earthshine mountain lodge nature programs brevard lake toxaway nc reptiles wildlife conservation education animals

Unique Reptile Conservation and Education Programs

Posted on by Stevo

Hello all conservation minded reptile aficionados.  I would like to let all of you know a little bit about two of the reptile research, conservation and public education projects that I am conducting at Earthshine Mountain Lodge near the town of Brevard in Western North Carolina.

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The first project is Turtle Tracks is a unique wildlife conservation,  research and environmental education  program that is studying the Eastern Box Turtle.  We have been following several wild Eastern box turtles with mark-recapture and radio telemetry techniques since 2008.  Our goals are to  learn as much as we can about their natural movements, habits, habitats and interactions with humans and our domestic animals in fragmented habitats and to teach people about the lives of these beautiful creatures  that we share our world and existence with.  It is our belief that with education comes understanding, respect and then conservation and preservation.

Make the theme of your next vacation reptile conservation and visit us at  Earthshine Lodge.   At Earthshine you and your family will meet our education turtles,  learn about the Eastern box turtle and then take a turn using the radio telemetry equipment to help us locate a wild box turtle as you journey out into the fields and forests with us on your very own turtle tracking expedition.  You and your family will have the rare opportunity to experience what it is like to be a wildlife researcher following in the tracks of a wild box turtle in its native habitat!  Not only will you help locate one or more of our study animals but you will also help us collect data that will be part of a larger database that one day will ultimately help conserve and protect the humble and beautiful Eastern box turtle.

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You can learn more about the Turtle Tracks program on our website and sign up for updates from the Turtle Tracks project by following our blog.

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Many turtle tracking expeditions are filmed by Steve and placed on his Youtube.com site where you can watch your field expedition online once you return home and for years to come.  Also, check out a video compilation of the 2008 turtle tracking season below to see Turtle Tracks in action!

Our second program is Snake Tracks and, like Turtle Tracks,  it is also a wildlife conservation,  research and environmental education  program that is studying the Timber Rattlesnake.

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Currently, we are following the movements of two wild Timber rattlesnakes with radio telemetry techniques in order to learn more about their natural movements in the deep forests near Earthshine Lodge.  We have named the male snake Utsa’nätï –the Cherokee word for Rattlesnake and the female snake Zoe–Greek for life.  As with the box turtles we plan to follow these snakes for several years in order to learn all that we can about their travels in order to  educate visitors to Earthshine and viewers like you on the interesting, beautiful and greatly misunderstood life of the Timber rattlesnake.  We will bring you updates on their travels on the Earthshine Nature Programs Blog in the form of photos, videos and maps but unlike Turtle Tracks we do not plan to take folks into the field in search of these snakes or reveal their exact locations…for obvious reasons.

However: if you are a herpetologist, biologist, naturalist or scientist with a genuine interest, adequate safety equipment, and a valid reason to visit the rattlesnakes then there is a possibility that you could accompany Steve into the field on a tracking day.

Take a look at one of the most recent videos of Snake Tracks below.

You may also be interested in watching the video of the radio transmitter implantation on Utsanati below.  Note: My videos are longer than many found on  Youtube because I am not trying to create pop art–I am attempting to actually educate the viewer on wildlife and nature conservation so I do not leave much material out.

If you are a friend of herps and find these animals as remarkable and beautiful as I do, then consider bringing your family to Earthshine Mountain Lodge for a one of a kind fun filled all inclusive Blue Ridge mountain vacation that includes your favorite animals–reptiles and amphibians!

Other herp related activities we offer:

Nature/Science Education Center

Critter Hunt guided nature hike focusing on cover board/tin site surveys and conservation based field herping.

Creek Hike searching for native salamanders–this hike ends in a natural rock water slide.

And more!

For more about Earthshine Nature Programs please visit our website.

Follow our projects on the Earthshine Nature Blog.

Earthshine Nature Programs is a small, grass roots 501c3 non profit striving to educate people about the beauty and importance of the misunderstood creatures of the world, reptile and wildlife conservation and our place in the circle of life and energy in the universe.

Rattlesnake Report for 6/4/12

Posted on by Stevo

I tracked Zoe on 6/3/12. She remains in the same area of old fields and tangled undergrowth as I reported on 5/28. She has only moved around 50 feet and was in a tight resting coil when I found her. While searching for her I “discovered” a beautiful waterfall known as Kings falls.

Watch the video below for the full report.

A Visit to a Timber Rattlesnake Den

Posted on by Stevo

A few days ago I teamed up with some wildlife conservation friends and we ventured deep into a remote forest in the search of a Timber Rattlesnake den site.

The day started early and after a lengthy drive over rough and rutted roads (thank goodness for 4wd) we came to a remote pull off on the side of a long forgotten trail deep in the forest.  We geared up and headed off to shoot some rattlers–with cameras!  After a grueling hike up a steep mountainside covered in ripening blueberries we came to what looked like an impassible Rhododendron thicket…we dove in and picked our way through for at least a hour before we were rewarded on the other side by a view of a sprawling mountain bald laid out before our eyes.  It was a beautiful and somewhat surreal place, a fragile habitat that called for us to walk gingerly so we would not destroy the fragile mosses and lichens that grow like fairy gardens from the rocks.  Alan, our guide, pointed out a rock where he had seen several rattlers a few days before so we used our cameras to zoom in and search the area for occupants–and there they were, three large Timber Rattlesnakes basking in the morning sun!  They were beautiful snakes and they remained calm and still until we approached closer–then they began to rattle and slowly moved under the nearby rock to shelter from the huge creatures that had disturbed their morning basking ritual.  We laid down on the warm bald and used our cameras to zoom in and get some video and photos of these beautiful creatures (see video below).  Alan then noticed two rather plump Northern Copperheads sharing space under the rock with the rattlers–we took more pictures.

After we had our fill of the first rock Alan led us across the bald to another rock where we found a pile of rattlesnakes!  There were four in all and they were basking together in the warm morning sunshine.  Upon our approach they began to rattle and then they  moved quickly under their shelter rock to escape the invaders. We approached the rock and again flattened ourselves on the bedrock of the mountain to observe these beautiful and misunderstood creatures.  Several of them continued to rattle for a time until they felt content that we were not going to proceed any farther and harm them–then they calmed down and stopped rattling and let us take some more photos.

Nearby I found what looked to us like a possible den entrance hole and a shed timber rattlesnake skin.

We discussed the fact that so many chunky, healthy rattlers–7 in all–were basking together on this one small rocky bald.  We came up with the hypothesis that all of these snakes may be females and that this site may be a maternity/gestation site!  Female Timber Rattlesnakes and Northern Copperheads are live bearers–they do not lay eggs.  When they are gravid (pregnant) they move to a site that provides warmth in which to raise their body temperature and speed up gestation of the baby rattlers inside of them, shelter in the form of rocks to hide under and safety–these sites are usually far away from areas that humans frequent.  Not because the Timber rattlesnakes chooses these remote sites to be away from humans but because the other rattler maternity/den sites that were once in the areas where humans now range–have sadly all been destroyed by people that are fearful of snakes.

After surveying the remainder of the site for more rattlers and not finding any we decided to leave the site so not to further disturb these beautiful and sensitive creatures.  We have also decided to not return to the site any more than necessary so we limit the risk of stress to the snakes in this crucial time in their lives.  We may return in the late summer to see if the mothers have had their young and if we do I will be sure to report on it.

For the full story as it happened on film take a look at the video of our visit to a Timber Rattlesnake den.

The Timber Rattlesnake is vanishing from many parts of its range for many reasons:

Rattlesnakes are often killed on sight just because they are snakes.

Rattlesnakes are often collected from the wild for horrible rattlesnake roundups where they are tortured and killed and their arts are then sold for the production of boots, bags and belts and other rattlesnake trinkets and for their meager amount of meat.  These rattlesnake products are often used by people who believe that owning or eating a part of a rattlesnake will make them more desirable in some way.  In truth it makes them less desirable in all ways because they are supporting the continued killing of a beautiful, shy and unique creature that deserves to live.  Please do all you can to stop rattlesnake roundups.

Rattlesnakes are often kept as “pets” by people who like to keep snakes.   This is illegal in many areas without specialized state and possibly federally issued permits.

Rattlesnakes are often illegally sold to people in Asian countries for medicinal and fertility concoctions that do not work.

Because of the human persecution of Rattlesnakes–they are now extirpated (locally extinct) in many areas where they once ranged.

Many of these areas have now enacted protection for the rattlesnake.  In North Carolina it is illegal to collect, capture, possess or harm a rattlesnake unless it is threatening your life.  This means you cannot touch, harm or capture a rattlesnake if you see it in the forest while hiking/hunting/camping and so on.  The forest is the snakes home–not yours.  If the snake is in your kitchen or your child’s play area then that is a different story.  The snake has a role to play in the circle of life and it deserves to live just as much as we do.  If you are privileged and lucky enough to one day cross paths with a rattlesnake–stop.  Back up and marvel at this wonderful and beautiful creature that you have found.  Take out your camera and get some photos–from a safe distance of course.  Please do not harm the snake.  Please let it live and grow and play the part in nature that it is meant to play–the role of a very effective predator of rodents and food source for other creatures.

The fact is that many, many more rattlesnakes have been killed by people than people have been killed by rattlesnakes.  Less than 20 people per year die from the bite of venomous snakes in the USA.  How many people are killed by other people–it looks like we humans are FAR more dangerous than the rattlesnake will ever be.

For more on Earthshine Nature Programs please visit: Earthshine Nature Programs

Rattlesnake Report for 5/28/12

Posted on by Stevo

Today when i went to look for Zoe I was unable to get a signal in any direction. I walked deeper into the forest and still no signal. I drove to the end of the road–no signal. I began to think she had either moved out of range or been carried off by a predator such as a hawk or owl. i decided to search for Utsanati’s signal to see if he had moved closer to Zoe and when I input his frequency into the receiver his signal was as if he was sitting right next to me! I panned the antenna around just to be sure and yes–he was right in front of me in the very same woodpile that he visited in the late summer of 2011. He had come back to the woodpile for what purpose–rodents, thermoregulation, shelter–or all of the above. Whatever the purpose I quickly got some video and data and left him alone in all his glory. I am amazed that in one week he has moved so far. He trekked from the top of the mountain above Earthshine to the woodpile–moving most likely along the edge of the forest as he did last year after his transmitter implantation surgery. The movements of Timber rattlesnakes will never cease to amaze me. Due to Utsanati’s presence in the woodpile his danger level is a 5. If you live in the area of the woodpile please use caution when walking/working near brush and thick vegetation especially from dusk to dawn when Timber rattlesnakes are most active.

I had found Utsanati but where was Zoe? I drove to the top of the mountain above the lodge to try to get to the highest point to search for Zoe’s signal–no signal. I drove down the trail in the woods below where she was previously located–no signal. I decided to slowly drive around the side of the mountain where she had last been located and venture up every road and driveway until I found her signal…it worked! The third trail I went up went through a field of tall grass and near the end of the field I picked up her signal quite strongly! I drove down a rough trail and through an overgrown field to where the road ran out near the edge of the forest. When I exited the vehicle I could hear a waterfall somewhere nearby. I searched the thick bushes and followed her signal to an area of overgrown vines, wild rose and blackberry brambles where I found her resting in a coil in the warm sun under some tall grass. She had ants biting at her and was twitching the get them to leave her alone. I also noticed that she had an injury or dry skin spot on her left side a few inches back from her head. Maybe she had encountered a predator in her travels? I was unable to investigate it farther because she moved off into the tangle of vines in response to my presence and the ants. She had traveled over 1/2 a mile in one week! She had passed through very hazardous terrain for a rattlesnake–farms, roads, trails, predators, dogs and humans were all obstacles in her way–but somehow she managed to survive. Where is she going? Only time will tell.

Watch the video of my search today for Utsanati and Zoe.

Rattlesnake Report for 5/14/12.

Posted on by Stevo

Utsanati has moved over 300 feet south since my last report. He is near the highest point on the property and about 100 feet from a rarely used trail. When I found him he was in a resting coil among the blueberries. His Danger Level is a 2.

Zoe remains in the brush pile beside the trail. She is in almost exactly the same spot where I have located her on the last three locate days. Today I noticed that her eyes are looking opaque. This indicates that she will be shedding her skin soon. She also looks like she recently ate a large meal-possibly a squirrel. Zoe’s Danger Level is a 5 due to her proximity to the trail. Use caution. I placed a small cairn of rocks near her location so the human and canine residents of the community where she lives will be able to use caution when in her territory.

Watch a video of the latest locations of the snakes below.

This report was posted from the field using my droid.

It is no wonder the tortoise won the race…he was smarter than the hare.

Posted on by Stevo


Many people believe reptiles to be dim witted but I know that is far from the truth.  Through my radio tracking studies of box turtles I have observed some truly amazing things about the life of the box turtle. How do they find and follow the same paths, feeding, nesting and over-wintering areas and even sometimes the same mates year after year?  They are obviously not using radio tracking devices, high tech satellite-linked computers or GPS systems like we big brained primates seem to think we need to get around.  New studies are beginning to show that the chelonians (turtles and tortoises) are far brighter than we have ever believed.  Over the years my observations of the turtles in the Turtle Tracks study have led me to believe without a doubt that the tiny brain of the box turtle has much more intelligence and capability to learn than we have ever thought possible. Researchers have begun to discover that in fact tortoises (and turtles I’m sure) do in fact have much more going on inside their little noggins than we give them credit. Take a look at this article from New Scientist and read all about it and then, the next time you encounter a chelonian, marvel at it’s existence.  Feel humbled that we “advanced” animals need our invented technologies and education to navigate our way through life but the chelonian needs only the adaptations, instincts and smarts they are born with to make a good living in the wild…and that they have done so since the time of the dinosaurs.  Nature never ceases to amaze and astound me.

Wildlife Tracking Update

Posted on by Stevo

Over the last few days I located the sleeping box turtles and rattlesnakes.  The turtles remain tucked away under a warm blanket of leaf litter and the snakes are still hidden deep in their underground lairs.

When tracking Zoe the female Timber rattlesnake I noticed an area of pressed down leaves just in front of the hole she uses to move in and out of her hibernacula.  It is possible that over the last week–with the daytime temperatures in the high 60’s–that she may have moved outside to bask in the record temperatures.

I used a Whites metal detector to detect the transmitters attached to both of the sleeping box turtles in the hopes that I will be able to use it to locate the missing Mr. Bones.  It worked very well and I hope to try it out very soon.  That’s Mr. Bones pictured below.

Amazing Skin and New Arrivals!

Posted on by Stevo

Skin stories aplenty!

As I watched  Gollum first rubbed his nose against a rock a few times and then seemed to convulse–and pop off came his skin!  It floated like a wraith out of his hide cave and  into the current where I was able to quickly snap this photo–complete with reflection from the flash (oops)–and then only seconds later it was sucked into a circulation pump and shredded into thousands of tiny pieces!  Amazing!

Now take a look at one of the newest animals in the Earthshine Nature Center–an Albino Bullfrog with his crazy yellow skin!!

This is “One” of two…”Two” is not pictured but looks like “One’s” twin.  They are albino American Bullfrogs and they are quite striking in their yellow skins.  Albinism is the lack of pigments in the skin that in amphibians and reptiles creates a yellowish appearance with red-pink eyes.  In mammals it creates white coats with red-pink eyes.  Very cool!! Albino animals usually do not live very long in the wild because their natural camouflage is not in effect and they stand out to predators and are eaten quickly.  One and Two were bread in captivity and will live at the Earthshine Nature Center so they will not have to worry about predators.  Come see them today!

Now check this out!  A Giant Hissing Cockroach shedding its skin!!

Like snakes, insects such as this roach must shed their entire skins as they grow.  This roach’s old skin is splitting down the dorsal side and the soft white roach, with his new larger skin is wiggling out.  After he is out his new skin will solidify over the next few hours-days and turn brown after-which he will go on about his roachy life.

So cool!!