Calling all Herpetology fans! The month of March has brought with it some warmer weather and increased rainfall! These are the perfect conditions for many of our amphibians and reptiles (i.e., Herps) to wake up and show their faces. Frogs, toads, and salamanders alike are beginning to make the journey from their winter homes in the forest to vernal pools near you, while turtles and garter snakes sun themselves on logs or the forest floor. Vernal pools are shallow depressional areas in the ground that fill with snow melt and rainfall during the spring, providing critical breeding habitat for many of our native amphibian species. Without these vernal pools, many of our favorite species would be barred from reproducing, and beautiful creatures like the Spring Peeper, Wood Frog, American Toad, and Spotted Salamander would be in dire straits. NeighborSpace is proud to provide habitat for native reptiles and amphibians at many of our sites, including Volz Neighborhood Park, Levickas Woods at Dunmore, and Tollgate Wyndham Preserve, providing protected habitat for Maryland Herps for decades to come.

Reptiles and amphibians are an extremely valuable part of our local ecosystems, feeding on a plethora of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrate species. They also provide sustenance for many of our mesopredators (medium sized predators) and birds of prey. Without them, our intricate food webs would be severely degraded, and our parks and wildlands would follow soon after.

Common garter snake found during Norman Creek Herpetology Walk!

As an organization, we would like to have a better idea of the fantastic flora and fauna at each of our conserved sites. To do this, we are creating a running catalogue of native species observations to better inform the stewardship of our parks. To discover more about our sites, we joined with the Natural History Society of Maryland’s Herpetology club this past month to explore some of our riparian (stream adjacent) parks in search of Herps. We discovered several common garter snakes and a few eastern redback salamanders. We also heard several Spring peepers beginning to call from temporary ponds. As rain continues to fall and temperatures continue to rise, we will see more of our little friends out and about. The next few weeks are a great time to get out and see some of our spring Herps, such as the Spring Peeper, Box Turtle, Common Garter Snake, and American Toad. As we move closer to the summer months, keep an eye and ear out for Green Frogs, Gray’s Treefrogs, and American Bullfrogs as they start calling.

If you’d like to join us for a Herp Hike over the next several months, feel free to get in touch! Send your interest and any questions you might have to conor@neighborspacebaltimorecounty.org, or keep an eye out for flyers!