Faces of the Forest Archives - Page 4 of 12

4 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Smooth Greensnakes and Their Fight for Survival

ByKiley Briggs
September 7, 2023

Smooth Greensnakes are masters of camouflage in their natural habitat, but their future is uncertain as they navigate a world of declining insects and habitat loss. Learn about these secretive animals, what they are up against, and what you can do to help the species and their habitat.

4 minute read

Faces of the Forest

How Male and Female Wood Turtles Use the Landscape Differently

ByKiley Briggs
August 8, 2023

Male and female Wood Turtles often use the same landscapes very differently. Like many wildlife species, females primarily search for the food needed to produce young, while males focus on finding females.

3 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Our first few weeks of Wood Turtle surveys in the Hudson-Berkshire region

ByKiley Briggs
June 16, 2023

Getting to the stream proved to be a challenge – dense thickets of thorny shrubs stood between me and the river, tearing at my legs every step of the way, halting my progress, and forcing me to backtrack several times.

3 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Wood Turtles

ByKiley Briggs
May 15, 2023

Views:967 views Despite their bright orange legs, Wood Turtles can be difficult to spot. – Kiley Briggs “I’ve…

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Where did the turtle go?

ByKiley Briggs
April 11, 2023

Views:666 views Turtles aren’t known for their speed, but despite that impediment, they sometimes make remarkable journeys over…

4 minute read

Faces of the Forest

What do bullfrogs and other frogs and salamanders eat?

ByKiley Briggs
March 13, 2023

Frogs and salamanders are what’s known as “gape-limited predators”, which is a fancy way of saying the size of their mouth is the biggest factor behind what they will eat.

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

The Four-toed Salamander

ByKiley Briggs
February 14, 2023

Considered by some as a crown jewel of nighttime road searches, the Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) tops off around 3 inches and is thinner than a pencil.

5 minute read

Faces of the Forest

Mudpuppies: The Winter Salamander

ByKiley Briggs
January 4, 2023

With each trip in and out of the snow encrusted river, layer upon layer of ice built up on my waders… Many passersby asked what we were doing, and none correctly guessed we were looking for giant aquatic salamanders.