Friday, May 21, 2010

An Interview with Terry VanDeWalle: Part 2

Milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum
Range: Eastern (L. t. triangulum): IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, WI; Red (L. t. syspila): IL, IN, IA, KS, MO, NE, SD
Size: 24–36 inches, maximum 52 inches
Description: Small to mediumsizesnake varying from gray to tan with series of white or yellow, red, and black bands. White or yellow bands never contact red bands. Reddish blotches on back and sides boldly bordered by black in eastern subspecies, reduced or absent in red subspecies. Y- or V-shaped mark near back of head (eastern) or light collar on neck (red). Belly irregular checkerboard with black on white. Scales smooth, anal plate single.
Habitat: Fields, woodlands, rocky hillsides, river bottoms, wetlands, outbuildings
Similar species: Copperhead has coppery, virtually unmarked head, single row of crossbands on back, no checkerboard pattern on belly. Water snakes have keeled scales, divided anal plates. Prairie kingsnake has brown to reddish brown blotches on back, never bright red, brown blotches on belly.


What’s your best snake story?
I was working as a naturalist for a county conservation board in Iowa and was showing live snakes to a group of senior citizens from a local care facility who were visiting the nature center. I had a small milk snake out and was showing it to the group. I was talking and not paying attention to the snake when I felt a small pin prick in my little finger. I did not think too much of it, but after a short time I looked at the snake in my hand to find that it had bitten me and was hung up on my finger and could not get loose. I easily got the snake loose while the group watched, and then I finished the session. Later on, as the group was boarding the bus to leave, one of the caretakers asked a little old lady in a wheelchair what she liked best about the trip. She responded, “I liked the snakes best, I have never seen anyone get bitten by a snake before.”  


Beyond snakes and lizards, what other plants and animals are you especially interested in?
I consider myself a naturalist and have interests in all areas of natural history. In addition to reptiles and amphibians, I have done a lot of work with wetland plants, raptors, and bats.
 


What has changed in the outdoor world since your first days of trying to learn about it and protect it? What’s better, what’s worse?
A positive change is people’s attitude toward the natural world. Much of the credit for this I believe goes to environmental educators who are working with young kids to teach the importance of, and a respect for, the natural world. As a result, more kids are growing up with a strong conservation ethic. Unfortunately, at the same time, many kids are growing up in urban areas who never get to experience nature first hand. 


Terry VanDeWalle, Snakes and Lizards in Your Pocket, with photographs by Suzanne L. Collins

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

This Week in Iowa Nature

May 10, 1879: The Estherville Meteorite exploded over Dickinson and Emmet counties.

Jean C. Prior and James Sandrock, The Iowa Nature Calendar

Monday, May 17, 2010

Plant of the Week

Indigo bush
Amorpha fruticosa L.
other common names: false indigo, bastard indigo, river locust, wild indigo
Amorpha: from Greek amorphos, meaning generally “without shape,” referring to the flower with only one petal
Fruticosa: meaning “shrubby”
Legume family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)






Photograph by Thomas Rosburg, Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie: The Upper Midwest, Second Edition

Sunday, May 16, 2010

An Interview with Terry VanDeWalle: Part 1

Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis
Range: Eastern (T. s. sirtalis): IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI; Red-sided (T. s. parietalis): IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD size: 16–26 inches, maximum 50 inches
Description: Medium-size dark brown or black snake with yellow or gray midback stripe and yellow
stripe on sides confi ned to scale rows 2 and 3. Red-sided subspecies has red or orange bars separated by black bars on sides. Belly greenish or yellowish with 2 rows of black spots partially hidden by belly scales. Scales keeled, anal plate single.
Habitat: Meadows, marshes, woodlands, streams, city lots, parks
Similar species: Plains garter snake has stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4. Brown snake lacks stripe along sides, anal plate is divided.

What was the catalyst—the magic moment—that brought you to appreciate reptiles in the first place?
My high school had a class in which the students took care of live animals that were kept in the lab and then took those animals out to the elementary schools and did educational programs for the kids. We had an 8-foot boa and a 12-foot python, and because I was the biggest guy in the class at the time, I was chosen to handle the large snakes. Unfortunately, I was a little afraid of snakes at the time. One day, a teacher who was handling a smaller snake needed to take care of something. I happened to be standing beside her, so she turned and handed the snake to me. I was a little afraid, but the snake was very docile, and I ended up holding it for quite some time. I went on to take care of and handle all of the snakes that we had, including the large boa and python. It was at that time that I became very interested in herpetology. I got my first pet snake a few years later. We currently have a ball python that I have had for 25 years. 



How long have you been studying and protecting reptiles, and what are your favorite species?
Over 20 years. My graduate research was on turtles, which I still enjoy. For the past 10 years, I have been conducting research on the massasauga rattlesnake, which I would have to say is one of my favorite species.



So many people are afraid of snakes. What do you say to someone who tells you that they’re terrified of snakes? First, I tell them that it is natural. It is said that humans are born with only three innate fears, one of which is the fear of snakes. Then I tell them that I too was once afraid of snakes and that I think the best way to get over being afraid of snakes is to get to know one. You may never come to love them, but you may at least come to respect them for the fascinating creatures they are.

Terry VanDeWalle, Snakes and Lizards in Your Pocket, with photographs by Suzanne L. Collins