2020 Amphibian and Reptile Review

 

I don't have the well developed sensitivity for spotting reptiles and amphibians that I have for birds, so I don't see nearly as many. Their ability to evade detection by sitting still and the use of outright camouflage probably also helps them avoid me. Exhibit one is the above photo of a deftly concealed leopard frog. Click to enlarge.

Then there are Fowler's toads that are abundant in New Jersey and that I suspect see me much more often than I see them. They blend in and sit still. Do you see one in this photo?

See it now?

Well played, hidden toad!

Adding to my roundup of amphibians and reptiles I've seen this year that haven't yet made it into a blog, I give you the red eared slider turtle. I often see them basking in the sun like those above. Basking is good for them: it helps them regulate their body temperature; make vitamin D; and dry their shells, which wards off problems with fungi, algae, and parasites.

Here's a painted turtle that I met on a sandy path in the pine barrens. I've been known to pull off a road when I see one of these trying to cross, and go back to pick it up and carry it safely to the other side.

Lastly, this week I was working in the yard on a sunny day and made a pile a leaves. When I picked up the pile later this little garden snake had crawled underneath. What a perfect spot for a snake: concealed, damp, and warmed by the sun.

A New Turtle

Red-eared slider left. Yellow-bellied slider right. The size difference is probably due to their different ages; when I first saw them I thought they were parent and offspring. Click to enlarge.

I saw a yellow-bellied slider turtle, Trachemys scripta scripta, in the lake in Central Park last week. I have never seen one there before. I see red-eared sliders, Trachemys scripta elegans, every time I pass the lake from spring through autumn; red-eared sliders are common and widespread. The two turtles are conspecific subspecies, close relatives of the same genus and species.

Neither are native to this part of the country but are native to the southeastern states. They are both popular pets, though, and consequently show up in unexpected places. Humans probably released these turtles or their ancestors into the lake. The turtles seem right at home and are basking contentedly now. 

A Walk in the Park

Central Park is full of pleasant spring sights right now. 

American robin, Turdus migratorius. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Raccoon, Procyon lotor. 

Red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta.

Male wood duck, Aix sponsa. 

"It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart." Rainier Maria Rilke

Offline...

I am on vacation and, remarkably, away from an easy internet connection. Just enough time to upload a photo of handsome turtles from the last wifi cafe -- and then on into the wilderness.

Red-eared sliders, Trachemys scripta, in the Central Park Pond.