HERPING!!!!!!!!!!

Last night, we had an excellent presentation by April Claus all about herps (otherwise known as reptiles and amphibians). She taught us all about our native species and how to identify them in the wild. We also got to see some live specimens! Some of the species she brought included a Rat Snake, two Corn Snakes, a Musk Turtle, a Garter Snake, a Milk Snake, a Spotted Salamander, a Spring Peeper, and an American Toad!

After that fantastic presentation, April Claus led us on a very successful hunt for frogs, toads, and salamanders.  Almost immediately, we found American Toads no bigger than nickels and heard Green Frogs and Bullfrogs.  We also had a great find: a Gray Tree Frog!

walking to a stream, we began a search for salamanders that had everyone scrambling through mud and water for a variety of salamanders, including Northern and Mountain Dusky, Spotted Salamanders, Slimy Salamanders, and a lot more!

We finished our hike with a Spring Peeper and a few more salamanders and exited the woods while listening to a chorus of Gray Tree Frogs.