Five field guides for holiday gift giving (2017 edition)

Hi, I'm Mike and I have a problem with field guides.  I simply cannot resist the pull of  a new guide.  Birds?  I have guides.  Trees?  I have guides for those too.  Flowers?  Lord, do I have guides for flowers!  Insects?  Not just general guides to insects - I have guide dedicated to bees, aquatic insects, and beetles.  (I love beetles!)  Lichens?  Who has a field guide for lichens?  Um, I do...  Actually, I know I have at least two lichen field guides.

Like I said, I have a problem.

In 2016 I wrote a series of posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4) about some of my favorite field guides that I thought would make good Christmas gifts .  Here is an update for 2017.

1.  Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great lakes Region, Revised Edition by James H Harding and David A. Mifsud (ISBN 9780472073382)

This is not a new field guide.  The original edition came out in 1997.  Even if you own the older edition, go out and buy this field guide.  It has more photographs and updated (color) maps.  This book was published by the University of Michigan Press and costs $24.95 (paperback).  When I found out that this edition was in the works, it immediately went on my to-buy list.

2.  Mammals of the Great lakes Region, Third Edition by Allen Kurta (ISBN 9780472053452)

This is another update of a previous addition.  Like Amphibians of the Great Lakes, this book was published by the University of Michigan Press.  It retails for $24.95 (paperback).  The key updates to this edition include color photographs and updated maps.  Another nice feature that I like in this book is that origin of each species' scientific name is described in detail.  Did I need to purchase the updated version of this guide?  No, but I think it was worth the cost.  If you live in the Great Lakes region I definitely recommend this book.

3.  Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest:  A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms by Teresa Marrone and Kathy Yerich (ISBN 9781591934172)

Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest is not a new book.  It was published in 2014 by Adventure Publications.  This book is one of an entire series of small pocket sized guides.  Some of the books that I have in this series include wildflowers, trees, reptiles and amphibians, and mammals,  Limited in scope, these are great books for beginners.

I like that this book lists many of the common edible and toxic mushrooms that can be found locally.  As always, I caution anyone against relying on a single source for information on edible mushrooms - Mistakes can be deadly!

4.  Bark:  A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast by Michael Wojtech (ISBN 9781584658528)

This another book that is not new.  Bark was published in 2011 by the University Press of New England.  I have been aware of this book for several years, but have never come across it in a store until this year.  I most tree field guides, bark is an afterthought.  There might be a short description for each species, or even a single picture of the bark of a mature tree.  In this book, bark is the star.  There are photographs of bark at various stages of a tree's life - young, mature, and old trees.  Although this book is not specific to the Midwest/Great Lakes there are enough common species to make it worth purchasing.

5.  Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer by DeLorme (ISBN 9780899334424)

Okay, this one is not a field guide.  Instead it is guide that gets you into the field.  I currently own three different editions of this guide.  Whenever we go on vacation to another state, I am likely to buy the DeLorme Atlas for that state.  I know off the top of my head that we own copies for Maine, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin (at a minimum).  These guides are so much more than road maps.  They show waterfalls, geologic sites, museums, scenic drives, lighthouses, hiking trails, and much more.  There are many places that I would never have visited if I hadn't found them in a DeLorme Atlas.

In a knot...

Yesterday, as I was collecting some pond water at Chipp-A-Waters Park, I noticed four different Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon) around the margins of the ponds.  I have found snakes around this pond before; the pond is full of things they like to eat such as frogs, tadpoles, fish, leaches, etc..  So it was no surprise to find one near this pond.  It was unusual to find more than one at a time.

It's confusing, but you can count four snakes in this picture - the female is the biggest and the other three are males

Why were all of these snakes congregated in one place?

The answer to that question soon became obvious.

One of the snakes that I saw was significantly larger than the other three snakes.  Not only that, but the three smaller snakes were vigorously pursuing the largest snake.  Eventually all four snakes clustered together in a loose ball on some cattail stalks a dozen feet from the edge of the pond.

The period April to June is mating season for Northern Water Snakes.  The largest snake was a female.  The smaller snakes were males, competing for the opportunity to mate.  Eventually one (or more) of the males successfully mated with the female.

Female (center) and largest male (right) Northern Water Snake - he was the apparent winner of the mating competition.

I don't expect to find a bunch of snake eggs any time soon.  Northern Water Snakes give birth to live babies (7 to 9 inches long) during late summer.  Once the babies are born they are completely on their own.

One thing that I noticed about these snakes was the color variation.  All Northern Water Snakes have a pattern of dark striped with a (usually) lighter background of brown or grey.  As they age, their colors typically darken so there is little difference between the stripes and the background color.  On of the three male snakes was noticeably lighter than his co-suitors.  His stripes were an almost olive green against a tan background.  You can this in the two pictures below.

A lighter color morph Northern Water Snake

In this photo you can really see the color variation in the species - fours snakes, four different colors

It's nice to have the opportunity to see and interact with this species.  I didn't see my first Northern Water Snake in the wild in Mt. Pleasant until 2013, despite having worked in Mt. Pleasant Parks for nearly a decade.  Now I see them on a somewhat regular basis, especially at Chipp-A-Waters Park.

Just for fun...  A group of snakes can be known as a"knot".  I can see why!

Snakes Patrick Day!

It's time for my annual St. Patrick's Day tradition - sharing a photo of snakes.
 

This cluster of mating Eastern Garter Snakes would probably have enraged St. Patrick.

There are all sorts of legends surrounding St. Patrick.

My favorite legend about St. Patrick says that Ireland has no snakes because St. Patrick chased them from the island.  The story is that St. Patrick was involved in the middle of a forty day fast when he was attacked by snakes.  This angered Patrick so greatly that he chased the snakes into the sea and banished them from the island forever.  To this day, Ireland has no native population of snakes.

While this is a great story, the truth is that there were never any snakes on Ireland for St. Patrick to chase away.  Ireland has been covered with glaciers during more than one ice age.  During the last glacial maximum, which occurred about 11 thousand years ago, three-quarters of Ireland was buried under a thick layer of ice.  The remainder of the island was too cold and inhospitable to support snakes and most other species of wildlife.

When the glaciers retreated, Ireland was temporarily connected to Great Britain and the rest of Europe by a land bridge.  This connection allowed some species to repopulate Ireland, but snakes did not make it across before the connection was severed by rising sea levels.  This isolation is the true reason for Ireland's lack of snakes, not an angry fifth century saint.

Michigan was affected by the same glacial periods as Ireland.  It also was scoured clean by a thick layer of ice.  However, Michigan remains attached to the rest of North America and snakes have repopulated both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in the past 11,000 years.  A total of seventeen snake species currently call the state home.  I am glad that they are here.  They play an important role in the ecosystem as both predators and prey.  Ireland you're missing out.


Fun fact:  In addition to being the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick is also the patron saint of engineers and the nation of Nigeria.

Native Species Profile - Painted Turtle

Michigan is home to ten species of turtles.  By far the most common species is the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).  This species can be found throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula.  The only species that approaches it in terms of distribution in Michigan is the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).  The Common Snapping turtle is also found throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula.  However, it is not found on Isle Royale while the Painted Turtle is.   Overall the Painted turtle can be found across much of the northern United States and southern Canada, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific.  It ranges as far south as the Gulf of Mexico in the east and southwest into Colorado and New Mexico.

Part of the reason for the broad distribution of this species is its adaptability.  Painted Turtles prefer still or slow-moving permanent bodies of water such as lakes and ponds., but they will use swiftly-flowing rivers and streams as well as season wetlands on a temporary basis.  Painted Turtles are often found traveling overland in search of new bodies of water.  They are often seen basking on log, rocks, or floating vegetation.

Painted Turtles often bask in large number on logs and other objects in the water

Painted Turtles are generally small.  Adults have a shell that measures from 4 to about 9 inches in length.  The upper surface of the shell (carapace) is olive green to black colored.  The lower half of the shell (plastron) is yellowish with a dark blotch in the center.  The outer edge of the carapace has red or orange blotches/spots.  The skin of the turtle's head legs, and tail is also olive green to black in color.  The head and neck have yellow (and sometimes red) stripes.  The Painted Turtles found in Mid-Michigan belong to a sub-species called the Midland Painted Turtle that commonly has red stripes on its head and neck.

Painted Turtle

Painted Turtles are omnivores.  They normally feed on aquatic invertebrates such as insects, crayfish, and snails.  They also frequently eat tadpoles and small fish.  A large part of their diet consists of algae and aquatic plants.

Painted Turtle - note yellow stripes on neck and orange blotches along the edge of the carapace (upper shell)

During the winter months, Painted Turtles bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of ponds lakes and rivers where they will hibernate from October/November until late March or early April.  It is not uncommon for Painted Turtles to be active in cold weather and people occasionally see them swimming around under ice. 


Basic Information

Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta

Size:  4-9" long

Habitat:  Permanent water sources such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks

Eats:  aquatic insects, fish, tadpole, crayfish, snails, plants

Holiday field guide gift guide - 16 guides for 2016 (part 3)

Slightly delayed, but here is part three of my holiday field guide gift guide.  If sorting through hundred of plants or thousands of insect species is not your thing, perhaps you might enjoy a guide to a group of animals with less members.  If you like fuzzy animals try a guide to mammals, if you prefer your animals scaly or slimy try one about reptiles and amphibians.

11.  Mammals of the Great Lakes Region (Revised Edition) by Allen Kurta (ISBN 9780472064977)

Published by the University of Michigan Press (1995), this book is an update of a guide that was originally published in 1957.  It's probably no surprise that I own a copy of the earlier publication as well.

If you are looking for a guide to the mammals of Michigan this is the book to buy.  The book focuses on the entire Great Lakes Basin, so some of the eighty-three species listed in the book are not found within the boundaries of Michigan.  The species listed with are grouped by the order to which they belong - for example all rodents are grouped together in one section.  This makes it relatively easy to find an individual species in the book.  For each species there is a list of measurements; a detailed description of the animal; a range map; and a natural history that explains such things as diet, mating habits, and habitat requirements.  There is also a black and white photograph of each species.  There is also a key at the back of the book for identifying mammal skulls.

The author's preface to the book neatly sums up why you should buy this volume for yourself or another nature lover.

     This book is not intended to be a coffee-table book, ponderous tome, detailed listing of 
     relevant literature, or an in-depth treatment of geographic variation.  It is intended to serve 
     as a quick reference for teachers, students, naturalists, and professional biologists, and to be 
     a concise guidebook, still small enough to be tucked into a backpack and carried in the field.

This edition is currently available for under $20, but I did notice that a as yet unpublished 3rd edition is available for pre-order for $24.95.  The 3rd edition will have color photographs and a section on the tracks of common mammals.  It looks like I will be buying a new field guide soon!

12.  Animal Tracks:  Midwest Edition by Jonathan Poppele (ISBN 9781591933243)

This book would be a good compliment to Mammals of the Great Lakes.  A true field guide, this book measures 5 inches by 7 inches and easily fits in your pocket.  The book includes images of tracks and gaits (walking patterns) for nearly 100 Midwest mammal species - not all species in the book can be found in Michigan.

I like this book because it is so extensive.  It covers a wide range of species, but does lump many similar species together.  Each entry includes images of their footprints, a description of the footprints (both front and rear tracks), a description of the animal's gait, a description of habitat types, and other notes on the animal including other signs to look for.  It is also helpful that the tracks in the book are life-size.  There are range maps included for each species, but some are inaccurate - for instance the book fails to show bobcat as present in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

 
This book was published by Adventure Publications in 2012.  It retails for under $15.  Despite the few gripe that I listed above, at this price, you really can't go wrong.

13. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great lakes Region by James H. Harding (ISBN 9780472066285)

This is another book from the University of Michigan Press.  Originally published in 1997, it also has an update coming in 2017.

Organized in much the same way as Mammals of the Great Lakes Region, this book gives lengthy descriptions of all species of reptiles and amphibian found within the Great Lakes Basin as well as for several species that closely approach the limits of the basin.  Each species depiction includes a detailed physical description (with a color photograph), notes on similar species, information on range (with a map) and conservation status, a description of habitat and ecology, as well as conservation requirements/efforts.

The 2017 edition will include updates range maps and more photographs.  Both the currently available edition and the forthcoming retail for under $25.  If you are a herp (reptile and amphibian) lover this is the book you need.  It is slightly large for a field guide at 5 x 8 inches, but it often finds its was into my backpack when I know I will be encountering snakes, frogs, or turtles. 

If you are looking for something completely different to study stay tuned for part 4 of my gift guide.

Snakes - A St. Patrick's Day Tradition

It's time for my St. Patrick's Day tradition - sharing a photo of snakes.

A Northern Water Snake training for the future invasion of Ireland.

Legends says that Ireland has no snakes because St. Patrick chased them off of the island.  The story is that St. Patrick was involved in the middle of a forty day fast when he was attacked by snakes.  This angered Patrick so greatly that he chased the snakes into the sea and banished them from the island forever.  To this day, Ireland has no native population of snakes.

The truth is that there were never any snakes on Ireland for St. Patrick to chase away.  Ireland has been covered with glaciers during more than one ice age.  During the last glacial maximum, which occurred about 11 thousand years ago, three-quarters of Ireland was buried under a thick layer of ice.  The remainder of the island was too cold and inhospitable to support snakes and most other species of wildlife.

When the glaciers retreated, Ireland was temporarily connected to Great Britain and the rest of Europe by a land bridge.  This connection allowed some species to repopulate Ireland, but snakes did not make it across before the connection was severed by rising sea levels.  This isolation is the true reason for Ireland's lack of snakes, not an angry fifth century saint.

Michigan was affected by the same glacial periods as Ireland.  It also was scoured clean by a thick layer of ice.  However, Michigan remains attached to the rest of North America and snakes have repopulated both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in the past 11,000 years.  A total of seventeen snake species currently call the state home.  I am glad that they are here.  They play an important role in the ecosystem as both predators and prey.

Nativer Species Profile - Wood Turtle

Because I am writing this in January, I would have a very difficult time locating one of my favorite animals - the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta).  If I were to find one now, it would be somewhere underwater either buried in the mud or wedged under a rock or log.  There it hibernates motionless for several months, living on stored resources and absorbing oxygen from the water.  It probably disappeared under the water sometime in October and won't appear again until late April or May.

Wood Turtle (June 2008)

The Wood Turtle is one of ten species of turtle that can be found in Michigan.  Six of the species are considered to have stable populations (Map Turtle, Musk Turtle, Painted Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Red-ear Slider, and Snapping Turtle), one is Threatened (Spotted Turtle), and three are listed as Special Concern.  The Wood Turtle falls in this last category along with the Eastern Box Turtle and Blanding's Turtle.  This status means that the Wood Turtle has no legal protections under the Michigan Endangered Species Act.  Fortunately it is protected under a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director's Order that prohibits killing, taking, possessing, selling or buying them from the wild.

The Wood Turtle is a fairly small turtle, growing from 5 to 10 inches long as an adult.  Their upper shell (carapace) is tan to dark brown in color, with well defined scutes (plates).  The scutes have a series of growth rings, much like a tree - contributing to its name.  In younger turtles, the growth rings can be used to determine age, but the rings are often worn away in older individuals.  Their lower shell (plastron) is usually a dark yellow with brown patches.  This color scheme is also found on the exposed skin of its head, legs, and tail - the upper surfaces are brown (with yellow or orange spots) and the lower surfaces are yellow or orange.

Wood Turtle - note the "sculptured" shell, dark upper surfaces, and yellow underparts

The Wood Turtle is partially named for its habitat preferences.  It is typically found in the floodplain forests of clear running streams and rivers with sand or gravel bottoms.  Unlike most aquatic turtles, the Wood Turtle is commonly away from water during the summer months.  They often disperse as much as 1/3 mile into forests to feed on the leaves of herbaceous and woody plants, berries, mushrooms, worms and other invertebrates.  When in the water it feeds on aquatic plants, invertebrates, and rarely on dead animals. 

Wood Turtles commonly feed away from water during the summer months

 
Another habitat requirement is sandy soil for nesting.  Nesting typically takes place in June.  Female Wood Turtles excavate a shallow nesting cavity and deposits up to 18 eggs.  Hatchling turtles may emerge in August or September, or they may remain in the nest until the following spring.

A female Wood Turtle laying eggs on a sandbar in Mt. Pleasant

 
In Michigan, Wood Turtles are only found in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and across the Upper Peninsula.  Overall their range extends from from Minnesota and northern Iowa in the west to the Atlantic coastline from New Brunswick and Quebec in the north to Virginia in the south.  Isabella County is near the southern edge of their range in Michigan.  There seems to be healthy population of adults in the county, but I have rarely encountered a young Wood Turtle in the wild.

Basic Information

Wood Turtle 
Glyptemys insculpta

Size:  5-10” long

Habitat:  rivers and streams with woodland floodplains

Eats:  plants, berries, mushrooms, earthworms, slugs, aquatic invertebrates, carrion (rarely)

Let me tell you 'bout the frog and the snake...

I have lots of stories.  When I show one of my photographs in a classroom, I often have a story that goes along with it.  Unfortunately, many of my best stories don't translate well to the written form.  This is because my storytelling usually has a physical component - I don't just tell a story, I act it out.  So until the day that I become a better writer (not likely to happen), or I start to record videos of my stories (even less likely to happen), many of my stories can only be experienced in person.

There are a few, a very few, of my photographs that can almost tell the story on their own.  One example is this sequence of pictures from 2006.

I remember discovering this Common Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) struggling with a Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) in the woods at Mission Creek Woodland Park.

I have made a habit of discovering interesting things not only by sight, but also by smell and sound.  My attention was drawn to this pair by a horrible grunting squeak that I couldn't replicate if I tried.  It was not a sound that I usually hear in a forest or anywhere else for that matter.  It was so unique that I had to search for the source.  When I first spied the snake and frog in the leaf litter, the snake had a hold of a single hind leg of the frog.  This was enough...

 A garter snakes jaws are lined with many small needle-sharp teeth.  They help the snake get a grip on struggling prey.  By walking its jaws along the frog's body, it was quickly able to position the frog in the preferred head-first swallowing position.  The frog had no real defense for this - it tried to puff up its body to make itself to large to swallow, but the garter snake is an expert on frogs.

I think I will let the snake show you.

Native Species Profile - Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

Michigan is home to seventeen species of snakes.  Most of them are rarely encountered.  In the past two years, I have seen only six of the seventeen species in the wild (Common Garter Snake, Butler's Garter Snake, Northern Ribbon Snake, Northern Water Snake, Eastern Hognose Snake, and Brown Snake).  Of those six species, the two that I have seen most frequently are the Common Garter Snake and the Northern Ribbon Snake.

The third most frequent snake that I encounter is the Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi).  As the name implies, the Brown Snake is normally colored some shade of brown with some individuals being gray-brown or tan.  Other distinctive markings include a cream or pink belly and two rows of black dots on opposite sides of the back.  The color between the two rows of black markings is often lighter than on its sides.  Young Brown Snakes often have light gray or white ring around their necks.

Brown Snake - note brown color, row of black dots, and light color on back

Brown Snakes are typically generally small, with most individuals being between 9 and 15 inches long.  Rarely they will approach two feet in length.

A young Brown Snake resting inside my ballcap

Because of their small size, Brown Snakes concentrate on eating small animals.  Their typical diet includes worms, slugs, and snails.  They have also been known to eat grubs, beetles, and small salamanders.  I would expect that large individuals may also eat small frogs and other small vertebrates.

Brown Snake are small - normally measuring less than 15 inches.

Brown Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and suburban areas.  One way to attract Brown Snakes to a property is to provide them with boards or other suitable objects to hide under.  In Michigan they can be found throughout the Lower Peninsula and parts of the Upper Peninsula.  Overall they can be found throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains,  southern Canada, and northern Mexico.




Basic Information

Brown Snake
Storeria dekayi

Size:  9-23” long 

Habitat:  wetlands, fields, prairies, forests, agricultural lands, suburban areas, etc.

Eats:  worms, slugs, snails, grubs, small salamanders

Field Trip - Nature Discovery, Williamston, MI

Yesterday (13 September 2015), Shara and I visited Williamston, MI for the sixth annual Michigan Snakes Day at Nature Discovery.  Nature Discovery is a nature-based business owned and operated by biologists Jim and Carol McGrath.  In their own words: NATURE DISCOVERY is dedicated to enhancing awareness and sensitivity toward Michigan's diverse living resources through natural science education.

Jim and Carol have operated Nature Discovery  for the past 28 years - most of that time out of their home!  They have the most complete collection of Michigan reptiles and amphibians anywhere in the state - currently 46 of 52 species.  Maintaining their "zoo" is a full-time job.

Some of the tanks at Nature Discovery

They regularly take their collection to locations around the state and present to thousands of people every year.  Until recently they have been helped by their four children, but the kids have all grown up so Jim and Carol are now largely on their own.


One Sunday each month, Jim and Carol host a themed open house at their home-based nature center. During open houses, visitors have the opportunity to observe and interact with the many species that call Nature Discovery home.  To learn about upcoming presentations and open house date please check out their monthly newsletter.  The cost to attend one of their open houses is only five dollars per person.

Here are a few of the species that we observed during the open house yesterday.

A young Spotted Turtle - photo by Shara LeValley

A Green Snake at Nature Discovery - photo by Shara LeValley

An American Toad peeks out from under a log in its habitat - photo by Shara LeValley

Two Fox Snakes peer out from an old blue bird house in their tank

A Box Turtle dozes in the sun at Nature Discovery

 

A collection of aquatic turtle species enjoys the warm sun

To maintain the diversity of species in their collection, Jim and Carol frequently capture wild specimens to replace animals that have died of natural causes.  Some species live longer than other - some snakes live more than a decade and turtles commonly live much longer.  Other species (especially some frogs) may only live for a couple of years.

Because they maintain such a large number of animals on site, there is always the potential that some of the animals will successfully breed and produce offspring.  When this happens Nature Discovery occasionally has an excess of certain species of animals.  When this happens, the extra animals are frequently donated to schools and other educational facilities that have booked presentations through Nature Discovery.  Part of the reason for out visit was for Shara to pick up a four year old rat snake to add to her classroom.

Shara with her new classroom pet

This new addition to the "zoo" measures nearly four feet long.  It is very gentle due to repeated handling.  Shara and I handled it for two straight hours while we visited Nature Discovery.  At one point, in addition to the snake we were bringing home, Shara had five additional snakes climbing on here.  Almost 26 feet of snakes in total!

Shara is not an ophidiophobe

Anyone with an interest in nature in general and Michigan reptiles and amphibians in particular should see a display or presentation by Jim and Carol.  I learn something new every time I see them.  I book them every year for the Isabella County Environmental Education Day and they are one of the highlights for students and teachers alike.

Nature Discovery is located only an hour and fifteen minutes from Mt. Pleasant.  It is well worth the drive to visit during one of their open houses.  If Sundays are not an option, special appointments can also be arranged.  To arrange a special visit or to receive their newsletter in your email contact them at naturedisc87@gmail.com.