Timber rattlesnake Radio Transmiter Implantation Surgery

Posted on by Stevo

Watch as ENP’s rattlesnake vet Dr. Lee Bolt and Professor Ron Davis implant a radio transmitter into a wild Timber Rattlesnake.  This snake will be tracked by Dr. Davis and his students from Western Carolina University in order to learn more about it’s movements and habitat use.

After the surgery watch as Dr. Bolt uses a therapeutic laser to help with wound healing! This may be the first time a therapeutic laser has been used on a Timber Rattlesnake!

TURTLE TRACKS expedition videos from this summer!

Posted on by Stevo

If you participated in an Eastern Box Turtle radio tracking expedition over the summer of 2012 then your video is below.  To find your video simply scroll down until you find the date you visited us and click the video to watch your experience!

Thank you all for tracking turtles with us at Earthshine Mountain Lodge!  You are all helping to further the collective knowledge and conservation of the Eastern Box Turtle!!  The Turtle Tracks project is developed, operated and 100% funded by Earthshine Nature Programs which is 100% funded by your donations–THANK YOU!!

Tracking Date June 26, 2012

Tracking Date July 03, 2012

Tracking Date July 07, 2012

Tracking Date July 15, 2012

Tracking Date July 17, 2012

Tracking Date July 22, 012

Tracking Date July 31, 2012

Tracking Date August 14, 2012

And here is an update on the travels of Mrs. Bones the turtle that ENP is tracking in Cedar Mountain, NC.

If you would to help support the Turtle Tracks or the Snake Tracks wildlife conservation, research, and education projects and/or Earthshine Nature Programs (ENP) please feel free to donate using this link. Receipts available upon request.

THANK YOU to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!!  Without you these important wildlife conservation and public education projects would not not happen.

Snake Tracks Field Update for 8-31-12

Posted on by Stevo

Due to continued technical difficulties this post is late.

Utsanati is still sheltering in the remote forest at the edge of the power line access way  far from human habitation and activity areas.  He has recently shed his skin and is beautiful!  Today he participated in a special photo shoot (see photos and video) for the Blue Turtle/Turtle of Change project that is working to make a difference and a change all over the world. That is Utsanati with the Turtle of Change “Turtle Grupo Tortuguero” below.

If you have not had a chance to read my blog posts on the Turtle of Change blog then here’s another chance:

Post 1: Travels with a Naturalist (didgeridoo concert and rattlesnake surgery)

Post 2: The Continued Travels with a Naturalist (turtles, rattlesnakes, campers, a goat, Wild South and Turtle Dogs!)

Today I found Zoe in the same small clearing near the top of the waterfall sheltering under the same tangle of brush/logs where I found her about two weeks ago!  She obviously has some sort of special attachment to this spot be it a good thermo-regulation location or a possible maternity site–we may never know.  Because I have found her in this exact location on three separate times this spring and summer I now know that this is an important site for this rattlesnake.  To a human this site would look unremarkable but to this snake it is all important and may make all the difference in the world to her life and her success.  This is why we need to learn all that we can about wildlife–especially sensitive and threatened creatures like the Timber Rattlesnake.  The more we know the more we will be able to help conserve and protect nature and wildlife from us.

With the cooler nights and shorter days I believe that Zoe will soon be making her trek back up the ridge toward her over-wintering location.  To do this she will need to cross a dangerous road construction zone where a driveway is being cut into the forest so I fear for her safety.  I only hope that she decides to move after the workers “punch out” at the end of the day or late at night.

Zoe also participated in the photo shoot for the Turtles of Change project–see if you can find her in the photo below.

Take a look at the latest video of the Snake Tracks project below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQBqCbBKHG4

If the video does not show or play then follow this link to view the video: http://youtu.be/CQBqCbBKHG4

I am not paid to do this research–this is a volunteer project that I am undertaking to learn all that I can about these amazing animals to further educate you about their beauty, uniqueness and value to a healthy forest ecosystem. If you would like to support the Snake Tracks Timber Rattlesnake wildlife conservation, research, and education project and/or Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate using this link. Receipts available upon request. THANK YOU to all of you who have donated to ENP!!  Without you this important work would not happen.

Eastern Hellbender Survey with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Posted on by Stevo

In Late July I assisted NCWRC Field Biologist Lori Williams, “Salamander Whisperer” Alan Cameron and a crew of volunteers, students and interns in a survey of Hellbenders in a remote stream in Western North Carolina.

Lori Williams with a juvenile hellbender

The survey was greatly successful in that we found several Hellbenders of several different ages classes in a very short section of the stream.  All animals were carefully captured, measured, weighed and released as close as possible to where they were found.

Lori Williams, Alan Cameron and crew work up a hellbender.

Data from this survey day and others will help the NCWRC biologists better understand and protect the greatly misunderstood Eastern Hellbender.

A juvenile Eastern Hellbender

Watch the video below for the highlights of my adventure with the “Hellbender Hunters!”

If you ever catch a Hellbender while fishing please do not harm it. Although they can bite, they are non venomous and harmless to humans. Gently remove the hook and release the animal back into the stream. Please do not try to capture a Hellbender and keep it as a “pet.” They are threatened or endangered in all parts of their range and therefore they are protected by law from collection or harm.

Hellbender by Lori Williams

If you would like to know more about the Hellbender visit the Hellbender Homepage.

Hellbender in moss

Photos by Lori Williams and Jason Butler.  Use by permission only.

Turtle of Change and Didgeridoo

Posted on by Stevo

A few posts back I told you about the Turtle of Change award that was presented to me by my friend Alan Cameron aka: “The Salamander Whisperer.” It was a great honor to have the Turtle of Change for a short time and then to pass it on to John Rucker–another person who is working to make a difference in wildlife and nature conservation. During the short time that I held the turtle it followed me in my daily duties as a naturalist and outdoor educator and along the way visited some amazing places, people and creatures.  Read the full blog post here on the Blue Turtle website.  If you missed my first posting about the Turtle of Change you can read it here.

One of the stops the turtle and I made was at a remote rock outcrop with large rock shelter underneath located on the top of a distant mountain near Brevard, NC. The top of the rock and rock shelter was undoubtedly used by ancient Native Americans as a sacred site as evidenced by the petroglyphs present on the rocks. I met my friend and Didgeridoo master John Vorus at the site for a special musical tribute to the Turtle of Change. We stood on top of the rock, took in the grand view of the surrounding mountains and felt the ancient energy of the rocks and the Earth. Then we made our way down under the rocks into the large rock shelter beneath. There we played our yidaki (aka: didgeridoo) into the turtle giving it a positive vibration and energy in a way that only the yidaki can do.

It was a very powerful and special experience.

Watch the video for the details.

Special thanks to John Vorus for sharing his talent with the Turtle of Change project.

Learn more about John at www.johnvorus.com

Water Bears from Outer Space!

Posted on by Stevo

Check out this really cool video about Tardigrades…the only creature on Earth that is able to survive in the vacuum of space (without a space suit)! VERY COOL!

Knowing that these little critters exist opens up a universe of possibilities if you put on your thinking caps and open your mind…think about it.

Turtles of Change!

Posted on by Stevo

Recently Earthshine Nature Programs Executive Director Steve O’Neil was awarded a very special award known as the “Turtle of Change”

This award is a small bronze statue of a sea turtle.

It is special because it is the only one in the USA and it is traveling all over the world visiting people who are working to make a good and lasting change in the community or the planet.

The turtle called “Turtle Grupo Tortugero” was presented to Steve by the previous recipient of the turtle Alan Cameron.  Alan is also known as “The Salamander Whisperer” because of his ability to find endangered Green Salamanders where no one else can find them. Alan has been volunteering with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for many years and has helped them find thousands of Green Salamander sites all over WNC.

Alan presents Steve with the Turtle of Change.

Steve wrote the following in the Blue Turtle blog:

After receiving Turtle Grupo Tortugero (TSN004) first I took it to meet the education and turtles at Earthshine Mountain Lodge and Nature Center (see last photo). I found four of the turtles who were interested in meeting the turtle–the other seven did not want to have their photo placed on the internet 🙂

Three of the Earthshine turtles are Eastern Box Turtles and one is a Redfoot Tortoise. All of our turtles have either lost their homes due to development, are ex-pets or were badly injured due to unfortunate meetings with vehicles, lawn mowers or dogs. Tripod–on the bottom left–is our mascot. She lost her right rear leg after she was hit by a car in 2007. The turtle to Tripod’s left is Lucky. She was also hit by a car and suffered severe trauma to her left rear leg and shell but she has recovered nicely. The turtle to Lucky’s left is Crash. She was hit by a car and had such severe injuries that I did not think she would survive. After a visit to our veterinarian Dr. Coleman, I patched her up with epoxy, gave her some antibiotic injections and fed her loads of box turtle favorites and she has made a full recovery! The final turtle is Charlie. I found her at a reptile show and felt sorry for her so I gave her a great home at our nature center. Sadly, all of the turtles at Earthshine Lodge and Nature Center cannot be released due to their circumstances. They are however wonderful education animals that help teach people about the wonder and beauty of nature and why animals like the Eastern box turtle need understanding and protection.

After visiting with the turtles at Earthshine Lodge the Turtle of Change traveled with me to a local Veterinary Clinic–Sweeten Creek Animal and Bird Hospital–where I met up with Dr. Lee Bolt and Dr. Ron Davis to assist with the radio transmitter implantation surgery on a Timber Rattlesnake. Take a look at the photo of the turtle on the operating table with the rattlesnake, Dr. Davis (in yellow) and Dr. Bolt. The surgery went flawlessly and the snake has recovered and has been released back into the wild. Dr. Davis will track the snakes movements over the next few years in order to learn as much as possible about the life of the Timber Rattlesnake. The knowledge he gains will be imparted to his students who will become future wildlife biologists, conservationists and naturalists.

The next stop for the turtle was at a remote rock outcrop known as the “Secret Place” on the side of a mountain near Brevard, NC. USA. This rock shelter was used by the Native Americans as evidenced by the petroglyphs on top of the rock. I teamed up with my friend (and didgeridoo virtuoso) John Vorus to play didgeridoo (yidaki) over the turtle in this amazing power place. We first played our yidaki to the turtle on top of the rock then moved down under to the rock shelter and recorded a video. Take a look at the photo on top of the rock and video of our time at “The Secret Place.” View the short video of our concert for the turtle of change here.

 

The final stop for the turtle (so far) was when it followed me to the office of Dr. Coleman DVM. Dr. Coleman is a wonderful veterinarian and lover of all wildlife and my wildlife vet. I snapped the photograph of Dr. Coleman and the brass turtle while he was treating a wild box turtle. Thank you Dr. Coleman for all that you to for wildlife and for Earthshine Nature Programs!

THANK YOU Alan Cameron for presenting me with this great honor.

View the Turtles of Change website to learn more.

More to come!

Visit Earthshine Nature Programs at: www.earthshinenature.com

Visit John Vorus at www.johnvorus.com

Snake Tracks Field Update for 8-19-12

Posted on by Stevo

Both Zoe and Utsanati are in remote locations far from human habitation and activity areas.  However, if you are lucky enough to share habitat with them and you decide to take a walk to the waterfall–keep your eyes open for Zoe.  Her last location on 8-15-12 was a few hundred yards NW of the waterfall at the edge of a clearing near a trail.  I found her sheltering under a jumble of logs and limbs in an exact same location where I had founder her earlier in the summer.  This just shows that the Timber rattlesnake, like the Eastern box turtle, knows exactly where they are in their environment–and they do not need a GPS to navigate.

Take a look at a photo of Zoe before she moved to the waterfall location.  Notice the small inch-worm on her face.  Photo by Steve Atkins.

Here’s is another photo of Zoe–this time she has a spider on her head.  Photo by Steve Atkins.

Me and Zoe–can you find her?   Photo by Steve Atkins.

I found Utsanati sheltering under some thick vegetation in the middle of the power line access-way.  He was pre-molt as evidenced by his opaque eyes.  He was uncomfortable with my presence and moved off to hide under a nearby log.

Take a look at this photo of Utsanati. The opaqueness of his eyes indicate that he will be shedding soon.  The bright spot on his head is a droplet of water reflecting the flash.

For all the details of this snake hunt take a look at the video below.  This video covers three locate days: 8-10, 8-15 and 8-19.

I am not paid to do this research–this is a volunteer project that I am undertaking to learn all that I can about these amazing animals to further educate you about their beauty, uniqueness and value to a healthy forest ecosystem. If you would like to support the Snake Tracks Timber Rattlesnake wildlife conservation, research, and education project and/or Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate using this link. Receipts available upon request. THANK YOU!!