As I’m coming back from lunch, I spot this Northern watersnake on the edge of the fen sunning itself. It doesn’t like how close I get so it takes a swim to escape.
It returns to the shore and I’m still to close so it takes off again.
It’s a gorgeous snake.
IMG_1322, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
As I’m walking home from work I see this Blanding’s turtle in the middle of the trail. What a beautiful creature!
Hognose snake - found by the cross #2, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
Some of the bethany christian freshman class found this hognose snake when they were out for a team building day here at camp. It’s only about 4 to 5 inches long. It looks like it just ate a toad. It’s pretty plump.
IMG_1206, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
As I am returning from a walk around the peninsula, I see a truck stop a few hundred yards ahead. I get up to that spot and find this male box turtle. They were stopping to help this species of special concern get across the road. It’s nice to see that people care enough to help when they can!
cover board, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
Some staff from the Michigan Natural Features Inventory are here at camp to put out some snake cover boards to do some research. These boards consist of carpet padding stapled to some thick plastic. Laying these cover boards in our wetland might yield some kirtland’s snakes. These snake spend about 90% of there time underground eating worms and therefore are hard to research. After it rains the snakes come up out of crayfish burrows and station themselves under these boards.
It will be interesting to see if there are some kirtland’s snakes here at camp.
IMG_9377_crop, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
As I am going from the dining hall to the nature center in a golf cart I look down and see this 7 inch Hognose snake.
I love the way these snakes flatten out their head, putting out their hood to make themselves look bigger.
I didn’t frighten this one enough to make it rollover on its back to play dead, which they do just like oppossums.
Hognose snakes love toads. Seeing this guy(or gal) makes me think that the toads must be out in full force.
IMG_9236, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
This little guy is only 1 inch long. Must have just hatched. It was floating in the water near main beach on Lake Shavehead after a group of kids had just finished with canoe instruction.
Blanding’s Turtle on Hickory Trail Back of Shell, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
I’m walking to work around 7:30am and I spy this blanding’s turtle on hickory trail. I believe blanding’s are a species of special concern here in Michigan.
Eastern Box Turtle, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
I don’t usually find that many turtles on turtle hill, but this one is just calmly staying in place as I take a Sunday afternoon stroll. There’s so much pattern variation is turtle shells.
Originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
Found this map turtle on a canoe trip to Long Lake here in Cass county Michigan.
