Back Into Nature

08/04/2018

Time to get the kids Back Into Nature! 😉
🌳🦋🐍🦉🦎🌲

Would your kids respond in the same way as these kids? Raises an interesting point...

06/20/2018

"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other.

If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear.

What one fears one destroys."

~ Chief Dan George

03/16/2018

We all fear what we do not understand.
Education can stop the killing...

The 51st Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival held Saturday and Sunday at the Evans County Wildlife Club in Hagan ran smoothly, authorities say. Sheriff Randall Tippins and Hagan Police Chief Andy Benjamin reported there were no safety incidents during the festival and traffic flow was manageable. Appr...

03/07/2018

And Black-bellied Whistling ducks, and wild honey bee colonies and... so many non-humans find value in a dying/dead tree we have no way of knowing! Please try to leave them standing. :)

Before you cut down and haul out a dead tree, consider the benefits of leaving it in place—a standing snag can be a valuable component of a wildlife-friendly farm.

07/20/2017

We love when Mr. Dave comes to the library!

Mr. Dave of Back Into Nature visited our library for Wacky Wednesday this morning!

Only one Wacky Wednesday left!

Photo by Kristina Minor

06/13/2017

It really is easier to do than you may think! ;)

HELP! There’s a snake in my yard — what should I do? Killing or moving snakes is a quick fix, not a solution. Where there’s one, there’s likely to be more. Most bites happen when people handle or try to kill snakes, so to keep your family safe try these alternatives.

03/15/2017

Black-chinned Hummingbirds have arrived back in central Texas, and right on schedule too!
So folks, hang 'em if you got 'em (feeders that is,lol)!

10/11/2016

"Remember, the last thing any wild snake wants to do is engage with you. They just want to be left alone." ;)

Education! It's okay. It won't hurt. Here is a simple graphic with some quick debunks. Please help educate!

Never approach or interact with a snake if you cannot accurately identify it from a safe distance! Misleading "rules" like the shape of the pupil are not accurate.If you must get close enough to a snake to see its pupils in order to attempt an identification, you have no business being that close to the snake. Just walk away.

Elliptical vs. round pupil shape does not work! Quite simply, the amount of light available can easily manipulate pupil size, so never go by this rule. You either know the species or you don't Learn from someone with experience and don't guess. Snakes can easily be identified from several feet away by those who know.

Head shape is another incorrect rule. Some people teach that venomous snakes have triangular heads. Coral snakes do not have triangular heads. Also, many snakes flatten and widen their heads when threatened. Most often, this is noted from non-venomous Water snakes and Hognose snakes (which may be considered mildly venomous but not medically significant). Water snakes are often fairly aggressive when threatened, while venomous snakes are reluctant to strike.

Even the "black on yellow" rule does not work 100% of the time for Coral snakes. See our comments.

And, yes, there are poisonous snakes. See our comments for examples. While the uneducated public often does interchange poisonous for venomous, h**pers cannot say that snakes are "venomous not poisonous" and be correct 100% of the time. There are exceptions.

We understand it can be quite difficult for some to identify snakes. Unless completely necessary, it is best to leave snakes alone, especially if you cannot easily identify them. Most venomous snake bites in the U.S. occur when someone without proper tools, training or knowledge attempts to move, kill or handle these snakes.

Remember, the last thing any wild snake wants to do is engage with you. They just want to be left alone.

Note that we're primarily discussing U.S. native species. More information in our comments.

Infographic created by Amethyst Roney

08/12/2016

Learn, learn, learn!
We love to learn! :D

A lot of mythology surrounds the oak wilt disease. I’m here to set the record straight.

07/06/2016

Education is the key!
The more you know, the less you fear. ;)

As abhorrent as rattlesnake roundups are to many of us, we cannot dismiss them as evil events run by bad people. Instead, it may be helpful to consider why people would poison the environment with …

06/02/2016

Public service reminder ~
Humans are NOT at the top of the food chain, lol!

Talk about a hazard! A giant alligator took a stroll across the fairway, making his way to the lake beside the third hole at Buffalo Creek Golf Club. Video c...

05/24/2016

Learn what to do if experience a snake bite. Dispel the old myths of snake bite treatment. Texas has only four venomous snakes.

11/27/2015

Feel good pro-snake and pet reptile story! (Shared with us by Eric Roscoe of Madison Area H**petological Society.)

Child with autism transformed by friendship with snake and bearded dragon:

The reptiles have a calming effect on six-year-old Charlie Burnett.

The life of an autistic boy from Woking has been transformed after adopting a snake and other reptiles, but his parents are terrified of the creatures.

Six-year-old Charlie Burnett suffers from Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA), meaning the slightest setback or stress can throw him into "meltdown".

Now, however, with the help of pet corn snake Cameron, a lizard and a bearded dragon, he is much calmer, happier and finds day-to-day life more manageable.

His mother, Jaime Gridley, said Charlie finds the animals, and in particular the snake, therapeutic.

“It’s changed Charlie’s world,” she told the Woking Advertiser. “I can’t tell you the difference it’s made to our family. We’ve had hamsters in the past but they have done nothing. He’s not interested in them But now I know I can come home from work, take the snake out of the box and he’ll be calm.”

Because Charlie is high-functioning, he attends a mainstream school, which he finds "enormously stressful", according to Ms Gridley, a teacher herself.

“His PDA means he thinks that if there are any demands place on him he will have a meltdown,” she said. “People often don’t realise how challenging he finds it.”

Asking Charlie how his day at school went used to be a painstaking process for his Ms Gridley and father Alex Burnett, but these days if they want to find out they only have to eves-drop on the conversations he will be having Cameron.

“It’s phenomenal,” said his mother. It’s something about he way snakes move. “It’s very calming.”

As well as its evident listening skills, the corn snake also helps Charlie to get to sleep.

Until last year the child could only sleep with his parents, waking almost every hour, but since the arrival of Cameron he has spent the midnight hours soundly asleep in his own bed, his new friend in its box nearby.

“They say good morning and good night to each other,” said Ms Gridley. "They’re proper friends.”

Charlie’s parents’ joy at his dramatic improvement have been tempered by their own fear at handling his new reptilian friends, however.

“I’m not a snake lover, I’m petrified of them,” admitted Ms Gridley, saying the same went for her partner.

“But being fearful of them is outweighed by the benefit. We grin through the fear.”

The improvement began last year when his parents invited Nick Forrest, from Pentangle-Aquatics pet shop in Knaphill , to bring some animals along for Charlie’s birthday party.

Realising the boy showed an enthusiasm for reptiles, Mr Forrest, whom Ms Gridley describes as ‘an amazing person’, then spent hours discussing with Charlie which pet would be best for him.

“He’s a lovely boy and it’s great to have the satisfaction of doing your job right,” said Mr Forrest.

“Snakes are great animals. If you look after them correctly they will become very loyal, just like cats and dogs.”

Mr Forrest, 38, said he had worked with other people with conditions such as autism and that, while he is ‘no scientist’, he believes there is something about snakes and lizards that focuses the brain and allows people to relax.

“When I first met Charlie he didn’t want any other friends at his party,” he said.

“But when I saw while doing some demos at children’s parties this summer he was a completely different child.

“He was talking to the other children, showing them how to look after the animals.

“He’s going from strength to strength.”

Mr Forrest said he believes the current younger generation are less prone to be scared and are more open-minded about handling reptiles.

He predicted that Cameron would grow to be five or six feet long, but that if in the future Charlie wanted a ‘bigger challenge’, he could consider adopting a boa constrictor.

Article by Henry Bodkin and photo with Bearded dragon via www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/woking-child-autism-transformed-friendship-10503368

11/18/2015

"As a father, I could never destroy my child's passion for anything regardless how I felt about it. As parents, we should nurture these passions and help our children expand on them."

Pro-snake message! Here is a story that was shared to our page. Please be open-minded and always do your best to educate others about reptiles, amphibians and other animals. Not everyone will change their opinion, but many will, especially when they can interact with these animals and be educated properly. If we don't try, the 60% of people who are afraid of snakes will only continue to spread their irrational fears and misinformation. Thanks, Travis Gardner.

"Awhile back I was on Craigslist and saw I post by a mother who was getting rid of her teenage son's corn snake. Out of curiosity, I decided email and find out more. It turned out to be an eye opening conversation... I asked the typical questions when asking about any animal. Age, s*x, health and size. It was a very healthy and well taken care of snake. Then I decided to ask why she is getting rid of it. Her reply was simply, "I don't like snakes."

This really bothered me, not because she doesn't like snakes, but that her son, obviously does and she is getting rid of his corn snake. I tried to ask her why she didn't like them and I tried to educate her about them so her son could keep his snake. I was met with rude comments and was basically told that she's the mother and it's her decision and her son is it going to have snakes.

Ultimately, I couldn't keep her from changing her mind. This conversation had made me kind of angry. The way I saw it is the teenage son had a passion for reptiles and had educated himself to properly care for them.

As a father, I could never destroy my child's passion for anything regardless how I felt about it. As parents, we should nurture these passions and help our children expand on them. Allow them to educate themselves... And maybe you as a parent.

Whether it's reptiles, inverts or any other hobby they embrace. These children may have dreams to become h**petologists, entomologists, zoologists or any number of paths related to their passions. If they are denied, by their own parents to pursue these things, they may just give up. It's not fair to them to s***f out this dream because you had a bad experience as a kid because somebody threw a garter snake on you and embedded a fear into you. Please see the bigger picture and see that what they are wanting is positive." - Travis Gardner

Photo of girl with corn snake: credit unkown

10/21/2015

Happy Reptile Awareness Day! Field h**ping is a big part of the h**p world and just as important as being a responsible reptile owner is being a responsible field h**per. Always respect the environment and the animals when h**ping. A field h**ping trip is not a reason to leave a path of destruction to habitat. H**ping is a great way to learn more about these animals and to teach others, especially children, about the importance of conservation.

Reptile Awareness Day (October 21st of each year) is a day to promote education, conservation and reptile appreciation. Do something special for reptiles today and show them a little extra love by educating others.

"I will never forget that morning and the beauty of the little snakes, the smells of the damp soil and rotten logs, and the excitement of learning about them on my own." ~ Lawrence M. Hardy

H**p ID: Ringneck Snake

10/05/2015

Please read and spare a life! ;)

Pictured here is a Western Fox Snake (Pantherophis vulpinus) that was enjoying some sun when what it thought was a giant predator approaching it. Some snakes such as this one may let you know it feels threatened for its life, & that it felt it had no escape. This snake is in its typical "S" shape defensive posture which is used as a scare tactic to try & scare off any predator it feels is a threat. Fox snakes, like some other non-venomous snakes will rattle their tails in the vegetation, & or leaf litter (in this case, gravel) as a warning that they are scared. The noise their tail makes in the vegetation, or leaf litter can even make some people think they are rattlesnakes. These snakes can, & will strike IF need be to warn you that you are getting too close.

Snakes just want to be left alone & do not know that people like to enjoy the outdoors, which is a snake's natural habitat. Snakes, unlike humans do not know any better. They cannot tell who is a threat, & who is not. They cannot speak to us & ask us what our intentions are in their natural habitat either. But they can tell us how they feel through their actions, which speak louder than words if you pay close enough attention & give them some understanding. No matter what species of snake it is, or where you encounter one, all snakes are & always will be more afraid of us than we are of them.

Educate, Don't Hate!

09/09/2015

Interesting

The raptors help keep predators away from the tiny birds, new research shows.

08/21/2015

Very cool stuff!

These interactive photos invite you to turn these caterpillars into moths and butterflies.

07/14/2015

"As adults, we sometimes forget the power of smiles and let unjust fear from a lack of understanding affect us negatively."

How do snakes make you smile?

Smiles – Kids love snakes and will spend hours holding or just watching snakes smiling the entire time. As adults, we sometimes forget the power of smiles and let unjust fear from a lack of understanding affect us negatively. Snake conservation is not only the right thing to do for the health of our world but snakes also provide unbelievable opportunities for happiness.

07/13/2015

"We have shared many examples of schools taking their education outside.
Are you a teacher who wants to implement natural education?
Explore ideas and resources in our Natural Teacher Network toolkit!"

07/09/2015

Quote from USARK: "Depending on where you live, non-venomous snakes, especially water snakes such as this Midland water snake (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis), are misidentified as either copperheads, cottonmouths or rattlesnakes. They are often killed simply for being snakes and this is "justified" because they are believed to be venomous. American venomous snakes will not chase, attack, or go out of their way to bite you. They will only bite if threatened or harassed. Please learn to ID your local wildlife, respect them all, and learn to live with the animals that share this planet.

Most people won't take the time to learn the difference between a venomous copperhead and a harmless watersnake. That's where you come in! Please educate as many as possible and help stop the needless killing of native wildlife. Also explain that the safest way to deal with a real venomous snake is to simply walk away. Venomous or not, no snake deserves a death sentence.

07/02/2015

A fun program and great turnout at the Wimberley Library today!

07/01/2015

06/19/2015

Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Let's not forget that all snakes are highly misunderstood, unjustly feared and far too often killed "just because." Some snakes, like this Eastern hognose, are often misidentified as rattlesnakes. More education is needed! So why not share a snake with a smile for a chance to show others the light and then smack them with some proper learning? See our comments for more hognose posts. Photo by Stanley Trauth

04/27/2015

Be on the look-out & 'listen-out'.
We're in the height of bird migration! ;)

10/29/2014

After watching this, I dare you to say bats are 'scary', lol!

An orphaned short-tailed fruit bat hand-raised by Bat World Sanctuary.

10/21/2014

Glorious Goldenrod!
What do you know about it?
Do you know that it is NOT what gives you allergy symptoms in the fall?
That honor goes to Ragweed, which blooms at the same time.
How do we know for sure?
Goldenrod has 'sticky' pollen for clinging to the pollinators that visit it. Ragweed (which is an inconspicuous green plant) has pollen that floats through the air and into your nostrils!
They are both members of the Aster family along with Daisies and Yarrow.
Goldenrod is very important for migrating Monarch butterflies,
and is of special value to native bees and honey bees as a late season pollen source.
Best of all, they are so wonderful to look at in all their golden beauty that they can be included in all but the most formal of gardens.
Plant a few soon, so you and the wildlife can enjoy them!

08/19/2014

These honeybees are collecting water to take back to the hive.This time of year they are most likely using it for evaporative cooling. I gave them this cruddy old dog bowl because they were swarming the birdbath in such numbers that they were frightening the birds away. Here is a link with cool info on what bees do with the water they take home to the hive. http://www.honeybeesuite.com/water-collection/
We also have ants coming to another bowl at night.

Fellow Texans, in this heat, think of all of Creation, and set out a dish for the critters! ;)

08/04/2014

This is a photo from Bat Conservation International.

These are feral cats in Jamaica, helping to decimate a population of endangered Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus jamaicensis).

I could not share the actual post because of the comment war going on about feral cats that would have come with it.

No matter what your position on free roaming cats is, the unarguable FACT remains that cats kill BILLIONS of mammals and birds every year.

In the U.S.alone, free-roaming domestic cats kill an estimated 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals, and have been the main contributor to the extinction of 33 species across the world.
They continue to adversely impact a wide variety of species, including those that are threatened or endangered.

06/26/2014

As Mr. Dave likes to say ~ Those 'chemical defenses'
smell like a wet Band-Aid, lol!

Millipedes don't really have 1,000 legs, but rather are characterized by the fact that each of their body segment bears two pairs of extremities (versus a single pair per body segment in centipedes). This feature can be observed nicely in this close-up photograph of a common eastern millipede (Narceus americanus), a species found in wooded habitats throughout eastern and central US. With a total length of up to 4 inches this is an impressive invertebrate! Even though it is big, it is completely harmless. Unlike their centipede 'cousins', millipedes lack the modified jaw-like first pair of legs that predatory centipedes use to catch and sometimes envenomate their prey. Instead, millipedes defend themselves by rolling into a tight spiral and/or using chemical defenses. Worst case scenario, handling one of these beautiful 'roly-poly-pedes' might leave you with some orange-brown stains on your hands that won't wash off. These chemical defenses may have a different effect on other potential predators, to human observers it serves as pretty innocuous way of indicating the millipede's unease. Just place it carefully back on the forest floor watch it move away - without ever tripping over its own legs...

Photographed for the Meet your Neigbours Global Biodiversity Project

05/02/2014

LOOK! LISTEN!
We are in the midst of bird migration in the Americas.
Grab a friend and grab some binoculars and let us know what you are seeing and hearing out there!
From the middle of April to the middle of May there are many birding competitions for conservation going on in the US. Join the fun, see the wonders of Creation and help raise awareness and funds for the preservation of our swiftly dwindling public natural areas.