Wildlife Preparing for Winter: Reptiles

Snakes, lizards, and turtles all call the Blue Ridge Mountains home, but these animals are rarely seen in the cold. So, where do reptiles go during winter?

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals, meaning that their body temperature fluctuates with the temperature of their external environment. Birds and mammals, who are warm-blooded, maintain a consistent internal temperature. As it gets colder outside, reptiles’ body temperature drops. This causes their metabolism to slow, along with other bodily functions like heart rate and respiration. To survive a long, cold winter, most reptiles have adapted a hibernation-like behavior known as brumation.

Brumation is a period of low activity exhibited by reptiles, amphibians, and other cold-blooded animals. Animals in brumation are not fully asleep, rather, they are experiencing low levels of bodily activity that results in a state of torpor. Reptiles in brumation are too cold to digest food, so they will not eat during this time. Instead, most reptiles spend fall filling up on food and finding ideal spots to shelter overwinter, when they will try to conserve as much heat and energy as possible. Different reptiles experience brumation in different ways.

Snakes often seek shelter below the frost line in underground burrows (built and abandoned by mice, rabbits, or other burrowing animals). The spots where snakes overwinter are known as hibernacula. During this time, snakes will stay hydrated by absorbing moisture from the soil through their scaly skin. Commonly, many snakes will shelter together in a single hibernacula for safety and warmth. A single hibernacula can have hundreds of snakes and multiple species. On particularly warm winter days, snakes may expend enough energy to crawl to the surface and sun themselves in order to wake up their internal systems.

Box turtles also seek shelter under the frost line. Using their strong forelimbs, they will dig their own tunnels, sometimes underneath leaf litter or fallen logs for an extra layer of insulation. At the end of their tunnels, they will create a cozy den by pushing soil aside with their shell, creating their own little microclimate. Similarly, painted turtles employ burrowing as a brumation strategy. For the aquatic painted turtle, though, burrowing takes place in the muddy bottoms of ponds and lakes. Painted turtles will bury themselves in over a foot of mud, insulated by both the wet soil and the water above. Oxygen is extremely limited in this environment, but because cold temperatures slow respiration rates for cold-blooded organisms, lack of oxygen isn’t as big of a problem for turtles in winter as it would be for humans. Painted turtles have additional adaptations for low oxygen levels too; they will no longer breathe air through their mouths, instead, they absorb oxygen directly through the thin skin of their cloaca.

As temperatures increase, reptiles will emerge from brumation seeking warmth. Turtles, snakes, and lizards can be found basking in sunny areas during spring while temperatures are still chilly, trying to warm up enough to seek food.

Winter Rally Re-Cap

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

We were delighted to host the first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally last weekend! It has been one of our objectives to host a fall, winter, and summer rally. The winter rally focused on the flora, fauna, weather, and terrain that is unique to the cold, winter months! 80 eager individuals experienced stimulating outdoor activities and great food. Our programs included winter astronomy, the Oral History of Konnarock, a weather balloon launch, a geology road trip, waterfowl prowl, wildlife tracks & signs, winter tree identification, the challenges of measuring snow, ecology & management of high elevation communities and clay bowl making with Grim Pottery.

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

Fluorescent Lichen found on a Night Hike led by Cade Campbell following the winter astronomy program.

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker and guide, Dr. Doug Miller, for his extraordinary presentation, “Sandy Snow: An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland”. We would also like to thank our incredible guides that really helped make our first Winter Rally a success. Thank you to Allen Boynton, Cade Campbell, Jeremy Stout, Dr. Ed Davis, Mark Archibald, Arthur Merschat, Jordon Blevins, and Debbie Yates.

Kids programs were lead by Program Coordinator Ali Reilly and Naturalist Educator Olivia Jackson. Fries School brought 18 students to explore the Blue Ridge through programs such as intro to birding, geology, tracks & signs, snow science, and winter ecology.

Finally, a special shoutout to our spectacular volunteers, the BRDC Board! Their help truly allowed the rally to run smoothly and efficiently.

We can’t wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Spring Rally coming May 12-14! Stay tuned for more updates!

Upcoming Events at BRDC!

We have many exciting events coming up in February that we cannot wait!

First, on February 4th we have our annual Burke's Garden Birding Trip! Burke's Garden is a rare valley bowl with a floor that rests at 3,000' while the encircling ridge rises to around 4,000'. It is located in Tazewell County, VA, where the Appalachian Trail skirts its southern rim. The 8.5 mile long and 4-mile wide valley is often referred to as "God's Thumbprint" for its distinctive shape. The bowl is a beautiful pastoral landscape during the summer but in the winter it is equally impressive. During February it plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk. We will coordinate travel to the valley with registered participants. Once in the valley, we will slowly work our way around in a large loop by vehicle, searching for birds along the way. With a little luck, we will have the opportunity to put scopes on multiple raptors on the tree lines or soaring about the farm fields. It also houses the regionally uncommon red-headed woodpecker. This trip will take place from 9:00am-4:00pm, so get ready for a full day of unique sights!

Also coming up in February, we have our first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally. While we have had an annual Spring rally for many years, we hope to continue that event throughout all of the seasons. This rally will take place on Friday, February 17th - Saturday, February 18th. This event will focus on highlighting the beautiful flora and fauna of the winter months. It will begin on Friday at 4:00pm and dinner will be served at 5:00pm. Following dinner, Dr. Doug Miller will be giving a presentation called "Sandy Snow; An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland". A nighttime naturalist expedition will follow Dr. Miller's presentation. Saturday will include many naturalist programs including a waterfowl prowl, a geology road trip, a weather balloon launch, and much more! We also are allowing people to reserve rooms in our Schoolhouse if they would like to stay on our campus during the rally. If you are interested in purchasing rally tickets, reserving a room/bed, or learning more about the programs that we will be hosting at the rally, then check out our Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally page on our website!

Mt. Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally coming this February!

We are excited to announce the our first Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally to be held February 17-18th! This Rally will not only celebrate the ecosystems and natural history of the Blue Ridge but more specifically, focus on the flora and fauna that make the Winter such a beautiful time in the Blue Ridge mountains! Guided programs include, but aren’t limited to: bark identification, snow science, geology, and more!

People of all ages are more than welcome to help celebrate this change in season with us. Click on this link to join us for a wonderful weekend Winter Rally weekend!

Happenings with BRDC in the Schools

Each month, BRDC shares elements of the natural history of the region with the students in elementary schools in Grayson and Washington Counties.

The winter’s cold causes the vegetation to die back and expose the rocks, making January, although cold, the perfect time to study geology. With first graders, we share the world of long ago with a close look at fossils and how they are formed. Using clay and shark teeth, the kids create a mold of that tooth showing how the “impression” is made and left behind as a treasure to be discovered later. The fourth graders study the rock cycle and use Play-Doh as the medium in which to create sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock. This “hands-on” manipulation emphasizes the power of the Earth’s heat and pressure to form and reform our geology.

February brings the snow and the ability to follow tracks. Tracks and signs are always a fun way to learn about the fauna of the region. Learning how to identify an animal from the signs left behind engages our students on a deeper level. Making prints and seeing them in sand leaves an “impression” on the students. They study and try to imitate various methods of animal walking patterns to better understand animal behaviors and actions.

March is for marsupials and marvelous adaptations. The first graders learn about the only North American marsupial, the Virginia opossum. We call it the superhero of mammals due to its immune system and ability to survive the most deadly of toxins. Students develop an appreciation for the niche the opossum fills in its environment and ours.

The study of adaptation is the focus with the fourth grade science classes. Colors and patterns as part of an organism’s adaptation, is studied. Does this organism blend in or stand out? Why? Is it a warning, or for attraction, mimicry, or camouflage? The students explore the answers to these questions by placing certain organisms into their respective category and debate their reasoning. This exercise fosters critical thinking skills and pushes the students to think deeper about why an organism looks like it does.

The cold of winter is slowly leaving and the warmth of spring is bringing new life to the Blue Ridge. We are looking forward to sharing those happenings too!

Bernd Heinrich's Winter World

From flying squirrels to grizzly bears, and from torpid turtles to insects with antifreeze, the animal kingdom relies on some staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter. Unlike their human counterparts, who must alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, animals are adaptable to an amazing range of conditions.

February's Book Club selection was Bernd Heinrich's Winter World. Heinrich is a physiological ecologist, and professor at the University of Vermont.

Winter World, illustrated with the author's drawings,  describes the winter survival strategies of many animals, including the success of the golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa), a small bird that remains active throughout the northern winter.  The kinglet, shows the "astounding and ingenious strategies that animals have evolved for coping in the winter world."

From ruffed grouse to voles to polar bears, digging into available snow offers insulated quarters for overnight protection and longer term housing. This strategy carries risks for smaller critters if a hard crust develops, creating an impenetrable barrier. 

For small birds, often a combination of strategies emerge, such as roosting together, lowering their heart rate, shivering, and gathering inside of small places such as bird boxes, hollowed out tree cavities and even old nests.  Some amphibians are able to survive below freezing point by utilizing chemical changes that alter their cell structures. Many overwintering insects employ a similar strategy.  

For those who do not hibernate, or have some form of reduced metabolism, the effort to find enough food to sustain energy needed for staying warm and alive, remains a constant. From scratching in leaf litter, prying bark from trees to find hiding invertebrates, to peeling and eating bark, scrounging for buds, and harvesting carcasses of the less fortunate, animals do what they must to survive the winter.

Wandering Through Winter

"Edwin Way Teale (June 2, 1899 – October 18, 1980) was an American naturalist, photographer and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Teale's works serve as primary source material documenting environmental conditions across North America from 1930 - 1980. He is perhaps best known for his series The American Seasons, four books documenting over 75,000 miles (121,000 km) of automobile travel across North America following the changing seasons."

January's Book Club selection, Wandering Through Winter documents the four winter months he spent traveling twenty thousand miles across the southwest and parts of the Midwest, ending in northeastern Maine. He describes the people, plants, animals, and birds encountered along the way, including the migration of a pod of gray whales, the discovery of hibernating poorwills in the lower Colorado desert, giant beavers on the Missouri, and a night in the 'sugarbushes' of New Hampshire.