American Toad (Bufo americanus) eggs

June 24, 2018 Elise

True toads are differentiated from frogs by prominent bony ridges (called cranial crests) on top of their heads, and conspicuous swellings (parotoid glands) behind their eyes. These parotoid glands are a defense mechanism against predators (including cats and dogs), as they will secrete a toxic fluid if punctured. The many warts covering a toad’s body also secrete a similar toxin. However, despite the toxin’s deterrent effect on predators, toads are not poisonous to touch (and they do not cause warts…

Northern Cardinal Nest

May 16, 2018 Elise

Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are a common backyard feeder bird. But while the male’s bright red feathers make this a hard species to overlook, this is the first northern cardinal nest I’ve ever seen. This is likely due to the fact that although they tend to build their nests low to the ground (1 to 15 feet high), northern cardinal nests are generally wedged into a fork of small branches in a thick shrub or tangle of vines, where it…

Spotted salamander eggs

April 16, 2018 Elise

Rainy spring nights bring yellow spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) out of forested areas where they spend most of their adult lives and down to vernal pools to breed. Like many obligate vernal pool species, spotted salamanders cannot breed in most permanent ponds because fish would eat the salamander eggs and larvae. The fact that vernal pools dry out completely for at least part of the year means they cannot support fish populations and are therefore lack fish predators. On these…

Seashore to Forest Floor

A naturalist's journey across Cape Cod and beyond

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