An Eastern Hognose Snake with all his antics...

Eastern Hognose Snakes (Heterodon platyrhinos) are the drama kings and queens of the snake world----they are blustery and filled with air (literally), put on a great act, and work very hard to convince you they’re dangerous…

Yikes! If that doesn't convince you there's danger lurking in the grass, I don't know what will, but it's all an act. Eastern Hognose snakes are harmless to humans. If you look in that gaping maw (and how can you not?) you'll see there are no fangs to deliver venom. There are teeth in the back (rear fangs), but they are mainly used to puncture inflated toads (their favorite food) and hold them in place (toads will sometimes inflate their bodies when captured to try to keep from being swallowed, but a hognose takes care of that minor problem in short order!).

When I was looking at the above photo, it dawned on me that I saw no tongue. Where on earth was it? Then I noticed the sheath on the bottom jaw...ahhh haaaa! A snake's tongue is encased in a sheath in the lower jaw when it is retracted. Since a snake's tongue is so integral to its survival, it only makes sense it would have evolved with a sheath to protect the tongue from injury.

When alarmed, an Eastern Hognose Snake will flatten out its head and neck to form a cobra-like hood. Here you can see he's just starting to produce the flaring hood, which is one of his tricks to try to convince you he's venomous and dangerous. Venomous snakes have triangular-shaped heads, while non-venoums snakes have more oval-shaped heads, but if you look at his eye you can see it's all a ruse. He has oval-shaped pupils, which means he is non-venomous. Venomous snakes have elliptical-shaped pupils.

...here you can see the fully formed cobra-like hood. It's pretty convincing!

...from behind the look is just as dramatic...

...and from straight on...ack! That is one dangerous-looking snake. His head screams triangle and his little triangular-shaped snout (the hognose namesake) only adds to his fierceness. Of course, once again, his round pupils give away the fact that he's nonvenomous and harmless...

...and if all that blustering doesn't scare you away, the hognose then does the next best thing. He plays dead, flipping over on his back and lolling out his tongue!

...yes, he actually lolls out his tongue, which is a clever touch because he really does look quite dead! If you want an encore performance, just flip him over. He will immediately flop onto his back again...and loll out that tongue as well!

Matty and I watched this grand performance on 6/29/2011 at Shawnee State Park in Ohio when we were volunteering with Jenny Richards, the park's amazing naturalist. You learn and get to see so much when you volunteer in the parks!

Note: The hognose snake has another method of defense. It will inflate its body with air by expanding its lung like a balloon (most snakes have only one functioning lung that extends most of the length of its body). It then lets the air out emitting a loud hissing sound. I couldn't capture this with the camera... This behavior accounts for many of its common names of "puff adder, blow snake, and hissing viper" (common name source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources A-Z Species Guide).

Hooded Warblers at Shawnee

If you want to see Hooded Warblers, go to Shawnee State Park. They are easy to spot, and you don't have to go far from the lodge to see them. A lovely mile-long loop hiking trail called Lampblack Nature Trail is located right off the lodge parking lot. Every time I've walked it I've seen Hooded Warblers and Ovenbirds. This year I also saw Cerulean Warblers (I know...Cerulean Warblers! More to come on the Ceruleans...), plus Kentucky Warblers and Scarlet Tanagers...Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Wood Thrushes...you get the picture. Here are a few of the Hooded Warblers we saw along the way (not my best photos ever, but they show the beautiful color of the bird)...

...the black hood around the Hooded Warbler's bright yellow face is truly a remarkable sight, but when you add in their huge black eyes, the look is breathtaking! If you can't get enough of Hooded Warblers, walk the Lampblack Trail near the lodge--you're almost guaranteed to see one...or two...or three...

...the deep shadows of the forest understory coupled with a rainy morning made it difficult to photograph these feathered rays of sunshine, but even through the gloom and fuzzy images, you can get a feel for that special shade of yellow they bring to the world. (Those huge black eyes melt my heart every time I see them!)

...here you can get a glimpse of the flashy white of the underside of his tail...

...shortly after I took this photo, we watched three Hooded Warblers chase each other through the branches like they were playing Hooded Warbler games! It was an unusual sight...

...I painted Hooded Warblers on an antique 100-year old slate tile later in the day.

100-year old Virginia slate tiles found in the woods!

...a naturalist found a stash of 100-year old antique Virginia Slate tiles deep in the woods of Hocking Hills. This is one of the tiles. If you're an artist, and you're interested in painting on these antique slate tiles, you can buy them at the camp store in Shawnee. The tiles will be available for purchase in Hocking Hills too, but I don't know if they are for sale yet. I think the slates will be priced at $25.00 each as a fundraiser. You can call the Shawnee camp store at 740-858-4561 for more information. When I get more info on the slates being available at Hocking Hills, I'll post it.

It's easy to paint on slate!

I had never painted on slate, so I was surprised at how fun and easy it was. You don't have to put a lot prep work into the slates either...just clean the slate and let it dry...then use a towel to scrub off any loose flakes...then paint on it with acrylics. After the paint dries, seal it with a spray sealant. I painted a couple slates with Hooded Warblers and one with a male and female Northern Cardinal to be used around the park. The yellows and reds really pop against the smooth, gray stone. So if you want to give it a try, drop by the camp store to purchase one, or give them a call.

Painting birds and other wildlife on rocks and slate...

Matty and I are home from our Shawnee adventures. We had so much fun and can't believe the time is already over. We did a lot of work this year including handling the snakes at the nature center and helping kids and adults get over their fears of them like we did last year, but we added a few new things in too! Jenny knows I love to paint birds, and she knows Matty is an artist too, so she wondered if we could put on a painting workshop to teach kids and adults how to paint wildlife on rocks and slate tiles. "Of course we can do it," I said (even though I'd never done anything like that before and had no idea what to do), but after doing a little research and putting together templates from my bird paintings, Matty and I came up with a workshop we thought would be fun. I'm so glad we did it because everyone had a fantastic time and created beautiful and wonderful artwork! When I asked Matty what he wanted to say about the workshop, he said without thinking, "It was like we were all a big family." I guess a mutual love of the earth and all its wild creatures creates a quick connection among nature people, because it really was like we were one big family of artists painting nature!

...young nature artists use acrylic paints to create beautiful nature art on rocks.

Matty helps by answering questions, getting paints, changing water...and just laughing with the kids.

...wherever you looked, birds, snakes, salamanders, turtles, and frogs were coming to life under the skilled hands of young nature artists! (If you look closely, you can see the gentleman on the right has created a beautiful Northern Cardinal. Unfortunately because of the angle of the rock, we can't see the colorful Common Yellowthroat the gentleman on the left created...)

...everybody joined in to create beautiful art in nature!

...some artists preferred free-form expressionism...

...while others went for realism.

(I see a happy little Chiggy coming to life here!)

...it was thrilling to watch everyone focus and really get into their art. The variety of styles and subjects was amazing...

...big kids joined in too!

(You should have seen the stones after these two lovely ladies were finished. They were gorgeous!)

...even Jenny's mom attended and created a beautiful Hooded Warbler!

...towards the end of the workshop, Matty sat down and painted a stone too. He created a beautiful frog.

If you're in the area, be sure to check out Jenny's calendar of events. She always has something scheduled at the nature center, and if you live in Cincinnati, Shawnee is only two hours away. The lodge is lovely, and escaping into the forest feels like you've gone worlds away. If your child is at all interested in herpetology, you need to visit Jenny at the nature center. She is the most hands-on naturalist I've ever met. She has an unsurpassed talent for awakening a love of nature in children. You will be amazed at how much your child will learn from just a few minutes with Jenny...

p.s. Matty and I will be volunteering for a week next year at Shawnee too, and we're going to put on the free workshop again. Maybe we will see you there. I'll be sure to post the date next summer.

...also...painting on rocks is really fun! We used really smooth rocks, and I loved the way the creamy acrylics would glide over the surface. I painted a Hooded Warbler on one side of the rock and then flipped it to paint a Northern Cardinal on the other side. I'll write more on that later...

The Bluebird Sentinels of Serpent Mound...

If you see "Serpent Mound" in the title, you probably have guessed that Matty and I are back at Shawnee State Park doing our week of volunteering at the nature center with the fabulous and awesome naturalist there, Jenny Richards, author of Naturally Speaking from Shawnee State Park. If you want to see some of what Matty and I did last year at Shawnee click here. Rick is back at home working and holding down the fort, so he is missing out on the fun, but Matty and I are having a blast playing with the snakes and helping out at the nature center. If you're in the area, drop by! Tomorrow Matty and I are leading a workshop for the kids to teach them how to paint birds on rocks. It will be fun, and it's free!

Last year, Matty and I visited Serpent Mound the first day we arrived, and this year we did the same. We wondered if the Bluebirds that seemed to patrol the park would still be there, and they were...and there were more of them! Once again, the birds were hard at work, keeping a watchful eye on the ancient serpent effigy...

Serpent Mound is an ancient 3-foot high and 1,330 foot (nearly a quarter-mile) long serpent earthwork effigy built on a ridgetop overlooking Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio. The grass-covered serpent effigy is 20-25 feet wide. I was at the top of the viewing tower when I took this shot, but the serpent is way too big to fit into one camera frame. Click here for an article on the Ohio Archeology Blog that details the mound and shows an arial view of the Great Serpent.

Eastern Bluebirds act as sentinels at the Great Serpent Mound, reminding us to stay off the earthwork mounds to preserve the ancient effigy. Papa Bluebird seems to be teaching his baby the ropes...it's a very important job. Not just any bluebird can do it...

...later papa flew down to the eastern coil of the serpent mound for a personal inspection--all's clear to his right!

...all's clear to his left!

...more lessons for junior. The bluebirds at Serpent Mound are ever-vigilent. Afterall, their charge is the largest ancient earthen effigy mound in the world!

...of course, the Bluebird Sentinels were not the only birds guarding the sacred effigy. Here a Chipping Sparrow sings out an alarm from the path. Phoebes were perched all around, and huge American Crows flew regularly overhead to monitor the perimeter. Nuthatches, woodpeckers, and goldfinches were singing too...while Wood Thrushes and Ovenbirds had the steep hillsides that slid down to Brush Creek covered... :-)

...Matty and I are having so much fun volunteering at Shawnee. I will have more to post in the coming days. Today we watched two Timber Rattlesnakes being prepared for release back into the wild. They were fitted with little GPS chips under their skin so they can be monitored. The Timber Rattlesnake is an endangered species in Ohio, and Shawnee may be his last stronghold.

Green Snake...

Volunteering at Shawnee State Park in Southeastern Ohio

...continued from the Oreo post.

Green Snake is another favorite at the nature center. Overtly friendly and super active, he loved to climb up arms and fingers like he would a tree with tiny branches. Green Snake was graceful and smooth, and definitely the most "cartoonish" in his movements of all the snakes at the nature center. He could glide like butter across a hot pan as he expertly wound himself around fingers, hair, camera straps, and anything else in his way. He would stop and look at you now and then, hovering midair before smoothly and suddenly dipping down to wrap himself around something new.

Green Snake hovers in the air while his tail entwines around this small boy's fingers.

...again, Green Snake seems to defy gravity.

Kids liked the name "Green Snake," but because he was a Green Snake kids would often try to to come up with something unique. Matty and I heard lots of attempts at new names...Mr. Green Jeans, String Bean, Slinky, Snots (gross, I know, but after all, he was green...and little boys were the ones coming up with the ideas...), throughout the entire week nothing new seemed to stick, so Green Snake is still Green Snake.

Green Snakes are native to Ohio, although they are a bit rare. I'd love to stumble across one, and my chances might be going up. I just read an article in the Dayton Daily News that reports 11 Smooth Green Snakes were found on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Big news considering it's the first time the snakes have been found in our area since 1871! Click here for a a link to the article.

I think Jenny said Green Snake was a Rough Green Snake. They are found in the southern-most parts of Ohio. There's no denying his beauty. Sleek and streamlined, his neon green skin was almost surreal. He was fun to watch and could eat crickets like nobody's business. Within seconds of popping a few in his cage, he would seek out and devour them.

Who can resist an Oreo? (or...oh no, another snake post...)

Volunteering at Shawnee State Park in Southeastern Ohio

...continued from Piglet, the Hog-nosed Snake post.

...I know, I know...another snake, but look at him! He's Oreo, a California Kingsnake, and he's beautiful. I think Oreo was requested more than any other snake at the nature center. All the kids loved him and wanted to hold him (and the parents too, even moms...). With California in his name, it's obvious Oreo is not native to Ohio, but you can find Black Kingsnakes in Ohio. If you go back to the first Shawnee post I did, you'll find photos of Mr. King, a native Black Kingsnake. Although super friendly and gentle with humans, we had to keep the kingsnakes away from the other snakes because kingsnakes love to eat other snakes, and no snake seemed to be too big for dinner. I'll have to check with Jenny, but I think she said poor Pumpkin (the Corn Snake) had his whole head swallowed by Mr. King. Thank goodness someone was there to pull Pumpkin's head out! Kingsnakes will even eat venomous snakes. Apparently, Kingsnakes are immune to venom from Ohio's three native poisonous snakes (Timber Rattler, Northern Copperhead, and Eastern Massasauga).

It's easy to see how Oreo got his name...

...although he could have been named after a cookie simply because he's so sweet!

...the kingsnake's scales are beautiful. I learned in an art history course I took eons ago that early artists mimicked snake scales and patterns in their art and the designs may have lead to the development of mosaics. I can certainly see the connection here!

Matty shows a small child how to hold a snake using open hands.

Matty learned an open-handed technique was a great way to get hesitant kids accustomed to the larger snakes. The kids were less fearful with open hands and soon grew to love the snakes. If you have children who love snakes (or are afraid of them), go to Shawnee and visit with Jenny at the nature center. Kids really respond to her. I saw so many timid children overcome their fears and learn to appreciate another part of nature after visiting with Jenny and all the critters at the nature center.

...Oreo hangs down from Matty's neck as he talks to one of the visitors.

...Oreo rests around Matty's neck, peeping out from behind.

...see you later, Oreo! We miss you...

Piglet, the Western Hog-nosed Snake

Volunteering at Shawnee State Park in Southeastern Ohio

...continued from Pumpkin, the Corn Snake, post.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I had never heard of an Eastern or Western Hog-nosed Snake before I came nose to snout with one at Jenny's Nature Center, and if I'm telling the truth, I should also mention that when I first picked little Piglet up, I was a tiny bit...unnerved. That little up-turned snout looked dangerous to me, but within seconds of holding him, I was hooked. He was so gentle and cute...and sweet! After all, how could anything named "Piglet" be scary?

How can I have lived almost 50 years in Ohio and never have heard of or seen this beautiful snake? I knew so little about our native snakes before volunteering at Shawnee State Park. The knowledge I gained was invaluable. Thanks, Jenny!!

Piglet was playing in the rain with Matty when I took these shots. His little Piglet snout looked especially cute sprinkled with raindrops, but it has a function too. He uses it to dig in sandy soils, sweeping his head back and forth.

...beautiful markings, but the pattern scared some of the parents who thought he might be an Eastern Massasauga (poisonous). A lot of people had never heard of a hognose, but soon overcame their fear when they saw how docile and harmless Piglet was.

...the longer you look at this guy the cuter he becomes. It's amazing what a week with these critters can do for you.

Piglet rests in Matty's hand.

...all the kids who came into the Nature Center ended up falling for Piglet! Here a little boy gently holds Piglet who gives us a nice profile shot!

Hog-nosed Snakes actually have fangs (or large teeth) in the rear of their mouths, and their saliva is slightly toxic to their prey but harmless to humans. Piglet was so friendly, we didn't get to see the act a hognose puts on when he feels threatened. A hognose will rear up, flatten its head, inflate its body and hiss...and if that doesn't scare his enemy away, he might just flop over and play dead like an opossum. Either way, it would be quite a sight to see...

...for a post on a native Eastern Hognose Snake and his "playing dead" antics, click here.

Everyone loves Pumpkin...

Volunteering at Shawnee State Park in Southeastern Ohio

...continued from the trailblazing post.

Part of our volunteer work at Shawnee State Park was working at the Nature Center from noon to 3:00. What a wonderful place. Jenny has turned the cozy A-Frame building into Nature Learning Central. She has books, posters, activities, frogs, bugs, bird nests, and snakes! All but two of her snakes are native to Ohio. One that isn't native is Pumpkin, the albino corn snake. Corn snakes are close relatives to Black Rat Snakes, which are native to Ohio, and therefore shares his digs with Steve, the Black Rat Snake (more on that sweety later).

Look at that beautiful red albino eye. If you look closely, you can see his pupil is round. A round pupil lets you know he is not a venomous snake. Venomous Snakes, such as the Timber Rattlesnake, Northern Copperhead, or Eastern Massasauga, have elliptical pupils. That's the sort of helpful information you learn when you visit Jenny's snakes!

...before working with Jenny at the nature center I wasn't a particularly "snakey" kind of girl, but after learning about all of our native snakes and handling all the sweeties at the nature center, I think I actually might fall into the "snakey" category now. I had no idea going into the week how much I would learn to love and appreciate snakes, and how much I would learn about them.

Anna, Kayla and Matty and I each took a snake out to play in the rain. The snakes love feeling the rain falling on them as much as we did. It was hot out, and the rain felt great. Pumpkin was content to rest on Matty's shoulders.

...sometimes Pumpkin would just curl up and go to sleep in your arms. Here he's resting around Matty's neck, curled in around his shirt.

Pumpkin is a corn snake, and corn snakes are constrictors, but they eat rodents and lizards and other small things, so we didn't have to worry about him trying to constrict around our necks. If you look in the background, you can see posters of birds and butterflies. Jenny's walls are covered with information on the natural world. Kids love it there!