Spring-like Day

Yesterday, the temperature soared into the 60Fs! Spring is coming! During a quick spin around the boardwalk at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest, it was apparent that the reptiles had spring fever too, especially the snakes. We were able to spy four of the five species of snakes normally found in the swamp during the day. Only the Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) eluded us.

Right out the door of the nature center by #1 on the boardwalk, we spotted (pun intended) five Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) basking on a log.















At the Meeting Tree (#4), the bright orange-red of a large Red-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster) caught our attention.

By #5, a Greenish Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta x quadrivittata) could be seen catching some sun within its Bald Cypress-cavity den.

Passing #8 and the sign showing the five species of snakes, we noted that the vultures still have not (previous entry) managed to access the dead White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).












As we approached the T-intersection that leads to Goodsen Lake (left) or the center (right), we saw a group of visitors watching birds. It was quite a vocal group of bird species. On closer inspection, we spied the Greenish Rat Snake sunning 20 feet up in a tree. The community of birds that were expressing their displeasure to the snake included at least one of the following species: Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Black-and-white Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Carolina Wren.

Along the education platform at Goodsen Lake, a pair of Brown Water Snakes (Nerodia taxispilota) shared a cypress knee, an Eastern Cottonmouth was in a coil outside its cypress-tree den, and another Brown Water Snake was sunning on the steps leading to the water.

Enjoy the mini-spring while it lasts, because the temperature will drop to freezing tonight and not get much warmer tomorrow!

Images by Mark Musselman