Hello everyone, my name is Ranger Dave and welcome to St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Todays virtual tour of our visitor center is our Amphibians and Retiles exhibit.
Now this exhibit talks about a few of the over 43 different species that inhabit the St. Croix River ecosystem. First on our list is an Amphibian called the Mink Frog.
ill warts right? no that's just a tall tale, you can't get warts by touching a frog or toad, or can you?
The Mink Frog is a species of frog native to North America and Canada. The name Mink Frog comes from their unique smell, that of a musty odor to a rotting onion.
As you can tell by this picture, they are green in color with dark green and brown blotching while their belly is either white or yellow.
Their call sometimes gets mistaken for a common woodpecker because of the tapping sound they make.
When a group of Mink Frogs get together it sounds like a group of horses walking on cobblestone streets.
Wow! that Mink Frog was pretty unique right? Especially the sound it makes. Speaking of sounds, here at the visitor center at our exhibit.
We have this little device that can actually mimic the sound of a Mink Frog, lets give it a spin. (click click click click click click click..........)
Not bad, now let's listen to the sound of a real Mink Frog.
Real Mink Frog call
Pretty close right?...No, well I'll have to work on it or maybe you can stop by the visitor center and give this a spin for yourself.
Ok, our next species is a Reptile, the Common Snapping Turtle.
The Common Snapping Turtle unfortunately has gotten a bad rap due to misinformation and tall tales since it was first identified many years ago.
Just looking at this turtle causes some people to believe it's descended from the dinosaurs.
It's got a large head, long neck, muscular legs with strong sharp claws and a spiky tail.
The name Snapping Turtle comes from the snapping of its mouth when it feels threatened. it sounds just like a human clacking their teeth.
Its mouth alone looks like it can take a finger or two off with one bite; however, the Common Snapping Turtles jaw strength is a little less then that of a human.
and there has never been a proven case that the Common Snapping Turtle has ever bitten someones finger or toe off.
Again the Common Snapping Turtle is widely misunderstood; however, they can be dangerous if picked up or harassed.
When observing them along the river or in the wild, please do so at a safe distance.
The Common Snapping Turtle was pretty impressive but widely misunderstood. Lets move on to our next species of Reptile, the very rare, Timber Rattlesnake.
The Timber Rattlesnake is a species of venomous pit vipers native to North America. It is known for its impressive size, long fangs and high venom yield.
The Timber Rattlesnakes venom varies depending on the individual snake and territory.
Their venom contains neurotoxins and hemotoxins in which both have the potential to be fatal to humans who get bitten and don't seek out immediate medical attention.
The Timber Rattlesnake of course is named for the rattle on its tail. This rattle forms when the snake grows and sheds its skin.
This snake is not an aggresive animal like so many people are lead to believe. They do not see us as prey and are less inclined to bite us unless it needs to defend itself.
As you can tell in this video, the first action of a Timber Rattlesnake is to retreat when it comes across something that it feels is a threat or something that it can't eat.
As you can also tell, I'm keeping a safe distance from the snake as it can strike a target at over half its body length.
If the Timber Rattlesnake cannot retreat it will display an easily recognizable behavior
that includes lifting its head and neck off the ground and forming an "S" shape while hissing.
If the threat still does not leave, it will rattle its tail to create that unique rattling sound that rattlesnakes are known for.
(Rattle Sound)
If the threat still hasn't left the area, the Timber Rattlesnake will attempt to flee.
If there is no escape route, the next step will be for it to bite the threat.
So for obvious safety reasons, when you see a Timber Rattlesnake or any snake, do not attempt to pick it up or harass it.
The Timber Rattlesnake was pretty neat but definitley something you wouldn't want to tangle with.
Well this concludes our little video on Amphibians and Reptiles here at St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new, and remember all wildlife is best viewed from a distance.
I'm Ranger Dave and Thank You