Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #562: Snakes, Salamanders, and other "Herps" at the William and Marjorie Thayer Nature Preserve at Lick Brook
- Saturday, May 26, 2012
- Time: 9:00 a.m.
- Carpool meeting place: EMS Parking Lot at 722 S Meadow St. (click for map).
- Contact: Tom Reimers Email: treimers@twcny.rr.com Telephone: 607-272-8679
It’s amazing what can be found in our nearby forests and streams, if we look carefully in unusual places. Tom Reimers will lead a short hike along Lick Brook with abundant frogs, snakes, salamanders, newts, and toads. The area is part of a beautiful and rugged nature preserve owned by the Finger Lakes Land Trust.
Last May Tom led the third “Herp Hike” for the club in another nearby nature preserve. Seven different species were found. They included 8 American toads, 2 ringed-neck snakes, at least 5 dusky salamander, 20 red-backed salamanders, 19 eastern newts (a.k.a. red efts), 1 wood frog, and 2 garter snakes.
Tom will help participants search for these beautiful creatures, identify them, and describe their interesting lives. If you want to prepare in advance for this outing, Tom recommends borrowing or buying ($36.52 at Amazon.com) The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State: Identification, Natural History, and Conservation by James P. Gibbs, Alvin R. Breisch, Peter K. Ducey et al. (Oxford University Press, 2007).
Bring rain gear if needed, drinking water, a snack, and appropriate footwear for climbing steep, rocky hillsides and a stream bed. For more information, contact Tom at 607/272-8679 or treimers@twcny.rr.com.
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