Resting in Peace #7==Bats, Butterflies, Salamander LbNA #52699
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Add Location| Owner: | N/A |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Mar 25, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Bozrah |
| County: | New London |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 4 |
| Planted by: | The Maple Leafs
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|---|---|
| Found by: | WanderingLadds (4) |
| Last found: | Dec 15, 2024 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 24, 2015 |
Rated: Easy
BOX 1 - - Bats are flying mammals in the order of Chiropters. The forelimbs of bats are webbed and developed as wings, making them the only mammal capable of true and sustained flight. Other mammals, such as the flying squirrel and the gliding possum, glide rather than fly, and then, only for short distances.
There are about 1100 bat species worldwide. About 70% eat insects. Most of the rest eat fruit. Few species feed on animals. Bats pollinate flowers and disperse fruit seeds.
There are two sub-orders of Bats……Megabats and Microbats
Megabats eat fruit, nectar or pollen. Microbats eat insects.
Megabats have well developed visual cortex and have good visual acuity, while
Microbats rely on echolation for navigation and finding prey….They receive echoes by their large funnel-shaped ears that face forward.
Bats are not rodents!! Bats are clean and groom themselves by licking their fur/hair like cats.
You can purchase bat houses from some hardware stores. Some are shaped similar to bird houses only bigger and some are thinner. Both have chambers in them. Usually it is a good idea to take a file and scratch ridges inside the chambers to help them cling on better. Also it should be painted black, be placed on a barn wall or on the South side of a tree about 11 feet above the ground and free of immediate branches so the bats can have direct view of it. They say it will take a few years to have bats take up residency. We have bats in our area, but so far none have taken up residence.
BOX 2- - A Butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all holometabolous insects, the butterfly’s life cycle consists of four parts---egg, larvae, pupa and adult. Butterflies are important as agents of pollination, although a few species are pests, because they can damage domestic crops or trees in their larvae stage. It is a popular belief that butterflies have a very short life span. However, in their adult stage, they can live from one week to one year, depending on the species. Butterflies can have one or more broods a year. Many have long larvae life stages while others can remain dormant in their egg stage and thereby survive winters. Some butterflies migrate over long distances.
Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts. The beautiful patterns and colors of the butterfly’s wings make butterfly watching an interesting hobby. I made my own butterfly house from a pattern in a magazine. It is 5”x5”x24” long with copper on the slanted roof with hinges for cleaning. It has about 4 slits down the front about ¼” wide and 4” long. It is set on a pole about 24” from the ground. A bare-branched stick stands inside as a perch. So far I have not been fortunate to have any butterfly occupy my house.
BOX 3- - While letterboxing, we may encounter many insects, poisonous plants and snakes. I am listing some salamanders that we may see along rock walls, under rocks and in forests. There are five (5) types of Salamanders that are most common to see, except they are becoming extinct.
Red-spotted Newt-- 2 3/8 “ to 5 1/8”-- yellow or brown dorsum with bright orange spots. Belly is yellow to cream with many pepper-like black spots.
Eastern Tiger Salamander-- 5 7/8” to 9 ¾”-- largest salamander, highly irregular splotches of olive and yellow color on black dorsum. Olive/yellow dorsum. Very plump with 12-13 costal grooves.
Marbled Salamander-- 3 ½” to 4 ½”-- silvery-white bands across an otherwise black dorsum. Bands vary from complete to incomplete. Black belly, 11-13 costal grooves.
Redback Salamander-- 2 3/8” to 4 3/8”-- red stripes extending down top of dorsum from back to head to tip of tail. Sides black to gray. Belly black and white splotches
Leadback phase-- completely black and gray with same belly as Redback, 18-20 costal grooves. (may resemble 4-toed salamander except has 5 toes on the hind legs).
Four-toed Salamander--2” to 3 ¾”-- belly is enamel-white with black speckles, while dorsum is red/brown with gray sides. This species has Four toes on its hind legs and often has a constricted area by the base of the tail. Has 13-14 costal grooves. (similar to the Lead Phase of the Redback).
BOX 4- - Hundreds of Snakes are needlessly killed each year because of mistaken identity. Very often when a snake is found near a home, people panic. The two venomous snake species found in Connecticut are the Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. The status of Connecticut snakes has declined due to habitat loss, unnecessary persecution, road mortality and illegal collection for the pet trade.
Connecticut Deptartment of Environmental Protection-Bureau of Natural Resources-Wildlife Division
State Endangered-Timber Rattlesnake
Species of Special Concerns- Eastern Ribbonsnake, Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake
State Regulated-Eastern Ratsnake.
The 12+2 snakes in Connecticut are: Common Gartersnake, Eastern Ribbonsnake,
Smooth Greensnake, Eastern Wormsnake, DeKay’s Brownsnake, Red-BelliedSnake,
Ring-Necked Snake, Northern Watersnake, Milksnake, Copperhead, Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake, Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Ratsnake and the Eastern Racer.
Clues: Enter the Johnson Rural Cemetery on the right and drive along outer road for all boxes. At 1st. Intersection of left & straight roads, walk to a 2-sister tree behind the wall, just before the small stream, against the tree and wall for BOX #1 BATS. Continue on road, passing another left road. In the wall where it meets another wall at a “V”, downhill from a Small stone of Harriet wife of Amos Coon, is BOX #2 BUTTERFLIES, in the wall covered with stones. Continuing around the corner, starting uphill, behind the back wall, is a very Large tree. Opposite Sidney Maynard’s large stone and Gertrude Shaw’s smaller stone, in the wall is BOX # 3 SALAMANDERS. Go around to the front entrance again and re-enter the cemetery, just passing the flag pole and plaque , and in the wall before any intersections, looking at the stones on the left for the LONG family plot in a 12’x12’small cement wall, then heading to the large flat rock on the top of the stone wall. BEHIND and UNDER this rock, without moving it and covered with a lot of smaller rocks is BOX #4 SNAKES. Hope you enjoyed your visit in this very quiet place. Please re-hide well. Thank you.
BOX 1 - - Bats are flying mammals in the order of Chiropters. The forelimbs of bats are webbed and developed as wings, making them the only mammal capable of true and sustained flight. Other mammals, such as the flying squirrel and the gliding possum, glide rather than fly, and then, only for short distances.
There are about 1100 bat species worldwide. About 70% eat insects. Most of the rest eat fruit. Few species feed on animals. Bats pollinate flowers and disperse fruit seeds.
There are two sub-orders of Bats……Megabats and Microbats
Megabats eat fruit, nectar or pollen. Microbats eat insects.
Megabats have well developed visual cortex and have good visual acuity, while
Microbats rely on echolation for navigation and finding prey….They receive echoes by their large funnel-shaped ears that face forward.
Bats are not rodents!! Bats are clean and groom themselves by licking their fur/hair like cats.
You can purchase bat houses from some hardware stores. Some are shaped similar to bird houses only bigger and some are thinner. Both have chambers in them. Usually it is a good idea to take a file and scratch ridges inside the chambers to help them cling on better. Also it should be painted black, be placed on a barn wall or on the South side of a tree about 11 feet above the ground and free of immediate branches so the bats can have direct view of it. They say it will take a few years to have bats take up residency. We have bats in our area, but so far none have taken up residence.
BOX 2- - A Butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all holometabolous insects, the butterfly’s life cycle consists of four parts---egg, larvae, pupa and adult. Butterflies are important as agents of pollination, although a few species are pests, because they can damage domestic crops or trees in their larvae stage. It is a popular belief that butterflies have a very short life span. However, in their adult stage, they can live from one week to one year, depending on the species. Butterflies can have one or more broods a year. Many have long larvae life stages while others can remain dormant in their egg stage and thereby survive winters. Some butterflies migrate over long distances.
Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts. The beautiful patterns and colors of the butterfly’s wings make butterfly watching an interesting hobby. I made my own butterfly house from a pattern in a magazine. It is 5”x5”x24” long with copper on the slanted roof with hinges for cleaning. It has about 4 slits down the front about ¼” wide and 4” long. It is set on a pole about 24” from the ground. A bare-branched stick stands inside as a perch. So far I have not been fortunate to have any butterfly occupy my house.
BOX 3- - While letterboxing, we may encounter many insects, poisonous plants and snakes. I am listing some salamanders that we may see along rock walls, under rocks and in forests. There are five (5) types of Salamanders that are most common to see, except they are becoming extinct.
Red-spotted Newt-- 2 3/8 “ to 5 1/8”-- yellow or brown dorsum with bright orange spots. Belly is yellow to cream with many pepper-like black spots.
Eastern Tiger Salamander-- 5 7/8” to 9 ¾”-- largest salamander, highly irregular splotches of olive and yellow color on black dorsum. Olive/yellow dorsum. Very plump with 12-13 costal grooves.
Marbled Salamander-- 3 ½” to 4 ½”-- silvery-white bands across an otherwise black dorsum. Bands vary from complete to incomplete. Black belly, 11-13 costal grooves.
Redback Salamander-- 2 3/8” to 4 3/8”-- red stripes extending down top of dorsum from back to head to tip of tail. Sides black to gray. Belly black and white splotches
Leadback phase-- completely black and gray with same belly as Redback, 18-20 costal grooves. (may resemble 4-toed salamander except has 5 toes on the hind legs).
Four-toed Salamander--2” to 3 ¾”-- belly is enamel-white with black speckles, while dorsum is red/brown with gray sides. This species has Four toes on its hind legs and often has a constricted area by the base of the tail. Has 13-14 costal grooves. (similar to the Lead Phase of the Redback).
BOX 4- - Hundreds of Snakes are needlessly killed each year because of mistaken identity. Very often when a snake is found near a home, people panic. The two venomous snake species found in Connecticut are the Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. The status of Connecticut snakes has declined due to habitat loss, unnecessary persecution, road mortality and illegal collection for the pet trade.
Connecticut Deptartment of Environmental Protection-Bureau of Natural Resources-Wildlife Division
State Endangered-Timber Rattlesnake
Species of Special Concerns- Eastern Ribbonsnake, Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake
State Regulated-Eastern Ratsnake.
The 12+2 snakes in Connecticut are: Common Gartersnake, Eastern Ribbonsnake,
Smooth Greensnake, Eastern Wormsnake, DeKay’s Brownsnake, Red-BelliedSnake,
Ring-Necked Snake, Northern Watersnake, Milksnake, Copperhead, Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake, Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Ratsnake and the Eastern Racer.
Clues: Enter the Johnson Rural Cemetery on the right and drive along outer road for all boxes. At 1st. Intersection of left & straight roads, walk to a 2-sister tree behind the wall, just before the small stream, against the tree and wall for BOX #1 BATS. Continue on road, passing another left road. In the wall where it meets another wall at a “V”, downhill from a Small stone of Harriet wife of Amos Coon, is BOX #2 BUTTERFLIES, in the wall covered with stones. Continuing around the corner, starting uphill, behind the back wall, is a very Large tree. Opposite Sidney Maynard’s large stone and Gertrude Shaw’s smaller stone, in the wall is BOX # 3 SALAMANDERS. Go around to the front entrance again and re-enter the cemetery, just passing the flag pole and plaque , and in the wall before any intersections, looking at the stones on the left for the LONG family plot in a 12’x12’small cement wall, then heading to the large flat rock on the top of the stone wall. BEHIND and UNDER this rock, without moving it and covered with a lot of smaller rocks is BOX #4 SNAKES. Hope you enjoyed your visit in this very quiet place. Please re-hide well. Thank you.