad travel in large, constantly moving schools near the water’s surface and frequently leap clear of the water or skip along the surface on their sides, earning it its other common name “Skipjack.”

American Gizzard Shad are filter feeders that eat mostly plant material, phytoplankton, and algae. To eat, they take water or mud into their mouths and then strain it though a set of rakes on their gills. Water and sediment are removed, and food is captured and eaten.

Because of their small size and relatively high abundance, this species has been introduced into many lake and river systems as a source of food for game fish, such as Walleye, Bass, and Trout.

It was cool to net a couple of examples of this neat creature while on my herping adventure.

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Tim Spuckler's Blog

Reptile Ramblings and More

Copperbelly Water Snake

Great Spangled Fritillary

European Black Pine

False Map Turtle

Texas Brown Tarantula

Multicolor Gill Polypore

Water Scorpion

Blanketflower

Prairie Kingsnake

American Gizzard Shad