Should Connecticut allow bear hunting?

The human race (Much of them anyway) have these things called opinions.

What are opinions? You may ask. Simply thoughts on any given subject that may be based in reality or not, and supposedly cannot be"right" or "wrong" although from a logical standpoint many quite clearly are one or the other, even sometimes somewhere in between.

Let me just say up front that in my honest OPINION there is absolutely nothing inherently "wrong" with hunting.

As I have said in previous posts humans are in fact highly carnivorous predators and have been throughout much of their history, and thus hunting was largely a way of life for many and still is for some to this day.

Admittedly few if any people in the U.S. these days require real animal pelts for warmth, and no one perhaps "needs" a bearskin rug or trophy head in their house, not to mention bears are not as an efficient source of meat as say large ruminants (deer, elk, etc) Though they do taste pretty good ;).

When you get down to the most basic of truths however you find that the government has specific hunting laws in place to allow for an animal population to remain stable (in many case quite high) This coupled with illegal poaching, which is very prevalent in some places makes you see from a purely realistic standpoint that populations of various wildlife show no signs of dwindling down to numbers that cannot be sustained for the long haul. This includes black bear in the state of Connecticut.

The facts at hand when looked at objectively show that there is nothing "wrong" with hunting bear in the state or any wildlife anywhere, when legally done so that is.

But depending on the perspective of the individual, folks’ opinions will vary widely on the subject, which is why I invite you now more than ever to send me your opinions in the comment section.

I will read and I will respond.

Enjoy the wild side even in winter

If you "like" wildlife this is one thing you can do during winter to enjoy it.

During the winter here in New England as you may well know, certain birds migrate south (Many not all!)

It is commonly believed by some that this is due to the cold. This is not actually the case, except in the sense that due to the cold many food sources for some of the more "specialized" species becomes very scarce if it doesn't disappear altogether.

One obvious example is the robin, a softbill species for which the diet consists primarily of small animals (invertebrates mostly, slugs, earthworms, etc)  The few that remain behind during the often harsh New England winters spend the duration in lowland swamps where the ground often does not freeze completely and food can still be found.
 Although two very common and conspicuous birds in New England, the mallard duck and Canada honker, are "suppose" to go south in winter it is obvious that less are doing so these days. To me it seems there are many combinations of reasons. The most commonly held beliefs by "experts" are that the birds are so used to being fed by people that they don't expect their ready food source to disappear and thus stay and that certain New England winters in certain areas these days can be very mild so that even many of the birds "natural" food sources don't disappear entirely.
On the other hand as you also well know many species of birds do not migrate and simply stay the duration of the winter making a living how they can, sometimes adapting their diets to match the changing environment.
Nevertheless it is not always an "easy" time for them, as not only are many food sources more scarce during the cold months, but food also is harder to come by and obtain.
Most of you reading this probably have at least a vague idea of what "backyard bird feeding" entails the truth is that like most things in life with just a few basic concepts there isn't really only one "right" way of doing anything.

These days with the availability of various products literally at our fingertips all the time and often for "free" or "cheap" the feeding and consequent watching of various wild bird species often close to or literally at home can be.... well meaningful in some way to whoever is doing it. And it can be done by virtually anyone.

Typically the experience one has with this is positive and at the same time it can be a great help to the birds in question by providing them with a ready food source they may not otherwise have in the area.
I am not an "expert" on it but the two basic foods typically used in winter (which by the way can be purchased at most any feed, pet, or even grocery store!) Are seeds for the seed eaters and suet (a butcher’s byproduct rendered from animal fat) for the insectivores, with many variations on both types, not to mention some interchangeable eating for many birds that eat a varied diet.
The next step after obtaining one or both of these foods is finding a way to present it to the birds in question in an appropriate area of course! Depending on your preference this can be as simple as scattering it on the ground or going a more "fancy" route and incorporating more of an organized system (raised platform, birdfeeder, etc)
Again any local retail outlet or other company that deals with this sort of thing will be able to point you in the right direction as far as what products to use and when as far as what it is you want to accomplish. There are also a great many books as well as online articles, even entire magazines written by dedicated folks who specialize in various aspects of this.
 Be sure to check those out if you decide to engage in this activity (you probably won't regret it). Other than that simply put the bird food product you have chosen in the spot you have also chosen, put some distance between it and yourself (behind a window is typical) watch and enjoy.
On a final note I will mention this one important fact. If you do this during the winter, you must keep it up throughout as it is well known that birds will "hook" onto a ready food source during this time of need and if it suddenly disappears with no others close by that may put them into a bit of an awkward position to say the least.
If you must stop this process you have started do it gradually with a daily reduction of the food amount, which will give the birds time to discover a new source by the time yours is gone. Keep in mind also that this pastime is not strictly a winter thing as the same birds will be eating food throughout all seasons and so this can be done at any and all times!

Photo credit: Paul Brentnall (Paul Brentnall / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Oh deer, yet again

There's no reason to waste a life

As many people well know, hunting is now and has been for many centuries been a popular pastime in America and throughout the world.

Even if you don't engage in it yourself, you probably know someone or several people who do hunt, and I'm sure you have your own opinion regarding the subject, which is fine.

And let me just get it out there now I am NOT in any way against hunting, in fact I am for it.

There are and always have been and always will be legitimate reasons for hunting, although it is beyond the scope of this post to get into them all - but perhaps at a later date.

I will also quickly say that as you may have guessed by now, I am no vegetarian, in fact my diet is highly meat based because the human race is carnivorous, plain and simple.

 However, while I believe killing animals for a purpose is not morally wrong, what is morally wrong is when said conduct is not carried out in an ethical fashion.

And here’s an example of that.

 Recently on one of my usual walks through the woods I happened upon the carcass of a deer. Nothing very unusual in that as deer, like anything else that alive, also die all the time. What got my attention however, was the excellent condition of the dead animal.

It was a large nine-point buck that - being me - I had to examine more closely and found it to be in excellent shape.

But what I also saw at this time was the very obvious cause of death of this otherwise healthy animal: That being an entry wound of what may have been a bullet but was more likely an arrow fired from either a bow and arrow combo or a crossbow.

The wound was right behind the shoulder on the upper hand side. This also included an exit wound through the guts. The deer after being shot had clearly run a great distance before dropping in that spot and even then spent considerable time thrashing around on the ground as was evident by the skid marks.

Obviously we will never know who shot this deer or where, but two questions do come up nonetheless and those are: Did someone shoot this deer just “because” (any number of reasons could be going on in their own head) or did they actually want it for meat or even something else.

  In my opinion wasting resources is never a good thing. Although this deer carcass had clearly been there a few days the meat which had been exposed around the back end by the picking of scavengers even though it was thoroughly maggot-infested was still red and full and to my way of thinking for lack of a better term, appetizing.

The point is, the deer was large and said meat could well have fed a lot of people, which would not have been a bad thing as many people throughout the world really do go hungry on a daily basis.

Hunting seasons/laws aside - not to mention basic safety issues - killing a living thing just to kill it, is just plain wrong. If the intention, however, is to get fresh meat to feed yourself and or other people or animals then that is fine so long as it is done properly and legally.

 Whoever killed this deer failed to follow this basic rule, if in fact they wanted the deer, as the shot placement was somewhat off center it took the deer considerably longer to expire at which point the person either quit looking for where the deer had dropped or simply couldn't find it.

In my opinion this is not an excuse for letting a life and valuable meat go to waste. When you shoot a deer you have a responsibility to find the carcass and take the proper steps to ensure the preservation of the meat. If and when the deer does run, sometimes far from the spot it was originally shot, there are numerous ways of tracking/finding it. If and when all those methods fail and you find yourself at a loss what you do is you look and look and look some more no matter how long it takes believe me you will find what you are looking for and prevent waste, which ethical hunters all want to avoid.

As the photos show, waste is still a relative term as this carcass transformation was only over a period of about five days.

Not a bunch of bull

  Yes, the Bullsnake (Pituophis Melanoleucus sp.) has always been and probably will forever continue to be a favorite of mine, snake-wise.

Not a native of New England the bullsnake nevertheless remains a common if sometimes elusive denizen throughout much of it's range.

That range is most of the upper and lower Midwest as well as down into much of the Southwest and even beyond.  (Although the farther west and south you go the more taxonomists seem to be confused and divided as far as what is the dominant form of the bullsnake and what are variations that should be classified as separate species or subspecies.)

 The bullsnake itself when fully grown is an impressive animal. Adults typically average around 37-72 inches but have been known to go up to 100 inches. Coloring is typically a solid yellowish marked with reddish brown, black, or brown dorsal blotches set in a series where they are strongest in contrast to the snakes base color;  both ends closest the snakes head and tail.

Actual patterning and color can vary quite a bit depending on region where the snake is found. For example, the farther east you go is where the snakes tend to be darker, whereas in arid regions the color tends to be paler.

Habitat is most often plains, prairies, and other such open tracts of land (farmland especially as food is often abundant there) Clumps of vegetation, human refuse and other such things serve as cover for the snake when it is not active, which could be day or night depending on region and time of year.

 However, even when the snake is hunting and also where it seems most at home is in the already dug burrows of small mammals (prairie dogs, pocket gophers, etc) this is one reason why this snake is considered rare in certain parts of its range. But it is in fact simply able to keep a low profile in spite of its rather large size.

Diet for this species as you may now have guessed is basically any sort of small mammal the snake can overpower, even when first born bullsnakes are not particularly small or helpless and can often begin feeding on small rodents right away (many of them are just born too, of course) but have been known to take other more readily available fare (lizards, and even insects).

Adults do sometimes take birds and eggs as well. They are efficient, powerful constrictors with a rather wide girth and can easily subdue and swallow prey larger than you might expect, again they seem to do this best in the enclosed space of a burrow where they have the advantage of pinning the victim against the sides with their strong coils.

Being a non venomous species, the bullsnake is entirely harmless to people and may in fact be one of the most beneficial, with the snakes size and appetite even at a young age they often eat numerous pest species in a short time period when available.

In some cases, that means the entire nest of young and the parents of those young too. Although the bullsnake is not on the decline throughout most of its range, let’s keep in mind it's (only) good qualities and allow it to exist an animal, which is in its own way simply fantastic.

Come on down to the Orange Country Fair

There's a lot more than great livestock in store for you there

 I’ve always said that fairs, whether they be state, town or county, are places that bring out the widest variety of people, rivaled probably only by Wal-Mart in this regard.
What that tends to tell me this is that whatever background someone comes from we all tend to be drawn toward similar things when it comes to fairs.
This could be many things but depending on where you go, animals seem to play a big part in a fair’s layout and have throughout history.
Obviously most of this involves livestock that play into a fair’s agricultural aspect, which again depending on where you go can be quite extensive. Although I do know a little bit about livestock and will perhaps one day write a blog about certain things pertaining to it, that it will be for another time.
But to the best of my knowledge, The Orange Country Fair as it is called, that takes place two days a year in Orange Conn. (this year Sept. 17 and 18) is the only fair in the Northeast perhaps in the U.S. that has a full tent devoted to snakes/reptiles.
I got involved with this some years back through knowing well the original proprietor of this (George “Doc” Whitney) and have since worked there for the two days that it is up, as well as providing a variety of animals to display there.
The purpose of this is education - to give the public a better understanding of the things they clearly want to see but may have mixed feelings about.
People, it seems often, don’t like to be "told" things. However many do seem to want to know things when they get the chance to ask the questions, and this is why the fair is great for such things because it allows people to enter the exhibit entirely on their own free will see things the way they want to: safely contained behind glass.
If they choose to they can ask questions about the subjects to the people staffing the exhibit - which would be me. I am equipped with the knowledge to answer questions regarding the basic and some not so basic aspects on various animals and their behavior.
As I noted at the beginning, people from various backgrounds attend fairs without fail every time they are held and I have noticed that almost everyone does walk through the reptile tent at least once.
So what does this mean? Well as I have said before in a previous blog, although people don't always think about it, most do want to do what they can to better understand the world around.
This often helps them to better understand themselves at the same time.
This is good for me as it is one great way to get my personal message to the most people.
The fair will be held September 17th and 18th and I will be there all hours on both days.
Stop by if you want to meet me personally, it’s a good time for me to chat with you a few minutes if you want to!

Proof that things so often are not what they seem.

To start, I'd like to point something out that is rarely mentioned in today’s world.

This would be common sense, which to me doesn't seem so common anymore (or was it ever? hmmm) As a result of this, people who lack knowledge of seemingly very basic facts often turn situations into something they are not and sometimes into things they definitely  should not be!

 (Oh, and if that sounded somewhat rantish well..... It should have because it was.)

This lack of common sense can arise when dealing with animals, even dead ones.

 Death can be a fascinating subject. Although we don’t always want to admit it, death is around us everywhere all the time, not to mention everything that is alive dies at some point - sometimes sooner sometimes much later - but either way, the end result is exactly the same.

What happens then you might ask.

Well the only thing I can tell you with certainty is what happens in the physical sense (all other aspects aside, we don't have time for that here). I am not a death expert by a long shot so although I can't tell you the exact stages of decomposition in their entirety I can tell you that without being frozen or preserved in some other way, soon after death, the previously mentioned word that many may hate but is nonetheless real - decomposition  - does inevitably set in.

As I said before things (animals) die everywhere all the time so it is expected that humans - live ones obviously (because like it or not they die everywhere all the time too) come upon them from time to time.

 Most of the time these are common creatures that are found in the area, and people know what they are and don't give them a second thought.  

But again the very fascinating and dreaded decomposition comes into play and does funny things that people don't often expect or don't consider because common sense is scarce.

And then the speculation begins.

 In recent times I know of a few cases - most notably involving several raccoons and a sloth. (I don't know if it was a two-toed or three-toed) These animals and then somehow ended up in water. After spending some time like this they then washed ashore in places where people stumbled upon them. Now, not only was decomposition well advanced but water on top of all this is known to do funny things, whether it is to dead bodies or whatever else happens to be floating around in it at any given time.

Then what can occur is that when people come upon a corpse of a very well-known and even common animal - but don't stop to consider this fact when deciding what it may be – they blow the situation out of proportion in terms of coming up with wild speculations and theories that have no basis.

 Decomposition can do funny things, the most obvious being changing the color of the skin, hair falling out, and appendages falling off. This obviously can change the appearance of what something looked like in life. But so much that people immediately start with the whole conspiracy stuff? I find that to be silly.

 After all it wouldn't hurt people to think logically, even if common sense is not coming back to stay anytime soon.

 Again any comments are much appreciated and in this case I will leave it to you to figure out what the creature is in the photo. Not until later will I give you an answer and another story to go with it.

Predators in Connecticut

Is it just me or has the population of predators in the state of Connecticut skyrocketed in the last decade or so?

 This is something that I have been wondering about for some time now.

 Although you may have not given it much thought, you probably can recollect times in recent years when you saw ‘something,’ whether at the time you knew what it was or not of you had not seen it in a long time or perhaps never before.

By this use of the word ‘predator’ I mean various medium- to large-sized carnivorous mammals (I would also say owls and hawks are around in greater numbers but that s a different blog entirely) Personally, in the past ten years I have seen numerous foxes (of both types), coyotes, otters, fishers, weasels and bobcats - some quite close to home - some not so - and some in places you would never expect.

In the area where I live, rabbits have never been a common sight but nevertheless are always there and can be found with a little searching. With rabbits being a good source of ready protein for most things that eat meat, I have long suspected and am now more convinced than ever that the reason for their scarcity is because of the numerous predators prowling the area both day and night.

And yet, the fact that there are some still around means that they never entirely disappear and thus are always a source of food. This would make sense as history (not to mention Watership Down) has taught us that the rabbit - at least many of the numerous species throughout the world - are prolific breeders. Not all that are pursued by predators are actually caught, thereby insuring the populations’ continued survival.

This basic information applies to the eastern cottontail, which is the species in question here.

While this post is about predators, rabbits are mentioned to represent a food source that is always there. (Speaking of food, it does seem to me that meadow voles and white-footed mice - two common U.S. rodents that are found throughout New England in large numbers - are more numerous than ever but perhaps that’s only my imagination. Either way these would be an ever-present food source for small and large predators alike.)

Now deep conspiracies aside - which I know nothing about by the way - it seems that what this basically boils down to is that with wildlife seemingly doing so well in the state, all the native predators have followed suit.

There are many possibilities but no absolute answers. I would be most grateful if folks could leave their opinions in the comment section regarding this topic as well as sharing their own experiences.

Commonly speaking, this snake is everywhere in Connecticut

I had an experience recently that while it was not the first time it happened, was in fact the first time in a long time.

And it "inspired" me to write this blog, which will be about the "common" garter snake as a species-  in particular the eastern variety – which is Connecticut’s native, and the most common snake overall.

It is the snake most often seen by people who are "casual" observers whether it be on hikes in the woods or in their own "backyard.  This is because that on top of being a common snake to begin with it also spends a good deal of its time in the open during the day at various times whether basking in a stationary position or actively moving and hunting.

 The range of the "common" garter snake essentially spans almost the entire country along with many other species and supposed subspecies, which can vary considerably in color and patterning.

The eastern variety found in Connecticut is almost universally a snake with yellow stripes running along its back and sides. However with that being said the rest of the coloring can vary tremendously among individuals even ones that are closely related, and can include various shades of solid coloring usually a black or yellow or even sometimes almost a faded green or brown/red with distinct or not so distinct checkering or blotching along with this.

Habitats for this species are extensive although typically they are found in places with some ground cover and a source of water, which can of course be virtually anywhere even in major cities such as New Haven and Bridgeport where the snakes are often seen in parks or other heavily trafficked places. Eastern garter snakes are not known for being large and most individuals people see seem to average between eight  and 24 inches but in a few select spots (that I know of) there are some that reach the four foot mark (reasons for this are not entirely clear although an optimum diet is the most popular theory).

Speaking of diet one other thing that has probably allowed this snake to remain so abundant on top of various habitat possibilities is its extensive diet throughout the snakes’ entire lifespan it will be eating various forms of life in large quantities when available (and size appropriate of course)  amphibians of all types, earthworms, insects and other arthropods, slugs, even various small fish.

 I will also mention that I have never in my entire life witnessed it but have heard about this species taking small mammals and birds. It also is quite apparent with its typically amphibian-heavy diet this snake is equipped to handle the variety of toxins amphibians are known to carry on their skin - just another adaptive mechanism of this very common but nevertheless "amazing" species.

Now that you know more about this snake than most people even the ones who may often see them, I will tell you about the experience that led me here.

As I have said previously, tarps/sheets of plastic can be very ideal habitat for various animals because of their moisture and temperature holding properties. Recently I went on a walk as I often do in various places and came upon a large tarp that appeared to have been strewn in a large open field and had been sitting there for quite some time.

 Being me, I lifted it up and low and behold I kid you not there must have been over 20 garter snakes under it of various sizes and ages. This seems to emphasize the point that these snakes are prolific and give birth to live offspring rather than laying eggs and often have numerous young at a time depending on the age/health of the mother in question.

It is also in my opinion always good to know that native wildlife of whatever species is still thriving in the areas it always has been, even with mans ever increasing encroachment.

Eventually I hope to write individual articles on all the snake species of this state when the time is right, but this I feel is a good starting point.

The last thing I will also say is that these articles will generally not be to technical due to the fact that the audience it is geared towards  is often children or simply individuals who are just starting out with little to no knowledge on these subjects and may just want to at least start with the "basics."

It's A Wildlife

Connecticut is not known for its "wilderness.”

However, as many of you probably know, you don’t necessarily need wilderness to observe a variety of wildlife.

As man has encroached more and more on the "natural" habitat of various animals, many have simply adapted - and even the ones that have not adapted per se - still survive in small "pockets" of their natural habitat and can be observed in suburban areas with relative frequency.

The basic concept of this article is how to live side-by-side in relative harmony with said animals to avoid the old cliché of human-wildlife conflict.

Even most "suburban" wildlife avoids people whenever they can - by coming out at night. But with adaptations many animals have had in regards to manmade environments many have also seemingly adapted to man, and lost much of the natural avoidance behavior necessary to keep wildlife out of harm’s way.

This brings me to my first point: With the exception of wild birds, the feeding of wildlife either intentionally or not is generally not a good idea.

Seeing as though food is the primary motivating factor for most species, this can quickly lead to conflict in terms of wildlife becoming used to such things and either becoming dependent on such sources or simply losing their fear of man through such association.

 Obviously when feeding birds, as many folks like to do these days (and sales at feed stores prove it) you are also bound to attract other animals mainly mammals that also will eat seeds. As long as the rest of your yard is not wildlife "friendly" this is not usually a big deal unless these other creatures start to crowd out the birds that the food was originally intended for (as shown in the photos)!

People often encourage animals onto their property unwittingly by doing such things as leaving food out (pet food, garbage, etc) or providing good habitat such as stone walls or housing construction that is not well maintained/sealed off. Of course many of the creatures in cases like these are tiny and harmless and you may never see not to mention are virtually impossible to keep away.

Possible problems are usually related to the "larger" more conspicuous mammals that are known for passing diseases to humans. Though this an extremely rare occurrence in this state it does pay however to keep your pets fully vaccinated at all times and to always feed in a manner that keeps food from sitting in the open for long periods.

Apart from doing your part to limit the access wildlife has to human provided food and habitats, it is beyond the scope of this article to go into the details of eliminating possible habitats to animals that can become somewhat serious pests on top of it.

You will have to simply use your good human attributes of common sense and good judgment for that. Another IMPORTANT point I will make though is that you should use your discretion to keep your pets themselves safe as there are many animals that can pose a threat to them - and don’t be naive about it.

Lastly and this is a very common complaint: how do you keep deer and other wildlife from decimating your well landscaped vegetation? There are only and yes I mean only two ways of doing this: One is to use plants that are not palatable to the animals (you will need to do your research here) and two, somehow keep the plants confined in a way that wildlife cannot get to it.

Yes there you have it, just two ways - and keep in mind none of the chemicals on the market claiming to be a deterrent for such things work.

Note: Photos contributed by Al Santangelo

When people and nature collide

Spring has passed us now, which means that most baby mammals and birds are well on their way to adulthood.

This of course would be for the surviving ones as many of you well know more creatures born in the wild die at some point in their development than make it to maturity. Although spring is behind us this is often the time of year that the lives of wildlife and humans "collide," although not necessarily conflict.

The main reason for this is that with young animals - which by the way for this article  will pertain to birds and mammals only - are in abundance, This can completely change the "picture" so to speak in that humans are getting closer to animals than before by finding young ones that often lack the ability or the "know how" to strictly avoid humans.

This can happen anytime and virtually anyway, however there are some occurrences that are so common that they are worth specifying. The first of these is the finding of a deer fawn without the mother in sight.

You see for the first days of its life deer fawns are meant to stay fairly inactive for long periods huddled down in thick cover and well-camouflaged, hence the spots they posses when first born and for awhile after.

 Some people even say the fawns are "odorless" at this stage though personally I find this hard to believe for many reasons mainly because various mammalian predators that hunt mostly by scent take their toll on fawns at this stage. The  mother deer wanders off at this stage to feed and do what deer do, leaving the fawn concealed by itself.

There are two reasons for this. One is that it pays to avoid drawing attention to something so vulnerable and also it pays to avoid an area where predators may be roaming about at any given time thus saving yourself.

 After all, not nature, a full grown breeding female deer is more important than a fawn since she can simply go on to breed again if the fawn were to be lost. The main point is is that just because a fawn happens to be alone probably just means that the mother is elsewhere, which is normal as mother deer only stop by briefly a few times a day to nurse the fawn and that is it.

Usually fawns this young are so well camouflaged that you will walk right by them if they happen to be there and never see them. When people do it is usually sheer luck (stepping on their spot) or things such as mowing over their cover, or the pet dog unexpectedly sniffing them out, which is what happened in the photo above.

This is also a reminder for all dog owners to keep their animals under control at all times as this is also a common way humans and wildlife conflict, the reason for holding the fawn here was so the dogs (not mine) could taken away as they were roughing it up pretty good.

After a short while however fawns - although they will still remain concealed for long periods - will make every effort to avoid humans when they approach to closely completely eliminating the problem of people finding fawns they can actually "catch" and think are abandoned.

Keep in mind he basic information from this article that if you see a fawn anywhere it is most likely fine and its mother will be around to attend to it when the time is right (unless you have direct evidence the mother is dead in which case a call to a wildlife specialist could be warranted) If the fawn MUST be handled for any reason this can be done without fear of the mother rejecting it because of human scent but as was done in the photo above once ascertaining the fawn was fine they should always be put straight back in the wild to avoid undo stress

If it's not exactly where they were found, then as close as possible to the sight such as when their cover has been mowed over.

An animal that is usually discovered through similar or even identical circumstances are young cottontail rabbits. Once these animals leave the nest a few weeks after birth although they are not weaned entirely yet, they remain in cover typically in separate locations with the mother coming around to nurse them often no more than once a day.

The same scenario would follow upon discovering this animal and again even though alone they are not abandoned. The third occurrence that is most common is the discovery of young birds that appear to be out of their nest. Often this is normal as when young birds are growing and fledging they will often leave the nest on their own accord even if it means tumbling a decent ways to the ground.

If you see a young bird on the ground that can't fly away yet has most of its feathers and is alert with its eyes open chances are it is time for it to be out of the nest although depending on its age the parents may still be feeding. It as a fact of nature many young birds at this time do get taken by predators before fledgng out completely for obvious reasons.

Even with this being so it is best to let nature take its course as you probably know predators have a very limited affect on the bird population at large. If you happen to find a bird on the ground that your common sense says should not be there (i.e. featherless, eyes closed) the best thing to do is to put it back in the nest it came from and hope it will not fall out again until the time is right.

Your local vet's office or better yet animal shelter should know a local person that can be called upon to handle wildlife.

Keep in mind that if you do feel the wildlife in question requires "rescuing" you must get in touch with a specialist immediately as possessing any native bird and most mammals for any "uneccesary" length of time is unlawful.

A bite among friends

Here is a quick story I will tell mostly for its entertainment value.

When I was a small child of five years old I, like many other children my age, started kindergarten, and during the typical schooldays there would be a "recess" period that when weather permitted would include a stint outside in what I guess was a typical schoolyard,

Part of this was a grass "lawn."

Although in a rather urban setting, the school was at the time right next to a working farm and was also surrounded by a decent amount of woods and open field.

While interesting, this doesn't really matter too much since heavily populated urban environments have never really stopped the good old common garter snake from holding its own in the wild.

You may have a good guess as to what follows and that is that one day while class was outside a garter wandered into the grass of the schoolyard. Knowing immediately what it was, I did what was most natural to me even at that age and picked it up.

Needless to say, my classmates were a bit thrown off and quite impressed by this novelty.

The really funny part came a few seconds later, however, after two middle-aged women who were the ones in charge of the class caught wind of all the excitement. They of course in some way were probably more thrown off than the class of young children.

All would have probably gone fine as after showing off my impressive find I could have simply set it back in the grass and allowed it o go on its way.

But at this moment the snake chose to do what snakes sometimes understandably do at moments like these and promptly bit me on the hand that was holding it.

As you can imagine, although this meant nothing to me, after the snake let go and I was able to set it down there was a major hullabaloo in the school with me being ushered into the nurses office and sitting through a phone call to my mother. The caller in a panicky voice was saying “now I don’y mean to alarm you but your son was bitten by a snake.”

 I'm sure the shock they got when my mother was so casual and straightforward about it was even greater than the actual "incident" itself.

Although at the time I didn’t really know what all the fuss was about, the gist of it was that the people who saw this happen had no idea this was a regular occurrence in the life of a five year old boy fully understood by the boy’s own mother.  They were worried about the possible outcomes if the opposite was true.

I don’t really remember much more except that for a very short period of time I had a certain level of fame and respect among my class and was even told at one point to go around the circle of children and show them the bite, which as snake bites usually are was nothing more than a few pinpricks.

Perhaps this was meant to be a lesson for them though I am happy to report it’s a lesson I have never learned and never will.

A snake in the grass is a good thing

Even in this age of so called environmental "enlightenment" snakes often receive a bad reputation.

This, at least in my opinion, is completely undeserved.

In fact the opposite is actually true.

Here’s why.

One thing that is universal among all snakes is that all snakes are designed to be predators; some are completely specialized, while others are more "loose" with their food choices depending upon things such as season, life stage, and other factors. This is not to say some snakes will not consume dead food should they happen upon it at times, just that they are in fact designed to capture and kill their own prey as this is typically what they find when in the wild state.

Most people are aware that there are some snakes that are designed to and prefer to eat small mammals and rodents in particular, and most people are also aware that certain rodent species can be very destructive to man and his property, which has been proven time and again throughout human history.

With this in mind, it is important to note that snakes serve a beneficial role towards man by controlling populations of rodents, which might otherwise grow to dangerous numbers. This is in fact true not only over most of the U.S. and Canada but throughout much of the world at large.

Suffice is to say that there are quite a number of rodent-eating snake types throughout the world. Many snakes when conditions are ideal are voracious feeders with metabolisms higher than you might expect for a snake and are able to eat large quantities.

Many snake species do a good "cleanup" job of this as well by not only eating the parent rodents but by consuming the entire nest of young ones as well, therefore getting to the root of the problem.

Don't get me wrong, when human safety becomes an issue because of venomous or otherwise dangerous snakes being too close to human habitation, we obviously need to take certain steps to rectify this situation.

However, harmless snake species are just that - harmless - and should always be left alone even when near human habitation as all they can do is good.

As I have often said in the past, any wild animal left to its own devices in its ideal environment typically avoids humans at all costs as it carries out its role in the ecosystem.

Think about this next time you hear about snakes being portrayed in a negative light as well as this one of many "unexpected" ways that they and other creatures benefit the often much less beneficial creature, man himself.

Hot and cold: It takes some work for a herp

Most people have heard the term "cold blooded" and may even have a vague sense of what it means.

As opposed to "warm blooded," it means that the internal temperature of the animal in question remains the same regardless of and dependent upon the outside temperature.

However, the more correct terms used are ectothermic and endothermic. Ecto means outside for “cold blooded" and endo means inside for "warm blooded," or producing internal heat.

 All reptiles and amphibians are ectothermic just as all mammals and birds are endothermic. Many invertebrates and fish however are not so clear cut and are beyond the scope of this blog to discuss in detail just yet.

Either way this concept all boils down to a process called thermoregulation, which has been mentioned before on this blog but not really explained. The concept is easy to understand as when focusing on reptiles and amphibians, which are all ectothermic, we know that they all rely on their outside environment to control their internal temperature. Depending on what the herp  (generic term encompassing all reptiles and amphibians hence herpetology) is, they have many ways of doing this, most notably by "basking" in the sun to warm up and seeking cover in the shade to cool down.

These basic methods vary considerably in context, as does the average temperature the species in question requires to be active. There also are other factors such as moisture, humidity and water, which of course is vitally important for many turtle species and also all amphibians.

.

Nature in 90 sneak peek

Take a quick peek at one of the natural settings available to see in Greater New Haven if you get out there and look.

Not so sure what's slithering through your yard? Ask us!

Many people across Connecticut, or perhaps across the world, may know little to virtually nothing about wildlife, and that snakes in particular are an entire category in themselves.

But as I have said before, they are a specialty of mine.

So I can say with there being only fourteen species of snakes in the whole of New England and all of those being in Connecticut, this narrows the possibilities considerably as far as what you might find in your "backyard" or in any outdoor setting you find yourself in.

There are, as I have noted before, for instance, only two venomous species found here. These are the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead. The timber rattlesnake is found in only a select few pockets of habitat throughout this state and with it being a slow breeder, the populations here are highly threatened - even endangered - throughout much of its range.

With this being said this is not a snake one is likely to encounter in their "backyard" or even on a hike in the woods - unless you happen to be in an area the snake is known to live in and you are really "looking."

The northern copperhead is much more common, albeit elusive, and with few exceptions is typically not found that close to human habitation. It can be, however, common in areas people frequent such as certain parks and campgrounds. Yet even here these snakes usually remain hidden during the day (being highly nocturnal) and will avoid humans at all costs.  (Not that I don't suggest wearing sturdy shoes when traipsing about areas you are unfamiliar with, especially in the dark.)

But again this is not a snake you are likely to see unless you are actually "looking" Nonetheless people often do encounter snakes (and various other wildlife) seemingly by accident or when they least expect it. This is often nothing more than a "mere streak in the grass" as I say.

For those times when the encounter is longer and you are curious as to what you are looking at or it happens to be "close to home" and you perhaps are concerned or unsettled by it, you may wish to know what it is as soon as possible.

All the snake species in this state are readily distinguishable with practice and none of the harmless types really resemble the venomous ones except in the vaguest sense. Books and field guides are a good place to start learning the ins and outs of snake identity.

I can identify any native snake (and many, many more) on sight, and I can be contacted through this blog to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding this common but not much talked about issue and may even be willing to travel through the Greater New Haven area if you have a snake you would like identified or any concerns you may have regarding snakes or other wildlife on your property.

As the blog progresses I hope to provide personal detailed photographs and life histories on all the species in question.

You just never know....

No matter what is left around a yard, something is likely to take up residence in it or under it.

Look down to find what's around

Connecticut is not known to be a very "snakey" place, and there are in fact only a total of fourteen species in the whole of New England.

It just so happens all of these are found in Connecticut, though of course some are much more common than others.

Though searching for snakes may not be as common as say birding and observing other more conspicuous wildlife, it works with just a little knowledge of snake habits

This can be done in the snake’s natural habitat, the same as it can for anything else you decide to study.

 I have been seeking out snakes for what one could probably say most of my life, as for some reason they have always been my favorite animal group and are likely to remain so indefinitely. Because of this I have many "special spots" that I frequent, knowing snakes are likely to appear at any given time, these I will not disclose outright however, for the unfortunate possibility of the dishonest among us.

But if finding and observing snakes is your goal then in this state a good starting point would be power line cuts, the areas where power lines have been put up that run through stretches of woods. Other good spots include an open fairly undisturbed area that is surrounded by or on the edge of a woodland.

 These are the areas that diurnal snakes that come out into the open during normal activities and are likely to be found, particularly with some water nearby.

 Best times for this vary depending on the general season and thus the temperature and humidity. As a general rule at least for later in the year such as now when daytime temperatures can get very hot, fairly early in the morning when the sun has first come out or the late afternoon early evening when the sun is again below its peak are good times when snakes come out to get the first or last rays of the sun as they thermo regulate.

Like most animals when approached by people, snakes will quickly disappear into cover and become unobservable by us. With just a little practice and timing, however, you can learn to find snakes and not spook them, again allowing us a unique glimpse into "life in the undergrowth" as I say.

With some luck you may well observe behavior of wild snakes that few people ever have or ever will in real life.

As always it is best to keep your distance while enjoying these events (this is where a quality pair of binoculars can come in handy).

There are two species of venomous pit viper in Connecticut, only one of which is even particularly common in SOME areas and again these and other snakes can be quickly identified at a glance and from a distance with practice. Nonetheless, use the great human attributes of good judgment and common sense and I assure you they will pay off.

Remember: Leave wildlife as you find it and only experts should touch it.

As this blog progresses,  you will learn more specific guidelines concerning this type of endeavor, as well as the various snake species in question along with photos to help you along in your identification process. Stay tuned!

Life on the fence

The Eastern Fence Lizard is a small terrestrial lizard found throughout much of the mid-Atlantic region and into the Southeast states.

The animal’s name is derived from its habit of basking on raised objects, which can often include fence posts.

Being diurnal, these lizards require fairly high temperatures to be active. And when they are they can often be seen skittering about, as males defend territories and hunt for females or when the lizards are simply hunting for food, which with their high metabolisms they require a fair amount of.

Their usual diet consists of small invertebrates, particularly insects such as crickets, beetles caterpillars, etc.

If observed from a distance these lizards will often carry on their daily activities as normal, allowing people a unique glimpse into "life in the undergrowth" so to speak.

 When they sense danger, these lizards quickly dart away from the source, either using an object to climb around and shield themselves or climbing to impressive heights in the branches of trees.

The one shown here was spotted on a recent trip to the South.

What you might find under a rock...

In this video, a salamader that made its home under a piece of material comes up up for a brief visit. A handy field guide helps to identify it. Don't forget to leave nature the way you found it.

Using your tail to avoid predators

A recent trip to North Carolina

A snapshot of a snapper

The common snapping turtle is fairly well known by most people in the area that the animal is native to.

However, during most of the year it is seldom seen despite the adults growing to a rather large size, and there being hardly any body of brackish or fresh water - even in some cases salt - where there are not some snapping turtles of various ages living at any given time.

This lack if a sighting is due to the animal spending most of its time in the water.  

Even when thermo regulating, the turtles typically bask in the sun on the water’s surface rather than coming out onto surface debris as many other turtle species will do. Doing much of its hunting at night and most of it by smell, the snapping turtle is an efficient predator of various aquatic creatures and the carnivorous tendencies of the adults have been known to extend to such things as small mammals birds snakes, other turtles and more.

However scavenging on already dead and decaying carcasses as well as consuming a variety of aquatic plants as well as some fruit and acorns is equally common for this species.

  When people do encounter this species at least for any length of time is when the animals are searching out new territories or females are going to or coming from egg laying sites. This occurs most often during the late spring early summer months.

On land is when people are most likely to see how the snapping turtle got its name.

 Like most animals when approached by something much larger than itself its first reaction will be to flee and even when no water is available these turtles are efficient walkers when necessary. If cornered the turtle will defend itself violently, hissing loudly and stretching its neck towards the threat as it snaps with its sharp beak producing an audible pop.

 With this being said, these animals are best observed from a distance and allowed to go their way and then they pose no threat to humans whatsoever.