Below a Red Eft I found during my excursion today. Red Efts are immature terrestial forms of the Red Spotted Newt which is aquatic. The eft stage is brightly colored and generally a “bad Taster” to potential predators. It is not uncommon to see these out in the open on the forest floor.

Below Black Rat Snake found along an edge where meadow meets the forest. These snakes are our largest snakes in the area. They are nonvenomous but doo vibrate their tail and will bite if agitated. The snakes are excellent climbers and will feed on a variety of prey items such as birds, bird eggs, and small mammals. In this video you will see how the animal vibrates its tail to let me know it is prepared to defend itself. Many people claim they have seen a rattle snake when they encounter black rat snakes (in fact many nonvenomous snakes will vibrate their tails).