updates | Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas

Category: updates

Herp Update: Annual Fundraiser, Atlas Progress, News – November 5, 2021

Posted on November 5, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in news, support, updates

Our Annual Fundraiser Begins Today! Three years ago we organized our first fundraiser. It was motivated by a decline in our regular grant funding, a pressing need to get all our data online for future use, and to assign accurate…

Tagged with: Bobbie Summers, fundraiser, gofundme, hibernation, news, records, snakes, WCAX

Herp Update: Bobbie Summers, Road Search, more – October 31, 2021

Posted on October 31, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in amphibians, news, road search, snakes, turtles, updates

Wildlife Hero I am very sad to report that Roberta (Bobbie) Summers passed away last Saturday, October 23rd. Bobbie has been a friend and contributor to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas since 2005. She has contributed 451 records of…

Tagged with: amphibians, autumn, community, contributors, data, fall, migration, road search, salamanders, turtles

Herp Update: amphibian and snake activity – October 21, 2021

Posted on October 21, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in frogs, salamander, snakes, turtles, updates

Amphibian Activity Reports continue to come in reporting fall uphill migration of amphibians. Although I focused on the fall migrations of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, Blue-spotted Salamanders, and Four-toed Salamanders in one of my previous Herp Updates, the reports include uphill…

Tagged with: amphibians, fall, frog, graduate research, migration, salamanders, snakes, turtle

Herp Update: Snake covers – October 13, 2021

Posted on October 13, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in road search, snakes, updates

Artificial Cover for Snakes A common method to survey for snakes is to put out artificial cover in good snake habitat. I have a series of slate “sandwiches” on my property that I have put out to attract snakes and…

Tagged with: fall, migration, snake covers, snakes

Herp Update: Fall Migration for Snakes – October 8, 2021

Posted on October 8, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in snakes, updates

On sunny and warm fall days another really interesting and dangerous (for them) herp migration takes place. It is the movement of snakes back to their dens. The cool nights and shorter days cue snakes that it is time to…

Tagged with: fall, migration, snakes

Herp Update: Fall Movement of Snapping Turtles – October 5, 2021

Posted on October 5, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in turtles, updates

One type of fall movement of reptiles is the emergence of baby Snapping Turtles (see Pat Perry’s photo below) from their underground nests. Our other common turtle, the Painted Turtle, lays eggs at about the same time in the spring…

Tagged with: data gaps, fall, nesting, snapping turtle, turtles

Herp Update: Fall Migration of Amphibians – September 29, 2021

Posted on September 29, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in amphibians, updates

Red-backed sRed-backed salamander viewed from front: a brownish salamander with a broad red-brown stripe from the back of its head to its tail on wet, yellowish wood. Photo by Kiley Briggs and used by permission.alamander viewed from front: a bownish salamander with a broad red-brown strip from the back of its head to its tail on wet, yellowish wood. Photo by Kiley Briggs and used by permission.

Fall Migration of Amphibians Very few people are aware of the fall migration of amphibians. The uphill migrations consist of amphibians moving from moist lowlands (near breeding ponds) to better drained upland forests where they will follow small-mammal tunnels and…

Tagged with: amphibians, autumn, crossings, herping, migration

Herp Update: Fundraising, herp activity, migration coming – March 24, 2021

Posted on September 13, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in event, support, updates

Fundraiser Herpers, we have reached our fundraising goal for the year! Thanks for your help. We will shut down the GoFundMe site early next week, but you are always able to make a donation directly by check or through PayPal…

Tagged with: frogs, fundraiser, snakes, spring, turtles

Stream Salamander in Norwich, and Video

Posted on September 2, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in salamander, updates

Much of the field work we have done this summer has been focused on filling in distribution gaps for Vermont’s three stream or “saturated soil” salamanders. Part of the reason for this is that these species are only rarely reported…

Tagged with: amphibians, data gaps, salamander, stream salamanders, video

Herp Update: August 24 – calls, spiny softshell, peeper challenge

Posted on August 24, 2021 by

Jim Andrews Posted in updates

Calls & a Challenge Herpers, the birds and amphibians have almost entirely finished calling and mating for the year and the insects have taken over the singing responsibilities until frost arrives. One amphibian call that is just starting is the…

Tagged with: frog call, frogs, spiny softshell, sspring peeper, turtles