Field
finds in New Jersey.
Diamondback Terrapin 07/2005 Snapping Turtle 06/2006
Who says you have to go far and wide to find interesting wildlife, I live in central N.J. and have found allot of different species right outside my door. This list will encompass only what I locate starting in 2004 (going back in time would be cheating). If you want to learn more about your local wildlife just contact your local fish and game office through your state gov't website.
6/6/04 This is a garter snake that we found while walking in Freedom Park in Medford, NJ.
And this lil guy is a water snake, completely harmless but often mistaken for a copperhead. He was relocated for his safety.
5/26/04
This is a juvenile Black Rat Snake that was living under a neighbor's camper.
They were kind enough to call my parents rather than just killing the snake.
They are a relatively large snake for this area growing upwards of 7 feet.
This one measured in at just under 12 inches. We relocated him to a safe
location to help control the rodent population. As he gets older he will
turn almost completely black.
4/28/04 This little guy is a Northern Fence
Lizard, one of only three species of lizard found in N.J. and is the only arboreal
one. This is a teenager judging from his size, and those fabulous blue
markings on his belly indicate that he is indeed a male. We found this
one in Lebanon State Forest.
5/15/04
Hawk Mountain Pa. We went for a day of birding and were surprised to find
this little critter. This is a newborn Northern Ringneck Snake.
What a tiny little thing it was just under 10 inches long.
04/19/04 This is a female yellow spotted turtle. I found her crossing a street near my house. She had been run over by a car, not hit by a tire but the car rolled her down the street a few times. It amazes me how little regard most people have for wildlife.
Update 6/8/04: The rehabbing Clemmys surprised us by laying a clutch of three eggs, we have them in an incubator however we are not sure if they are fertile or not. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
05/20/04
This is a large male bullfrog. You can tell it is a male by the large
tympanic membrane behind the eye. This is the largest frog in N.J. topping
out at around 8 inches.
ŠJay DeMore 2004-2006