Snake Symbolism in Christianity

Snakes have been a part of art, culture, folklore and mythology since prehistoric times and can be seen depicted on cave walls and in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Snake symbolism is widespread and can be found in most cultures, religions and ideologies. Many meanings have been assigned to the snake symbol including immortality, rebirth, fertility or evil, cunning and temptation. Famously, in the christian creation story in the Old Testament Book of Genesis, the snake is what tempts Eve to give into her desires and eat the forbidden fruit. Once she eats the fruit and convinces Adam to do the same, God curses the snake, Eve and then Adam and banishes them from the garden. In this story, the snake is a symbol of temptation, evil and sin. The snake is often interpreted to be a servant of Satan or even Satan himself.  

Photo source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/815423/Garden-of-Eden-adam-and-eve-noahs-ark-bible

Being that christianity is the largest and most influential religion in the world at this moment in time, stories like these are not favorable for the reputation of snakes. Snakes already have an intimidating presence due to their fangs and peculiar slithering movements. Their flicking, forked tongues and lidless eyes aren’t exactly settling. Humans have a history of fearing the unknown and snakes are just one example of this. By depicting the snake, in the story of Adam and Eve, as sinful, the creators of the story are risking turning the entire christian population against snakes. In cultures where snakes are highly regarded in mythology, it is considered improper and offensive to harm or kill a snake. It is entirely possible for the opposite to be true for religious groups who depict snakes as evil. Irrational fear can lead to impulsive and senseless killing. Putting this negative and unfair stigma on snakes can put them in danger of persecution in the name of religion.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/snake-symbol-history-mythology

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-stories/adam-and-eve-in-the-garden.html

Herps in the News: Burmese Pythons

 Caitlyn Moss

Herps in the News: Burmese Pythons

    The article, "Exotic Animal Invaders: Tracking the invasive Burmese python through the swamps of Florida," (published March 17, 2022) gives an update to the ongoing battle against Burmese pythons in the Everglades. The first Burmese python found in the Everglades was recorded in 1979, likely a release or escape from the pet trade. Since the early 1900s, Florida has been a hotspot for non-native animal species, with more than 130,000 reports, ranging from fishes (both saltwater and freshwater), reptiles, and amphibians. The Burmese python in particular has a far reaching impact on local wildlife. The article reports on a study by the United States Geological Survey that, "the most severe declines in native species have occurred in the remote southernmost regions of Everglades National Park, where pythons have been established the longest," citing several examples such as the the raccoon population, which has decreased by 99.3% since the introduction of the pythons. 

    The article details the work of wildlife biologist Matthew McCollister as he tracks four large male pythons, called "scout snakes". The purpose of tagging these scout snakes is to hopefully be led to a larger breeding female, as the way to eliminate the population more effectively is to capture the breeding females. Another reason for tagging these snakes is to understand how they are using the environment. In understanding that aspect of their biology, scientists can have a greater understanding of how they are surviving and thriving in an environment that is not their native one. McCollister claims that they may even be doing better in the Everglades as a population than in their native range. The article also interviews Tyson Facto, who is the supervisor of herps and aquatics at ZooTampa. This zoo houses a great number of species that have invaded Florida, in order to educate the public on what to do if they see one in the wild, or even have one as a pet.

    So, what should you do if you have one of these animals as a pet? There is a phrase that Sarah Funck from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) uses: "don't let it loose". If you find that your exotic pet of any caliber becomes too much for you to handle, the FWC has an Exotic Pet Amnesty Program. This program allows for the surrendering of all kinds of exotic pets, with no penalties or questions attached. So far, the program has taken in 6,554 animals, with most of them being turtles, lizards, and snakes. 

    This article I believe contributes a good update to the ongoing battle against Burmese pythons in Florida. While it is not heavy in scientific jargon or specifics, it is targeted toward the common citizen, attempting to educate them on the problem that exotic pets are causing in Florida. Therefore, I believe that the lack of scientific specificity is appropriate, as the average citizen would not understand all of the jargon, and therefore would not gain much from the article. I believe that the author would probably have a bias toward wanting to eradicate the species from the Everglades, but that is because the people they interviewed for this article also want that. Ecologically, the eradication of the population would be a good thing, but some people are of the mind that we should let them do what they want to do. 

Article Link: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/full-circle/exotic-animal-invaders-tracking-the-invasive-burmese-python-through-the-swamps-of-florida

Natural History: Yellow-Bellied Slider

 

I spotted this Yellow-Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta) while walking through the Audubon Swamp Garden within the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. This turtle is within the family Emydidae which are commonly known as the basking pond turtles. This picture is quite fitting because that is exactly what the turtle is doing. I could tell this was a Yellow-Bellied Slider due to its distinct yellow stripes/marks on the head and chin. Also, the very narrow yellow stripes on the forelimbs. Additionally, if you look at the marginal scutes there are smudged brown spots. I could not tell whether this turtle was male or female because it was in the middle of a pond. I had to zoom in quite a bit for this photo. I could not see whether the turtle had a long and thin tail indicating a male or a short and thick one indicating a female. The claws looked long from what I could tell (meaning male), but without comparing them to another Yellow-Bellied Slider it is unclear. Due to the size of the turtle and its shell, I would say it is at least a couple of years old. I'm guessing this turtle was around 9 inches, if not bigger. Most grow to about 6-12 inches depending on the sex. This was a particularly sunny day in early March and so the turtle, as I said before, was basking in the warm sun. Yellow-Bellied Sliders are ectothermic and therefore they need to use the sun's warmth to heat up their internal temperature. I saw many turtles exhibiting this same behavior while walking this trail. This particular area of Magnolia Gardens is the perfect habitat for turtles. There were multiple ponds, swampy areas, water-filled ditches, and boggy forests. This is perfect for Yellow-Bellied sliders because it is a semi-aquatic turtle that prefers freshwater. This species of turtle is mainly found within the Southeastern United States, and this particular turtle was found only 25 minutes away from the College of Charleston. It was interesting to observe this creature out in its natural habitat without disturbing its day. I also found the number of yellow-bellied sliders and other species to be quite large in a place that I would consider having high foot traffic from humans and dogs. 

Natural History of the American Alligator

I spotted this American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) when I visited home during spring break at Santee Canal park in Moncks Corner. This species is in the order Crocodilia and the family Alligatoridae. They are often mistaken as crocodiles, which have a less broad, more v-shaped snout and their fourth tooth is visible sticking upward when their mouth is closed. I spotted it walking the trails with a dog I was fostering when I looked up and saw this cutie sunbathing. The alligator blended in so well with its neighboring environment that my friend did not even notice it at first and I had to point it out to her. The dog I was walking actually never noticed it. I was expecting to see an alligator at some point during our walk since their courting season is beginning soon and they are starting to be more active. The county park Cypress Gardens, which is also in Moncks Corner, actually bans dogs from coming to the park during the months of March-October because alligators are so active during this time. During these first few months they are courting/mating, around summer they start laying their eggs, and once fall starts to come around there are hatchlings running around. Santee Canal is the perfect habitat for this species because it is a huge area of swamps, ponds, woods, muddy areas, and more that all connect to the river. There are plenty of areas for the alligators to build nests, bask in the sun, find food, and more. I am not sure if this individual was a male or female. It was only around six feet so it could possibly be a female or a male that was still growing. The pollen and dried mud on it prevented me from being able to see if it had any crossbands, which would help in estimating its age. Since alligators are ectothermic, it was likely sunbathing to raise its body temperature. It showed no interest in us but I still went down a different trail to avoid disturbing it. I have always found alligators really interesting so I was very happy that we were able to see one during our walk!

Natural History of Nerodia Erythrogaster

 The plain-bellied water snake is a heavy-bodied, harmless live-bearing snake mostly inhabiting swamps and freshwater wetlands. Uniform in color and in the local area presents a red belly. Adults do not present any distinct patterns however the young can have very distinct patterns. These snakes are excellent swimmers and mostly feed on fish and amphibians. However, they will venture on land to hibernate or bask in the sunlight. Young are birthed between august and October 

This particular snake was spotted while I was working on a project last semester in  co-op pond, Francis Marion national forest. It was late October and it was a warm day for the season. The snake was found in the tall grass that surrounded the edge of the pond coiled against a tree. The snake did not immediately react to my presence, once I repositioned for a better picture the snake took a defensive posture by Flattening the head and body. These snakes are quick to defend themselves as opposed to fleeing. I suspect this snake to be an adult female due to the size however there are no other differences in appearance between males and females. Before taking herpetology I treated most snakes as potentially venomous as I didn't trust my identification. I saw a dark-colored body and wide triangled head and assumed it was a cottonmouth at first glance, after observing from farther away I could properly identify the snake. To get a better picture I tried to remove the stick that is seen in the picture posted and the snake struck my hiking pole, I backed away and the snake went the opposite direction. It was an unexpected experience during that time of the year and I was grateful to capture some photos.

 

Concepts and contentions of coral snake resemblance: Batesian mimicry and its alternatives (article review)

This review paper combines all previous studies regarding mimicry and color similarities between venomous coral snakes and their lookalikes. The authors report the current understanding of the relationship between snakes with ringed coloration and predator avoidance or lack thereof. In more recent literature on topics such as this, Batesian mimicry is assumed to be the primary explanation as to why aposematic coloration has persisted in mimics. However, the authors of this paper point out that a lack of empirical data and evidence that may prove alternative hypotheses further complicates scientific understanding of complex mimetic systems.

The first alternative hypothesis is thought to be the use of illusionary color patterns to visually confuse potential predators. This is enabled through critical flicker fusion (CFF) in which fast moving patterns blur in the same way strobe lights begin to appear as non-flickering to the human eye after prolonged exposure. When moving fast, the predator’s eyes aren’t able to keep up, therefore the ring patterns blend into one solid color. When not in motion, the ring patterns become a cryptic characteristic, especially on a mottled background which allows the snake to escape predation. While this theory makes sense, there is little to no empirical evidence of this occurring within coral snakes and their predators. 

Second, there is doubt placed on the predator’s learned avoidance because of the lethality of coral snake venom. Predators that die due to fast-acting lethal venom are unable to learn avoidance behaviors of similarly colored prey items. Alternatively, empathic learning via a third-party observer could be responsible for learned avoidance yet the assumptions of this occurring are highly implausible. For example, a large number of predators must avoid the coral snakes and lookalikes in order for mimicry to persist and the lack of knowledge regarding coral snake predators further contradicts this hypothesis. 

In typical mimicry systems, the mimic and the model species live in sympatry with each other because in a shared environment the mimic is able to benefit from predator avoidance of aposematic coloration. However, in some parts of the ranges of coral snakes and their lookalikes, they live in allopatry. For example, in the northern range of the scarlet kingsnake, there is no overlap in range with the venomous eastern coral snake. Further research needs to be conducted in order to provide inside into phenotypic similarity and geographical distribution.

In terms of supporting evidence for Batesian mimicry being a primary force to the evolution of coral snake lookalikes, there are three hypotheses mentioned in this paper. First, an experiment concluded that environmental variability does not affect predation rates among ringed snake species. Their findings highlight that patterned snakes are overall predated upon less than uniformly colored snakes. This contradicts the CFF hypotheses previously mentioned. 

Another plausible possibility of predator avoidance of aposematic colored snakes could be due to an innate predator avoidance due to neophobia. An experiment highlighted in this paper that illustrates this hypothesis showed that naïve chicks of a predatory bird species actively avoided ringed snakes even though they had never previously been exposed to coral snakes and their harmful consequences. However, a caveat is that while neophobia is present in some predator species of coral snakes, it is not ubiquitous among all predator species. 

Finally, the last argument for Batesian mimicry in coral snake lookalikes is the geographical distribution of both mimic and model species. Through experimentation, it was found that attacks on ringed snakes increased as allopatry increased, meaning that the protection gained from Batesian mimicry decreases. Further, the greater the resemblance of a mimic species to its model species counterparts also increases the higher the level of sympatry. This doesn’t explain the maintained presence of allopatric lookalikes however, and some explanation as to why this still occurs despite evidence for the contrary is also outlined in this paper- range contraction of coral snakes, range expansion of lookalikes, and gene flow that maintains this mimetic coloration. 

After reading this paper, it is clear further research must be conducted in order to reach a consensus and better understanding of Batesian mimicry in coral snakes and their lookalikes. There still remains uncertainty about whether or not Batesian mimicry is a main cause of coloration similarities in snakes. Rather than positing whether or not mimicry occurs or not within coral snakes and their lookalikes, the authors conclude that the similarities in coloration are most likely due to a suite of environmental factors. In order for future research opportunities to gain more understanding of this relationship, the authors also provided a clear definition of what constitutes a Batesian mimicry system: 

-        Systems consist of model, mimic, and signal receiver

-        Model is toxic or unpalatable

-        Signal receiver associates ringed coloration with harmful stimulus of the model

-        Model and mimic are sympatric

-        Signal receiver is the main selective pressure for persistence of the avoidance of mimetic phenotype

This review paper further emphasizes the scientific inquiry process and how information gained through experimentation is always susceptible to change through new methods and knowledge. While it is unclear whether or not Batesian mimicry is a main reason behind similarities in snake color patterns, we can deduce that the answer is not simple. 

Source

Sena, Anthony Thomas, and Sara Ruane. "Concepts and contentions of coral snake resemblance: Batesian mimicry and its alternatives." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society(2022). 

https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/135/4/631/6513742

Natural History of the Eastern Copperhead

Eastern Copperhead: Agkistrodon contortrix 

Eastern Copperheads are a species of venomous pit viper endemic to the central and southeastern United States. These snakes are often found in mountainous or lowland forests where they can seek shelter in caves or underneath logs in the forest underbrush. They have copper-colored bands spanning the length of their back and triangular-shaped heads containing venomous sacks and heat-sensing pits. This species also has vertically compressed pupils, similar to that of a cat.

I was unable to get a good look at the head of this individual as I was maintaining a safe distance from this venomous, dangerous snake. This Copperhead was sitting underneath a log where I spotted it while hiking along a trail at Carolina Beach State Park in Wrightsville, NC. The banding on this individual was very bright and distinct as it slithered further into the pine straw behind the log. I would assume this snake was fully grown, or near it as it was quite long. Copperheads tend to inhabit woody forests such as this one. They often come out of a type of brumation in the spring to search for mates- which is something this individual could have been doing. This experience was extremely exciting for me as it was the first venomous snake I have come across in the wild after having only witnessed them in zoos and aquariums before! I wish I could have gotten a better picture and seen the whole snake- but I am glad to have had the opportunity to see one at all.

Native American Indian Alligator Myth

 In Southeastern Native American culture, they believe that alligators share their hunting powers with humans who respect the alligator's. There are tribal dance traditions in the Caddo and Seminole tribe. Going more in depth with searching I found a Choctaw legend titled "The Alligator and The Hunter" which justifies the beliefs Native Americans have towards alligators. The tale starts as a man who doesn't have luck of hunting deer and couldn't provide for his family. He was known in the village as the strongest but had bad luck as far as deer hunting. During his journey through deep swamps he would spot a deer and the deer's would run away every chance he gets to kill them. He hunted for 3 days with no success until the fourth day when he came across a alligator that was resting on sand. The season in the tale is late summer so the swamps are dried out. The alligator has been without water for days and the hunter felt that the alligator was having worse luck than him. The alligator and hunter came to an agreement of helping the alligator get to the springs with cool water, in return the alligator would make him a great hunter. The hunter was afraid that the alligator might harm him, so he tied up his legs and jaw in order to protect himself. The hunter and alligator kept their promises and the hunter had to follow a set of rules in order to become a great hunter. He would have to go up to a small doe, large doe, and small buck and only greet but not kill. Lastly, once he meets an old buck that has been on Earth longer and is ready to be captured, the hunter should kill the buck, greet and thank it for giving itself to him. The hunter followed these steps and became the greatest hunter, he told the village and they too became great hunters. This tribe the Choctaws are known for great deer hunting, and they've kept the alligators wisdom and teaching in order to survive.

The attitude towards alligators in the folktale is positive and they shouldn't fear an alligator, or kill. Analyzing the tale I think that its in favor of the alligators to not become extinct near this tribe's location but if someone believes that a alligator is trustworthy over their instinct of it harming them, then I think that could lead to a dangerous situation. But in the tale the hunter is precautious about the alligator harming him. In the portrait it shows the alligator being bind so it couldn't harm the hunter while on its journey to the springs.  Also, with hunting I've heard that  you should pay your respects to the animal you've captured or accidently ran over and thank/greet them. Especially look the animal in its eyes while it passes. Native Americans are known for being in tuned with nature and animals which is why they're able to survive without a lot generic resources. Maybe if American and others didn't hunt so many different animals, and would take the time to learn them, then possibly those animals would've repaid us in a ways we wouldn't notice.  

https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TheAlligatorandtheHunter-Choctaw.html

Natural History of the American Green Tree Frog

On our adventure through the Stono Preserve, I came across an American Green Tree Frog that was hopping through the dense vegetation of a forested area located a few feet away from a small pond. The distinctive bright green color and black-bordered, white/cream streaks from its lips to its groin identified this species as Hyla cinerea. This particular frog was relatively small so it likely recently completed metamorphosis and is male because females of this species are much larger. Hylids have well developed toe discs, extensive webbing, and toepads. Out of the local genera of Family Hylidae, the Hyla genus has the largest toepads. These large toepads assists these frogs in their arboreal life style. A unique feature about Hylids is that their skin color can vary between green, gray, and brown due to light, moisture, temperature, stress, or activity level. 

Green Tree Frogs are in the Order Anura, which have very complex life cycles with highly specialized larvae. They are oviparous with herbivorous larvae that undergo dramatic metamorphosis because they transition from herbivores to carnivores. They also use acoustic and visual communication to attract mates, warn others about nearby predators, and even to announce incoming rainfall. This species exhibits no signs of parental care after the deposition of eggs, therefore they have large clutch sizes with the average being around 400 eggs.

Article Review: Using Google Trends to Determine Current, Past, and Future Trends in the Reptile Pet Trade

    I doubt most of you are unaware, but the reptile trade in America and the EU is quite the booming business. As Valdez states in Using Google Trends to Determine Current, Past, and Future Trends in the Reptile Pet Trade, “In the U.S. alone, reptile ownership has more than doubled during the previous two decades, with an estimated 4.5 million homes currently containing at least one pet reptile.”

    I’m one of those 4.5 million (and I’m sure some of you are as well). And most of us pet owners are the owners of very common species, such as bearded dragons, ball pythons, leopard geckos, etc. But how do we regulate those who want something more exotic and possibly endangered? How do we find out what reptiles are becoming more popular to consumers? 

    Well, this article suggests that by looking at Google trends, we can see exactly where the reptile pet trade is heading, and what reptiles we need to be on the lookout for.

By comparing Google trends to online surveys, Valdez was able to get a clear idea of where the trade was heading, and fortunately, it looks like endangered, wild-caught species are on the decline recently, and your easy to handle, medium-sized, docile cold-blooded buddies are still very much on the up and up.

    Now, this probably seems like small news compared to other articles I could’ve reviewed, but I think what struck me about this one (other than the fact I’m somewhat personally invested in the topic) is the way this research was conducted. Who would have thought that google trends could actually have some significance in reptile conservation? I think that’s pretty valuable knowledge and an interesting new technique for scientific studies. 

Valdez, Jose W. “Using Google Trends to Determine Current, Past, and Future Trends in the Reptile Pet Trade.” Animals, vol. 11, no. 3, 2021, p. 676., https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030676.

Natural History: Squirrel Treefrogs

During the adventures at Stono Reserve, I expected to encounter a variety of reptiles and amphibians. One of the herpes that really intrigued me was tree frogs, as I generally associate them inhabiting mainly tropical areas. Funny enough, I noticed a few bright, green specks hopping around while I was scouring through the foliage. I immediately dropped my potato rake, dropped to knees, and reached out to grab as many as I could. They demonstrated their agility and perception, as they frolicked around me. Even when caught, they found any crevices of my grasp to escape - in which I would have to start from square one. Finally, I caught this cute and vibrant fellow:

The frog was surprisingly calm around me; I think it was because we formed a bond. It was concluded to be a Squirrel treefrog (Hyla squirella). Because I did not see if it had a vocal sac, I could not confidently identify its sex. I did see many of them on either thick vegetation or sticking onto trees that are close to a body of water. This is because this species of frog reproduce via external fertilization. The female deposits many eggs into shallow waters, and the male would then fertilize the exposed eggs. March is actually the beginning of this species breeding season. Unfortunately, it was not late enough for me to experience their duck-like quack calls. 

From further examining the frog, I would estimate that its body was a little less than an inch. Referencing the picture above, its fully extended legs were almost double its body size. You could also see the genera's extensive webbing and large toepads. Squirrel treefrogs are highly variable in color and spotting/markings. My friend was of the uniformly green variant and featured no markings. As a result, it could be confused with the Green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). The main difference here is that Squirrel treefrogs do not feature a lightly-colored lateral stripe that extends from its lips to its groin. 

Natural History of Thamnophis sirtalis

 

    On our third herpetology field trip we had the pleasure of finding this beautiful Eastern Garter Snake, also known scientifically as Thamnophis sirtalis. This snake (which we believe to be female due it's cloaca and no sign of a hemipenis) was found at Stono Preserve in Charleston, South Carolina near a large bush near a body of water. Garter snakes are very common throughout our state/region. This is a typical area to find these types of snakes because they prefer moist grassy environments. Measurements of body length were not able to be obtained but if I had to estimate I would say she was roughly 2-2.5 ft long. She remained curled up while being held so estimates may not entirely be accurate. Because of the size of this garter snake we can assume she was an adult. These snakes are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young, therefore juveniles are much smaller than the one pictured above. 

   

    While attempting to catch her she became slightly aggressive, indicating she felt as though she was in danger. In attempt to avoid capture she tried burrowing into the dead leaves. After that method proved to be unsuccessful, she then slid up the branches of the bush, where myself and Dr. Welch were able to catch her. Although, this was not done without consequences. Out of fear she released a foul-smelling musk onto my hand and struck the side of my pinky. We then allowed her to relax on a pillowcase until she was no longer feeling threatened. After a while, she mellowed out and actually allowed my fellow classmates to hold her without the pillowcase.

    This was a very special experience for me. I've always loved nature and the animals that reside there. Now of course I've held a snake but I've never caught one out in the wild, let alone be bit by one. I couldn't even be mad that she bit me because we were in her space. Overall, it was such an exciting feeling being able to see her up close nd definitely gave me an even greater appreciation for the experiences and lessons that wildlife has to offer. 

Our Local Southern Leopard Frog

 

On our very first herpetology class field trip to the Caw Caw Interpretive Center, we found this beautiful frog in one of the minnow traps previously set up. Thanks to our trusty Peterson Field Guide, we were easily able to identify this little guy as a Southern Leopard Frog, scientific name Lithobates sphenocephalus, a local species found here in Charleston, South Carolina. You can tell by the pointed snout, the dorsolateral ridges that continue to the groin, the light spots on the eardrums, and of course the leopard like rounded spots. We were unable to identify this particular specimen as a male or female, but for those interested, you can tell as the males have paired vocal sacs. 

Southern Leopard Frogs are part of the Family Ranidae, which is easy to see, as they have the characteristic slim waist, long legs, and smooth skin. These guys can be found in most freshwater areas, as well as somewhat brackish marshes across most of the East Coast, into eastern Texas, and even up into Missouri. We actually found it in a marshy, somewhat murky area. It was really fun to actually get in the mud and water with the long waders on and do some real herping in the field. I've never had the privilege of seeing one of these guys in person before, let alone hold one! After we were done observing, we left everyone back where we found them. It was great to see one of these guys in their natural habitat and I'm really excited to see what else we find!

Natural history: Asian Big-headed turtle

 Natural history: Asian Big-headed turtle

We encountered this turtle on a field trip to the turtle alliance center (it is a secret guarded place so not quite sure if it's the name of the place). Its scientific name is Platysternon megacephalum and its common name is the asian big headed turtle. This turtle was picked up by its caregiver and shown to the class. This turtle had a big head that it couldn't retract into its shell like other turtles can. 

This turtle is a part of the family Platysternidae that originates from Southeast Asia and southern China. They are critically endangered on the IUCN Red List because of overexploitation. They are eaten and sold and collected for the international pet trade. Their habitat includes narrow fast streams and rivers. The asian big headed turtles are known to be climbers. They aren’t strong swimmers. They use their claws, tail, and beak to assist in climbing over obstacles within the streams etc. This turtle eats fishes, snails, molluscs, and crustaceans. 

I believe that this turtle was maybe approximately 30 cm. It was a little hard to tell because I wasn’t able to measure it or be closer to it. I wasn’t able to determine if it was a male or female but I found out that male carapaces are more concave than the female’s. This turtle was a dark brown, almost looking black in some areas. I enjoyed going to this turtle center where I got to see different types of turtles and learn more about them. Also, to be able to learn more about what this center is doing and how they are working to try to save the turtles that are in danger of being extinct and trying to regrow their populations.

Art analysis: George Glazer

 

When you gaze upon this work, what comes to mind? Regality? Grace? Honor? Power? Perhaps elegance? These are all the correct thoughts to have as you gaze upon my aunt’s custom portrait of my Mexican Spiny Tailed Iguana, Julia. It's truly a magnificent piece that I am lucky to have hanging in my apartment. Now, it's going to be difficult to analyze a masterpiece like this when I myself am only an amateur in the ways of Photoshop, but I'll give it my best try.

Alright, the jig's up; I was kidding. I won’t actually analyze that portrait (as funny as it would be, I gotta get those 10 points). Instead, I’ll be discussing this painting (1787) by George Glazer. 

I think it illustrates quite well how off people’s perception of reptiles, and foreign animals in general, were at the time. When I look at this painting and see the crocodile's stupidly tiny head and weirdly giant limbs, it makes me grateful to have the internet as well as quick access to photos of the herps we discuss in class. Beyond that, just look at Twitch’s most popular emote:

It's hard to even avoid seeing vividly detailed photos of herps now that we have the internet!

But I digress. The misconceptions of the past seem funny now, but in those times, it was the only frame of reference many people had. It’s a lot easier now, but conjuring accurate depictions of creatures from only a set of partial skeletal remains, or one solitary sighting from far away, was a herculean task back in the day, and do I respect that although this image of a crocodile is a bit disfigured and janky, it still gets the point across. I mean, I couldn’t draw one better than this even with the technology we have now!

So, in an absurd way, I find it just a little bit impressive. And even if you don’t, at the very least you can get a laugh out of it. What more can you ask of art than that?

            

Natural History: Eastern Box Turtle

   Working outside in the rain usually brings me very little joy, but this day was different. I was clearing brush on the trail out back, soaked to my boots, when I came across this little guy, uncomfortably lodged in the backyard fence.

    

    It wasn’t every day that I saw box turtles (Terrapene Carolina), especially not one this small, and especially not one in a predicament like this! 

    After carefully removing the juvenile turtle, I did my best standing vertical long jump (aka I walked around to the other side of the fence) and sent him on his way.

 

    Unlike most species in Emydidae, these turtles are terrestrial and live mostly in wooded areas where they can hide in the leaf litter or burrow. Like all turtles, they only have direct development, and during the summer, these turtles lay their eggs underground.

    As you can tell from this little guy closing his shell up on me, box turtles aren’t super pleased with the presence of humans or anything large and predatory-looking, but they are sometimes kept as pets regardless.

    They’re omnivores as well and basically eat whatever they can find; unfortunately, though, they’re not able to consume metal, even with their keratinized beak, so this guy wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But luckily, I found him, and this story has a happy ending. Although, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened hadn’t.

    Ah well, hypotheticals always bum me out, so I’ll leave it at that. The turtle lives another day, and so do we!

 

The Natural History of the Greater Siren, Siren lacertina.

    This Greater Siren was found at the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel, SC.  Its scientific name is Siren lacertina.  I found the siren in one of the small minnow traps set up in the water.  It was very difficult to transfer from the trap to the net because it was very slimy and moving a lot in an attempt to escape.  After it was transferred into the net, the siren was placed in a tub of water and photographed.  After it was identified with the field guide, it was safely released back in the water where it was captured.

    Sirens have two forelimbs and no hindlimbs, they also have external gills.  They are aquatic and commonly live in areas with stagnant water(swamps, etc).  I would estimate that the siren I found was approx. 1 foot long.  I was unable to determine whether it was male or female.  It was a gray color with yellow dots.  It was an adult Greater Siren because it did not have stripes which are seen in juvenilles.  The Greater Siren is predominantly found in the Southeast US. 

      
I really enjoyed searching for and identifying different amphibians and reptiles on this field trip.  I did not realize how much diversity there was in local amphibians before taking this class.  I was very excited to see a siren in person for the first time and I hope to see another one at some point.  I also learned on this trip that minnow traps can be used to catch amphibians and thought that was an interesting and useful field technique.