BLOG 13: The Cool Yellow Ones!

I doodled this on my pad while I was gathering some notes for this blog and thought I’d share it here with you.

I'm actually making light of a very serious issue which is that no matter how good an actor or actress this amphibian is, he (or she) is only given bit parts. It’s very slimy treatment if you ask me…even for  salamanders which are slimy to begin with!

OK, enough of with the shenanigans,   allow me to introduce you (for real this time) to the star of the hour, The Northern Two-Lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata).

If you’re having trouble pronouncing “Eurycea bislineata” just remember it sounds a lot like “Eurycea bislineata.”

Not helpful? I guess you can see why I never became a teacher!

Anyway, I have found these to be some of the speediest salamanders encountered in the Northeast. They’ll wriggle faster than your eyes can follow into the safety of a nearby creek or stream.

When I was a small boy my friends and I called these sals “the cool yellow ones!” They somehow seemed more alert, elusive and exotic than their drabber colored and more accessible woodland cousins. We would have to get on our bicycles and peddle a good half mile or so to a brook that ran behind the local tennis courts to find them. On a productive day after a few minutes of flipping over smooth stones we’d see a flash of gold and catch a glimpse of a fleeing two-lined. It was rare that we were ever were able to put our hands on one though because they were just that quick!  It was probably for the better though because none of these delicate salamanders appreciate being handled no matter how gentle you think your being.

Are we all done? Oh, that’s right! You might like to know something about this amphibian’s habits and haunts! I got so sidetracked with the reminiscing that I forgot I was also supposed to be supplying you with some worthwhile information as well!

The Northern Two-Lined Salamander is a very skinny critter measuring about 2 ½ to 3 ½ inches long.  They range from northern Virginia and Ohio up to Southern Quebec. Like the red-backs discussed in Blog 8, “Here Comes The Plethodons!” It belongs to the diverse group of lungless salamanders meaning that they breathe entirely through their skin and the lining of their mouth.

They are found in and around highly oxygenated rock-bottomed brooks, springs, seepages, in woodland swamps and on river floodplains. They less commonly live under rotting logs in damp forests a good distance from running water.

I have personally found them on the pebble strewn shores of kettle lakes and on the banks of the Pocono creek! If you have an unpolluted stream nearby go run out and turn over a few flat stones  . . . you’ll probably see one! Take a photograph of your find and post it here! I’ love to see it!!

What? You have better things to do with your spare time? OK, then just skip it and keep on reading!

Here is a great little description about E. bislineata from a book published in 1930 about pond life. The author, like me, was impressed with their agility;

“The adults hide beneath flat stones in the water-soaked mud and sand of brook-sides, slithering and jumping out with amazing rapidity when disturbed. The larvae, distinguishable by their gills, grow nearly as long as the adults and stay in the same places, whence they dash out with flash-like suddenness when the stones are moved”

“Whence,” how cool is that!? Who uses “whence” anymore in 2013?

I also want to share this nice little doodle from the book! I guess I’m doing this without permission so I my apologies to the publisher “G.P. Putnam’s Sons,” please don’t sue me!

In the Poconos the two-Lines mate in the fall and the following spring, as late as mid-July, the female deposits 12 to 100 eggs on the underside of a submerged rock.  She guards her brood for 4-10 weeks until they hatch into aquatic larvae. 

Typical 2-Lined Habitat

 For some strange reason, in all the years I have been traipsing around the New Jersey and Pocono wilds I have never come upon a female with eggs. Maybe that’s because my encounters are always along the shoreline and they “nest” in deeper parts of the water? Who knows! Just another thing to ponder over my morning coffee I guess!

Here is the best photo I have managed to take to date of this salamander in its larval form. Not great I know but my little Nikon has trouble photographing through the surface of a gurgling creek.

Adult Two-Lineds feed on granola bars, tofu and fruit salad but only if it’s certified organic!

Huh?

I just wanted to make sure you were still with me and hadn’t trailed off or something. You have to really dig critters to be hanging in there! 

OK, so less appetizing but much more accurate; adult Eurycea bislineatas feed on beetles, spiders, sow bugs (same as pill bugs), ticks, mayflies, springtails (same as snow fleas), thrips and a host of other tiny insects and worms. Thrips, by the way, also called “corn lice” are minute 1 millimeter long sucking insects. I’m sharing that with you because I didn’t know what they were so I thought you might not either. 

Well, guess what? You made it through another Kieran’s Critters! You are to be commended for your intrepidness and spirit of adventure! Any comments, ideas, suggestions, critter stories or imaginary words are always welcome. If you have any complaints at all about anything I stated here please write them out  in small 1 to 2 syllable words on the back of a $50 bill and send them to: Mr. E. Bislineata, care of Kieran Vogel at 123 Lois Lane, Somewhere, PA 314159.

Thanks again for reading!

Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!

BLOG 12: The Earth Measurer

I’m currently reading a really interesting book called “Wildlife of Orchard and Field” by Ernest Ingersoll published in March of 1902. 

The natural history books back then were so different from today.  The accounts of flora and fauna are treated so poetically and with such a personal touch.  In our era of immediate communication and hyper connectivity with our text messaging and Twittering and reality TV are there people out there who can still write like this? Is there even a demand for it? Just read this small excerpt where Ingersoll describes, on page 84, the terrain after a sudden, late-spring snowstorm,

“ Beyond a wide swale, that yesterday was gold and green but now is glistening wintry white, rises a small eminence where a dissolved view of trees and buildings is momently formed, then hidden, then brought out again, mirage-like, in the most curious and dreamlike unreality, yet always with singular beauty. Gray is the only color—a soft, purplish, silvery gray—and the silhouette the only style of drawing. By their outlines I guess that the wavering, slender spike amid the glistening haze is the church steeple—that squarish blur the belfry of the courthouse—the next irregular smudge a certain collection of house-roofs; but all seems as foreign and unsubstantial as shadows, so quaintly are they now clouded, now lightly revealed, by the swirling, satiny snow-flakes that fill the air with particles luminous in themselves yet obscuring the landscape.”

I mean, forgetting for the moment that he used the word “glistening” two times in only three sentences isn’t that just delicious writing? Someone today would simply type, “It snowed like hell” or “Outside was a blizzard as thick as pea soup” or something like that. Our language is devolving!

But who cares about any of that, right?  Hey, one thing that Ingersoll didn’t cover in his 347 page masterwork was moths! And that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss here on this brief installment of Kieran’s Critters!

While lizard hunting the other day in New Jersey I saw something odd along a rock wall.  My friend Kerry thought it was a speck of yellow paint and to me it looked like a potato chip! And that reminds me of a Peanuts comic I read years ago:

Do you have any idea how long it took me to actually dig up a copy of that strip? Anyway, moving right along . . .

Because of that comic you probably think I'm talking about a butterfly, right? Well I'm not but it might as well be! This is the gorgeous False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria) and to be honest I'd like it just for the name alone!

When we moved in to inspect this “potato chip” and saw that it was actually a moth we were only able to snap a picture or two before it fluttered off! I imagine these are pretty common in New Jersey but we’ve never seen one before so we were pretty excited about our discovery!

Now, this obviously isn’t the most popular moth in the world because I was barely able to uncover any information about them but I did discover that they are fairly numerous throughout the summer months and active by both day and night. The literature even points out that they are often spotted on the walls of buildings in the exact same manner we encountered ours. They are a vivid yellow with brown speckles and blotches, as you see in the above photograph. The males have more of these spots than females. Their wingspan measures 3–4 cm the females being larger than the males. In the Northeast they are active from April to November. I don’t know if that means socially active or politically active or both! I mean a moth would have to be involved with the right and the left wing wouldn't it? 

Alrighty, let's just flit along...

Area where we found the moth

This moth is not to be confused with the Crocus Geometer which is larger, pale yellow, and has little or no brown spotting.

Shouldn't that be the “True” Crocus Geometer or even the “Honest” Geometer if the one we’re discussing here is the “False” Geometer?  Personally I’d prefer “Phony" Geometer.

But enough of my taxonomical tomfoolery!

So to get a little technical for a minute (for real) this moth’s binomial name, as mentioned before, is Xanthotype urticaria, “Xanthotype” being the genus and “urticaria” being the species. Its family is Geometridae! Confused yet? (well I sure am) The only reason I’m bringing up all this entomological gobbledygook is because how this insect got its name is sort of interesting.

The juvenile form of this moth is our familiar "inchworm" from where it derives its name. The Greek root word“geometer” means “earth-measurer.” Inchworms having appendages at both ends of their body but none in between clasp onto surfaces with their front legs and then draw up their back endsforming a loop as they move ahead giving the impression that they are measuring as they go. Hey, for all we know they are making some sort of calculations. I have asked in the past but have never had one actually stop and give me an answer so it’s anyone’s guess!

The False Crocus Geometer typically inhabits weedy fields and open forests especially near the plants it feeds on during its larval stage like, Dog Wood, Ground-ivy, Rhododendrons, Goldenrods and Catnip--CATNIP!? I thought that was just some type of kitty marihuana developed by the pet industry! But apparently it grows wild! Who'da thunk it?

Well, it wasn’t the best blog in the world but what is!? I wish I could tell you some more about this critter but that’s all I know, was able to find or thought was interesting enough to pass along! 

As always, thank you very much for your continued interest and support. And make no mistake about it; people are visiting this blog! I get far more readers than I do commenters. It would be nice if that changed, I enjoy a healthy exchange of ideas and opinions but it’s A-OK if folks prefer to remain secretive! Of course, all questions or comments are welcome and any complaints should be addressed to the moth! That’s right, if you don’t like something it’s the bug's fault!

 Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!

BLOG 11: Toxic Frog!

OK, I have about 20 minutes to write this blog because my cat and I have been arguing all day and it’s really put me in a bad sort of way. He keeps asking me for things!  After running around for 15 minutes doing his bidding I’m now trying to ignore his willful gaze but it’s searing a whole through my brain! (WOW! Wasn’t that dramatic!?)

Mutant Kitty

I mean, he just stares at me but I know exactly what each and every stare means. One stare means, “I want food.” The next stare means, “No, I want to eat it upstairs not in the basement!” The next stare means, “I want to go outside!” The next stare means, “Naa…I don’t want to go outside anymore…” And so on and so on! In 15 years I haven’t trained this cat to do a $#%&*@! thing but he’s taught me to execute a whole host of duties! And I CAN’T ignore him or the meowing starts! Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow . . .  This is why I like turtles and lizards but I can only tolerate cats! I don’t like nags whether they walk on two legs or four! But that’s enough of my grumpy diatribe for now; let’s discuss another fascinating critter that I also enjoy more than kitties!

Here’s a quiet little gentleman that doesn’t insist on staring at you plaintively until you perform an endless litany of tasks for him. A matter of fact this peaceful amphibian doesn’t mind if you stop by now and again to stare at him but for the most part he just wants to be left the heck alone.

As you can see he's one of our handsomest native frogs here in the Poconos and, by the way, one of the most impossible to get a decent photograph of!

Without a top of the line zoom lens the only way I can get a decent snap shot of these little hoppers is to squat down very close to them, hold my breath and try to click a picture or two before they dart off. I’ve often wondered what people think when they see some skinny guy all in black on his hands and knees in the muck and mire of their community pond or stream holding a clunky camera the size of coffee mug and focusing on something so tiny they probably can’t even see from where they are! Mothers with their little kids make a wide berth around the strange, long-haired, guy in the slimy water. This is why I try to explore nature areas way off the beaten path.

Anyway this is the Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) and it’s one of my favorites!

Size reports vary slightly depending on where you read but in general these frogs are 1.75 to 3.5 inches. Most of the ones I find are teeny but I came across this sizable individual, probably a female because they grow larger, hopping across the road one night this spring. I almost got squashed by oncoming traffic as I jumped out to photograph her so I hope you like it!

R. palustris lives throughout the eastern states except the extreme southeast and their northern range extends into southern Canada. They are typically found at the edges of ponds, lakes, marshes, bogs, and particularly streams. I have also found them inhabiting water filled potholes or grooves left in earthen trails by recreational sports vehicles or natural erosion.

Here is a small Pickerel that was submerged in the middle of a ditch that couldn’t have been more than 2 feet across.   

He actually thought this was a good hiding job! Um…sure! These depression in the ground are scooped out by the tires of ATVs as they tear through the woodlands in certain parts of the Pocono plateau where it’s, regrettably, legal. This upsets me so damn much because these puddles are small oases teaming with gentle amphibians and their eggs! I know I’m in the vast minority to be concerned about it but concerned I am and if I can’t vent my frustrations here where can I?

Just look at these minute amphibian embryos!

Are they the budding forms of Pickerel Frogs or Wood Frogs or Toads (all to be covered in future blogs) or some type of salamander? Who knows but these were  germinating in a rain filled depression along a pathway that’s frequented by these ATVs or Quads or whatever the heck they are! How many boys do you think stop their vehicles short and decide to turn back so as not to harm any delicate creatures in the water before them?  Yeah, ZERO would be the correct answer. Anyway . . . sorry about that little rant. Back to the frogs!

On moist days they sometimes can wonder pretty far from water and into neighboring meadows or woodlands. Most recently I found 2 small Pickerels under a piece of damp bark along the Appalachian Trail near Pahaquarry New Jersey. 

Pickerel Frogs hibernate from October until March or April often overwintering in caves.* Stimulated by heavy spring rains they breed and large globular masses of about 2000-3000 eggs are attached to underwater vegetation.  Once they have hatched and developed into olive green tadpoles with fine black and yellow spots they fully metamorphosis into adult frogs in about 70-80 days. I don’t know who sits around and times these things but I can personally think of  better things to do with my time…but that’s just me! 

In two years these young Pickerels are sexually mature and ready to start the life cycle all over again.  Adult frogs eat a balanced diet of ants, spiders, bugs, beetles, sawfly larvae, and other invertebrates. Yeah, that’s what my source said a “balanced” diet. In my opinion any diet with bugs in it, especially spiders is in no way balanced. In fact, It’s completely off balance--YECH! Again, just one guy’s point of view here in PA.

Pocono naturalist, John Serrao reports that their voice  is a “harsh, steady, low “snore” lasting 1 or 2 seconds, with very poor carrying power (often produced underwater).”

Here’s a pickerel that was in mid-underwater snore! (or maybe he was just hiding)

Laura Smolowe of Yale University (whoever she is) also reported that, "Pickerel Frogs have a distinct aggressive call as well. This chuckling noise, also produced by the male, serves as a warning to another male that he may be infringing upon the first male's territory.”

Hey, wouldn’t it be great if people just chuckled at each other when they felt threatened!? What a different world this would be!

One of my earliest memories of Rana palustris was when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I had set up and semi-aquatic, 20 gallon, terrarium and filled it with several species of small native frogs. I had a green frog, a few wood frogs, a spring peeper, and a very tiny bullfrog.  These were animals that would never be encountered living side-by-side in the wild but hey, I was a dumb kid, and what did I know!?

 Surprisingly, however, my community of amphibious tank mates was thriving despite their drastically different areas of origin until I introduced a pair of pickerel frogs. Four or five days later I awoke to find every single animal in the tank had perished, many of them with pink ulcers on their legs and sides. It was not a good day to say the least.

After a few trips to the library (this was way before the Internet folks! Yes there was a before the Internet!) Anyway, after some trips to the library I learned about a critical detail I had overlooked. Pickerel Frogs are the only poisonous frog native to the United States! They secrete strong toxins through their skins that make them extremely unappetizing to predators. Enclosed in a small space these chemicals can build up to levels lethal enough to destroy themselveves and anyone with them.

Robert Sneidigar mentions in his book, Our Small Native Animals: Their Habit and Care, that “This [skin] secretion is poisonous, and many a collector has found his catch of mixed frogs killed by the presence of a few pickerel frogs unwisely tossed into the general bag.”

There it was! My “general bag” was my terrarium!  Darn!

And I need to emphasize, by the way, that Snedigar’s book was published in 1963 when we were less environmentally sophisticated. I don’t recommend anyone going out to “collect” any native wildlife.  It’s just a bad idea all around.  OK, have I settled down the conservationists in the audience?  OK, good!

Now, even  more specifically to the point of the skin toxins is this bit from National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians  by John L. Behler and F. Wayne King (why can’t nature books  have  short titles?),

“The secretions will kill other frogs kept in the same collecting container or terrarium.” 

Another reference I discovered way too late! 

Incidentally not all predators are deterred by their noxious defenses! Certain other frogs can gobble them up with no ill effects and our frog originally earned its name because it was a favorite food of pickerel fish and therefore a favorite bait for anglers.  How could they stick one of these friendly creatures onto a hook?? Sickening!

Well, dear friends, we’ve come to the end of yet another chapter of “Kieran’s Critters.” I hope you found at least something in here fun or informative or intriguing and as always I welcome any feedback you may have! Have your own photograph of a pickerel frog? Feel free to share it here! I’d love to see it.

In the meantime pick a peck of pickled peppers before a pickerel promptly picks your peck and I’ll depart now in peace!  (Pardon my prattling!) I have no idea what that meant!

MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! This cat is making my nutty!!

 

* Interesting claim made by naturalist John Serrao in his book about reptiles and amphibians.

BLOG 10: Just A Brief Announcement

I’m shocked at how popular this little blog is becoming. Kieran’s Critters is going over like a waterproof sponge! Like soap free laundry detergent! Like an Inflatable Dartboard! Like a black highlighter! Like…well you get the idea.

In celebration of very little and apropos of nothing I thought it might be a good idea to finally set up my Blogger Profile that no one will ever look at. But was I to fill it in as just me or as Kieran’s Critters? I went back and forth on the decision a few times and then finally decided on a blend of the two. Where I was able to emphasize my interest in nature I filled it out as Kieran’s Critters and where I was invited to share information that didn’t seem to lend itself to this format I strayed a bit from the central themes of my blog.

Huh?

Well I simply mean that the “Favorite Movies” and “Favorite Music” sections are what Kieran likes and have little to do with critters or what we’re doing here. Interestingly enough when many of my favorites were converted into blue links when I clicked on them to see who else shared my interests most of the time I got a list of only 1 person...ME! One time it even said that no one was interested in a Favorite of mine and that they didn't even trust that I was being serious about it! I put a big arrow here pointing to their comment! Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

Anyway, I actually think I did a fairly decent job writing my Introduction and keeping it within the 1200 characters limit. That, if nothing else, might be something you'll want to read and It sums up pretty well what my blog is about. You should find it running down the side of the page to the right.

 

Weird place for it to appear but that’s what I get, I suppose, for not bothering too much with customizing the template I’m using.

 

The only section of the user profile I didn’t fill in was what they call the “Random Question” that reads, “You’ve been entered in a shadow puppet contest. What's your best pose?” I have absolutely NO idea what that means! Is it a gag? Is it funny? Perverted? It just makes no sense at all to me so I left it blank. That question went over like a battery powered battery Charger! Like scent free air freshener! Like precooked ice-cream! Like…OK…let’s not get into all of that again!

 

I’ll be back soon with some thoughts about an interesting frog. Stay tuned!

 

BLOG 9: A Gathering In Hamburg

Today I have a slightly different type of blog for myself that I hope I’ll enjoy! I don’t really have any readers anymore so I address all of this to myself. What I fail to understand is why I never leave a comment. I mean it’s MY BLOG, surely I can think of something to say! To tell you the truth though, I just can’ be bothered!

Anyway, did you know that they actually had conventions for people who like creepy crawlies? It’s true! There are huge get-togethers where crazy people from all over meet to discuss, to trade and to sell reptiles and amphibians! These events happen all the time and in practically every state. Hey, there’s probably  one taking place right now or coming up somewhere near you!   Are you happy? Horrified? Indifferent?  Well don’t worry,  the maniacs that congregate at these events are as weird as they come but perfectly harmless (for the most part.) I should know, I’m one of ‘em!

This past Saturday, a matter of fact, my friend Kerry and I went to the  Northwestern Berks Reptile Show in Hamburg Pennsylvania.  It’s billed as “One Of The Largest Reptile Shows On The East Coast” with Over 200 Tables Of Reptiles, Amphibians and Invertebrates.

Are you bored? Well thank goodness for TV and the Internet and all those other wonderful distractions out there. For anyone who’s interest I may have captured however please continue on for a whole bunch of photos from the show! I hope I enjoy them (oh…um…I hope you enjoy them . . .maybe I have a secret reader out there...you never know!)
 

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A cheery sign greets you as you enter Hamburg! Oh, and I have no idea who the heck Richard L. Etchberger is but I just know if you're an Etchberger from Hamburg that so many people will call you Etchburg from Hamburger or Hamburg from Etchburg or Etchburger with fries or...well I'm sure it's just a mess!

 Heading down 4th street!

This is the field house where the show is held and has been held for the past 20 years!

 



Critter enthusiasts wait in the pouring rain to get in. Just look at that line! And we got their early!

 

I dug the hand stamp this time! It just goes to show that turtles rule! You do see that it's a turtle, right? It also looks a bit like nothing at all.

My kind of people! And the place was packed with them!  

OK, but let's start checking out the herps! These are some of the best captive bred Diamondback Terrapins I have ever seen. You can't really see it in this snap shot but they had some really nice pink and orange tinges to their carapaces (top shells). These couldn't have been much larger than 4 inches. 

Turtles don't come cheep, by the way. Check out the price of these hatchlings! I was dead broke at this show but if I had any money I would have been dangerous! I want 'em all!

More expensive turtles

More turtles! Can you tell turtles are my favorite? Red Footeds are a medium size tortoise growing 12-18" and 25-30 pounds! You can see Red Footeds in the container in the front and I think those were Yellow Footeds to the right. In the back there is a huge, albino, rabbit eating boa constrictor (I think) that I didn't care much for. Sorry if that offends you serpent lovers but monster snakes ain't my thing. I don't hate them but I don't need them around either.

Sulcatas (African spur thigh tortoises) for $75 and $85! Those are actually very reasonable prices and you're getting a LOT of turtle for that! Adults get to be 24 to 36 inches long, can weigh 100-200 lb  and live  50-150 years!

A Florida Box Turtle!!! This is a super unusual find at one of these shows and something you’ll probably not see again anytime soon! It killed me that I couldn't bring this little fellow home! Box turtles of any kind are becoming impossible to find in the trade these days.

 

 

 

And for those who like small water turtles like the little quarter sized things they used to sell in China Towne (that get HUGE by the way) look at these! And some were only dime sized!

 

 

There is a long standing and asinine Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 that states “live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches shall not be sold, held for sale, or offered for any other type of commercial or public distribution.” Why? It’s been explained to me that “experts” at the Federal Department of Health are afraid a turtle that small can easily fit into a child’s mouth and possibly cause him or her to contract salmonella.  Little kids eat dirt and lick dogs and suck on coins and whatever else…why pick on turtles? And if you keep your pets clean and teach your children to wash their hands the risk is almost nonexistent!  How stupid! But this is a another issue maybe deserving of a whole separate blog!  And there is a loophole in the law, thankfully!  “The sale [. . .] of live turtles [. . .] for bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibition purposes, other than use as pets” is allowed.  You wouldn’t believe how many "bona fide" educators and scientists were shopping at the show! (cue sarcastic chuckling) And I like the way this vendor got around the law with some strategic reasoning!

 

I could easily fill up the whole rest of this blog with turtle photographs but you might be interested in seeing some of the other creatures that were for sell. You aren't? Well I'm going to show you anyway!

 

If you're an ophiophilist (person who loves snakes) this event didn't disappoint! There was table after table with rows of plexiglass boxes displaying every type of serpent imaginable in every type of color morph imaginable (not to mention every price imaginable)

 

More snakes!

 

And for the snake enthusiasts that are a little bonkers (to put it nicely) they even had the venomous variety. I'm not sure but I think these were rattle snakes that had been specially bred for their color. Keeping a snake that can kill you with one bite? I just don't get it!

 

There were lizards too! Look at all of them! Each one of these containers had another gecko in it.

 

For $65 you could have picked up your very own legless lizard! Don't you wish you had been there now!?

 

And here's what I call the goldfish of the lizard trade, bearded dragons. They are very docile and personable but they are just so darn ordinary. But this is still a nice shot of some of them, especially the one curious fellow watching the passerbys! And yes they are in containers that are way too small but it's only for a very short time while they are at the show. Relax people!

 

My friend Kerry who is sitting here with me is insisting that I also show you these mice that were for sale too. I dig them to but I was trying to limit my blog to under 1000 photographs. (just joking...take a deep beath)

You know, these look an awful lot like deer mice which is a native species in PA and native species can't be sold! If I wanted to make money off some home grown wild mice I might give 'em a fancy name too! Could that be what's going on here? Hmm . . .just a thought!

 

The Pigmies! 

 

There were not many salamanders at this show but the ones they had were impressive! Here's a congress of Fire Salamanders!  And yes, that's what a group of sals are called, a "congress." Please no political gags!

Here's Kerry selecting a Fire Salamander to go home with her!

Now, I have nothing against these little monsters but why would you want one as a pet? I would never hurt one but I really don't want to hang out with them either! I'm talking about Emperor Scorpions!  Kerry and I see these at almost every show. They are usually desplayed under a black light to make them fluoresce purple. I’m not sure my camera really captured the glow accurately.

And before you jump to any conclusions about who's into this madness it's not just all men and my friend Kerry! There are other females who collect the scaled and scurrying! Here's a woman who likes...well, just see for yourself! "Hey, look what I bought! Fill up the bathtub!"

 

As a whole herp hobbyists in recent years have become much more educated about proper husbandry of these animals and captive conditions. I personally believe the Internet has contributed greatly to bringing together like-minded reptile and amphibian lovers and bolstering the cross pollination of valuable information and ideas.  Conservation of these wonderful critters in the wild has also progressed and it may just be optimism on my part but I think herp enthusiasts have made leaps and bounds in many areas to assure they continue to thrive.   Unfortunately there are still irresponsible and abusive pet owners and business people that show up from time to time and give all of us good herpers a bad name.  Sometimes they even weasel their way into one of these shows. For the most part all the creatures we saw were happy and healthy but the little map turtles that this guy was hawking were beat up, bruised, infested with shell fungus and just in terrible condition! It was hard to even look at them! Turtles get this way from dirty water, incorrect lighting and overcrowding. It just makes me so &^*%$#@! mad!

 

But I didn't get one! I don't have the time or resources to bother with sick animals!

 

um...sure. You must know by now I'm a nicer guy than that! See this one in the center with the shell and head  covered with pink ulcers?

 

Yeah, that's the one my friend Kerry insisted we try to rescue. This dude was asking $25 or $30 for these and we gave him $5 and he didn't say a word! Smartest thing he did that whole day I'll bet. 

And what did captain nature package our aquatic turtle in? A cardboard box! Un-freakin-believable!

 

And I don't even wanna know what the hell was originally in this box! "Love Controls?" Please don't Google it and if you do, don't tell me about it! Luckily Kerry and I keep an assortment of plastic containers in our cars for just this sort of emergency. I was able to transfer our new pal from his soggy love controlling prison into a more comfortable piece of Tupperware for his journey home.

 

We got home pretty early so there was still enough time to let the map turtle soak in some healing UV  from the afternoon sun! Here's Kerry watching over him as he basks and Mutant Kitty (my cat) doing pretty much nothing...which is usually what he does.

 

 

Well, you made it to the end of another installment of Kieran's Critters! I know it was a long one but I thought you might (I might) enjoy all the photos!

As always thanks for stopping by and I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, ideas, and opinions! If you have any complaints whatsoever please address them to the cat...he'll sleep on it and get back to you as soon as never.