Herps Everywhere

It's difficult for any field biologist to not get excited when they come across a cool reptile or amphibian. I suspect most ornithologists are herpers whether they admit it or not. Elijah and Gunnar ran into this big female timber rattlesnake in Tennessee.

We've found eastern box turtles at several sites. Pam found this handsome fellow in southeast Ohio. It's that time of year, and he was probably out looking for ladies. I'll bet he didn't see the three ladies of our crew coming!

Red efts are among the cutest things you can find in a Tennessee forest. Eastern newts (or red spotted newts) breed in the puddles along the trails at our high-elevation sites and these efts are the terrestrial "teenage" stage of their life cycle.