Spotted Salamander & Giant Water Bugs

Right now, I am prepping and gathering live pond specimens for the Preserve's Spring Pond Keepers season. Besides purchasing a bunch of craft materials and cleaning all the pond equipment, I have to go out into the field and collect pond creatures. I have a special Department of Environmental Conservation license to macro invertebrates and amphibians to place into ponds that will be housed in elementary classrooms for up to 10-days.

My collections areas include all waterways of the Preserve, Louisa Pond, and Humpo Marsh. It's a good thing I purchased my own waders last summer, because right now, the creatures are scarce. It's still pretty much in winter-mode still and many of the creatures are deeper in the water. And...I am pretty glad I purchased the neoprene waders. Kathy, my Director of Education, urged me not to get those. But since I am collecting not just in the fall when it is still relatively warm, I am collecting in winter, and they keep me nice and toasty!! I'm a smart cookie for thinking that one up! Just kidding!

I think one of my favorite parts of the job is definitely being out in the field - with students, with research associates, other staff, or even just myself. I think every time I am out of the land, I end up finding something special. This morning while I was out, I scooped up some Spotted Salamander eggs (do not worry, I placed them back!) and two large Giant Water Bugs (these will be great for a Creature Feature or special guest when I come to the classrooms). Check out the pics below!

TheChristyBel

Spotted Salamander

Looks Like: Spotted Salamanders have stout, black to dark-brown bodies, a broadly rounded snout, large and strong legs with four to five toes on each foot. The underbelly is a pale, slate gray, the mid-dorsal lines of the body have up to 24 to 45 large, round, yellow or orange spots in two irregular rows running from head to tail.

Spotted Salamander Eggs

Lives In: Adults prefer deciduous bottomland forests along moist areas such as rivers. At times they can be found in conifer forests as long as the soil is damp. In mountainous regions, like the Shawangunks, they are frequently found in deciduous slope forests.

Niche: Adult Spotted Salamanders are rarely seen since they spend most of their time hiding in leaf litter, under decomposing logs, or in tunnels below ground. These animals may help with control of insect pests such as mosquitoes that breed in their vernal pools or ponds.

Threats: In dry spring times, many young Spotted Salamanders in temporary vernal pools can die before they mature enough to leave the pool before it dries up. As their pond dries and the water level declines they also become more vulnerable to predators. With climate change, the wide fluctuation in the occurrence and amount of precipitation during spring and summer and lack of snow cover in winter can pose major risks for Spotted Salamander's survival. Acidic rain at breeding time can cause embryonic mortality. Loss of small unregulated wetlands is also a major threat.

Frequency: The Spotted Salamander is a fairly common species on the forest floor. They can serve as prey for skunks, raccoons, turtles, and snakes. Their eggs are also prey for frog tadpoles, crayfish, and other macroinvertebrates. Red-spotted Newts have been seen feeding on the egg mass jelly.

Reproduction: During the spring breeding season, adults migrate to ponds and vernal pools to lay their eggs in fish-free, fresh water (usually starting their migration during the first foggy rain during the thaw of snow). Males produce blobs of sperm (spermatophores) allowing the female to take the spermatophores into her body to fertilize her eggs. Females will lay compact firm egg masses that are attached to submerged objects. A female can lay between 100-300 eggs per year. The eggs are encased in a protective thick, clear, or milky jelly. Spotted Salamander larvae are a dull, greenish color when hatched.

Fun Fact: Spotted Salamanders have poison glands in their skin located on their backs and tails. When the salamander is in danger or threatened, their glands release a sticky, white, toxic liquid.

Large Giant Water Bugs
Also known as "Toe-Biters." They definitely pack one painful pinch!

Phyllis's 75th Birthday

Came Home to Delaware to Celebrate my Grandmother's 75th Birthday on Easter!
Also, it was a great visit to see my Grandfather who has been going through a lot with in an out of the hospital.
Such a blessing to see both of them and be with the family! We're only missing Brother Sean!

Nature Nuggets

Even though it still winter, many plants and animals are beginning to come out into bloom. Check out some of the color that spring is having sprung!

TheChristyBel

Northern Spicebush

Red Maple, Female

Red Maple, Male

Pollen Release from the Red Maple, Male

And a Bloated Dead Bat...Sorry, it was still a cool find!

Hudson Valley Weather Visits the DSRC

Every month, I tabulate the weather records and formalize it into a summary for distribution to the public. Amanda, the Media Associate, posts all of our weather summaries online and shares them on social media. When she posted our February weather summary, it sparked the attention of Hudson Valley Weather. For those of you who do not know, they are the "MountainWeather.com" of the Hudson Valley. They are more reliable than the Weather Channel. Pretty impressive. Majority of the locals of New Paltz swear by Hudson Valley Weather. They have told me that even though this organization started out as a hobby for a bunch of businessmen and engineers, they have been predicting the weather of the region more accurately than the Weather Channel. So, back to sparking their attention. They were so stunned that we had a weather station at Mohonk and wanted to close in on some partnerships with using our data and having access to our summaries. So with that, they wanted to meet us. I felt more like a fan than the celebrity when they met us. We talked about what the Daniel Smiley Research Center does, the history of the weather station and data collection, many of our research projects, and of course, brought them up to the lake and weather box. It was a super great meeting and introduction to each other! Hopefully we will develop some closer ties and able to use each other as we continue the focus on Climate Change. 

TheChristyBel

We made their blog!

Daniel Smiley Research Center Staff Meet Hudson Valley Weather Staff
Weather Nerds All Around!

The King of the Coxing

Meet the Kind Crayfish of the Coxing Kill
(a find during my creature collecting for Pond Keepers)

Bird Housing

I love when Marc and I have craft nights. The other night, Marc and I went to Michaels and picked up some cheap paint and a few bird houses. We not only wanted to craft, but wanted to bring some color to our back and front yards; maybe even some wildlife. Check out what we made!

Marc's Bird Home
I love having a creative boyfriend!

And Mine
Of course, there was patterns and purple!

New Nature Art for My Walls

Finishing up an art project I've had on the backburner from my time in Laramie. As spring approaches, I need to make room in my plant press for some blooms found in the Gunks. That meant, doing something with the hundred of Quaking Aspen leaves. This is what I did.

TheChristyBel

Vernal Pool Monitoring

March is the month of vernal pool monitoring. Many amphibians are coming out of hibernation and kicking it into breeding season. Recently, our North Mud Pond has been getting a lot of frog action and we have been seeing a lot of Wood Frogs! Super exciting!

TheChristyBel

One of the First Coltsfoot Blooms of the Season

Wood Frog

Looks Like: The Wood Frog has a flat body, moist skin, a pointed head, and webbed feet with un-webbed distal toe joints. Coming a variety of shades of brown and red, Wood Frogs have a black marking over their eyes resembling a robber’s mask. Their coloration is greatly influenced by their surroundings; during mating seasons the females have a lighter red complexion where the males are much darker brown.

Lives On: Tundra, wet grasslands, and moist woodlands are most favored by Wood Frogs. The Wood Frog uses pools formed by spring rains and snow melt for breeding. Once breeding is over, adults will spend the rest of their season away from water.

Niche: A variety of snakes, waterfowl, heron, raccoon, coyote, and fox have been seen feeding on Wood Frog. The Wood Frog tadpoles fall prey to beetles, giant water bugs, salamanders, turtles, and other frogs.

Threats: Wood Frogs , along with all amphibians, are under ecological pressures due to human activities. Through reforestation, road building, agriculture, and industry development, the Wood Frog's habitat is slowly diminishing. In addition to loss of habitat, acid rain and other forms of air pollution can contaminate breeding pools and seriously damage the adults, eggs, and offspring. Researchers studying the Wood Frog must also take special care in cleaning their equipment and clothing gear in fear of spreading ranaviruses that can kill the frog and other amphibians.

Frequency: This frog is found in 2/3 of the country into Canada and the Arctic Circle. Many of the Wood Frog in the Shawangunks can be found in vernal pools, marshes, and moist woodlands in the Foothills to the Ridge.

Reproduction: One of the first frog’s to begin the breeding season, the Wood Frog will move to breeding pools usually in a melt or rainwater typically free of fish or other predators. The males will call to females; their calls sound like a “duck-like, quack.” When a attracted, larger female enters the pool, the smaller male will grab onto her back (called “amplexus”). Squeezing her abdomen, the eggs will be released into the water and the male will release sperm into the water to fertilize the egg mass. An egg mass usually contains 1,000 to 2,000 eggs. The egg mass will accumulate together in the shallows of the pools into a raft. Counting the egg mass rafts is a highly efficient way for scientists and researchers to determine population density of the Wood Frog in a given region or area.

Fun Fact: Wood frogs, along with several other frogs, undergo a freeze-thaw cycle. Unlike some animals that migrate elsewhere, grow thick fur, or burrow deep underground to sleep over the winter waiting for spring, the Wood Frog seeks cover under leaves and actually freeze and thaw with their surroundings. They stop breathing and their hearts cease to beat. The Wood Frog has a special antifreeze that prevents ice from forming in their cells. At the same time, the Wood Frog’s liver starts making large amounts of glucose (type of sugar) that packs into the cells and props them up. When the weather warms, the Wood Frog will thaw and begin to go about their lives. The Wood Frog is unharmed during this freeze-thaw cycle.

Bonticou Agro Crag

March has been a whirl-wind of crazy weather. One week, it is super cold and I am in a puffy jacket. The next week, it is 74 degrees and I am in a tank top. On this really warm day, I left work early and went on a hike. I decided to head to Spring Farm and scramble up Bonticou Crag. I love this hike. It was one of my first hikes I did on the Preserve when I visited the Toman's in 2012. The hike and scramble never get old! Here are some pics from the hike - a great way to get outside and enjoy the warmth!

TheChristyBel

On Top of Bonticou "Agro" Crag

This View Never Gets Old

A Happy and Warm Christybel

First Emergence

Even though our winter season has been quite mild (and has felt like spring), seeing some of the first signs of spring really makes it feel like spring more. Working at the Daniel Smiley Research Center today, I was walking into the house and discovered a few little blooms in our front garden, Winter Aconite and Snow Drops. I even got a little more excited when I heard some buzzing on the yellow blooms and found some honeybees! Spring is definitely springing up and I am ready for some warm(er) weather!

TheChristyBel

Winter Aconite - First Bloom

First Honey Bee

First Snow Drop

Pond Creature Collecting at Louisa Pond

The weather has been warmer than usual (I would call this a really mild winter here) and I am starting to prepare for my spring season of Pond Keepers. With that, that means macroinvertebrate collecting for the classroom ponds. With this warm weather, the ponds have opened up from the pond/lake ice, which means I am able to start collecting. Marc decided to come with me as I put my waders on got about waist deep in the cold pond water to collect my creatures. He also decided to take some photos of my creature collecting for the Preserve's website. Check out some of my glamour shots! haha!

TheChristyBel