Blue Heron

One of the most interesting animals found along streams and creeks is the great blue heron. Although the blue heron does not live in the water, it is seen hunting for food there. The heron has a very broad diet. It eats anything it can fit in its mouth. Its diet consists of fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, and any mammal it can catch. Blue herons have amazing eyesight which is used to help snatch fish out of the water. It uses its sharp beak to stab fish and reptiles. They eat their prey whole, and have occasionally been seen choking on food that is too large for its throat. Blue herons generally grow from 3-5 feet tall making them one of the biggest birds in Pennsylvania. Blue herons only have predators when they are young. Crows, hawks, and other birds of prey eat young blue herons. Once they reach adulthood, these predators do not play a role in the deaths of blue herons. Great blue herons are also endangered, so humans are not allowed to kill them.

Great Blue Heron
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/images/field_guide/Great_Blue_Heron_page_image.jpg

Great Blue Heron eating a snake
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/9708213-md.jpg

Frogs

Frogs are amphibious creatures that are found all around the world. There are around 4,000 different known species of frogs. Out of those 4,000 types, only 17 are found in Pennsylvania. Two of the main frogs that are commonly found in creeks are the bull frog and northern leopard frog. The most abundant species is the bull frog, found in almost any body of water. They are rather large with a leaf green color. Bull frogs are most known for their extremely loud mating calls. They do this to show their dominance over younger frogs. They are mainly carnivorous, eating almost anything they can. They have a wide ranging diet that consists of insects, smaller frogs, and any small mammals they can catch. They play a huge role in keeping the insect population in check. The northern leopard frog is very similar to the bull frog, except for its slightly smaller size and beautiful coloring. It is easily identified cause of its green body covered in brown spots. Its diet is almost the same as the bull frog, eating almost anything they can fit in their mouths. Both the bull frog and northern leopard frog can lay a massive amount of eggs. Each can lay from 6,000-20,000 eggs at a single time. These eggs have an awful taste to them, making predators less likely to eat them. The babies aren't usually prey until they hatch as tadpoles. Once they hatch, tadpoles are easy food for fish and other animals.

Adult Bull Frog

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/bullfrog.htm

This is a link to a video of a male bull frogs mating call- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M02_dnl9zCA

Northern Leopard Frog
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Ontario_1.JPG

Salamanders

Salamanders are small lizards that thrive in moist wooded areas. There are 22 different species of salamanders throughout Pennsylvania. Salamanders are found mostly in swampy areas and along creek beds. There are three main species that are commonly found, the red-spotted newt, the common mudpuppy, and the eastern red-backed salamander. The red-spotted newt is a bright orange color with dark orange spots on it. They tend to grow to be about 5 inches in length. They have toxins in their skin, so their bright orange colors act as a warning so predators not to eat them. They mainly are found in wet areas, near a source of water. Their diet consists of insects, frog and fish eggs, and worms. The common mudpuppy is a very interesting species of the salamander family. They have gills making them able to completely live in the water. They tend to grow about a foot in length. They have much more of a food selection. Mudpuppies can eat small fish, insects, and anything else they can get into their mouth. They have small teeth, unlike other salamanders. The last salamander most commonly found in Pennsylvania creeks is the eastern red-backed salamander. They have a large reddish brown stripe going down their back so they are easily noticeable. They also live in swampy areas just like the red-spotted newt. They have almost the same diet, consisting of worms, spiders, and other small insects. Salamanders are very important to the environment, keeping the insect population under control.

Red spotted newt
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/New_Hampshire/amphibian_spottednewt.html

Common mudpuppy
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4080/4924826672_4cbf66066a.jpg

Eastern red-backed salamander
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/red-backed_salamander.htm

Turtles

There are many different species of turtles that live in Pennsylvania. The three types that are mostly seen are the snapping, box, and painted turtles. Snapping turtles are a large amphibious species, meaning they can either live in water or on land. Snapping turtles are known by their large spiked shells, long tails, and their nasty bite. Snappers have huge hooked bottom jaws, that are known to take off fingers very easily. They eat both vegetation and are active hunters. They eat any type of animals that they can fit in their mouth such as fish, frogs, small birds, or even small mammals. Box and painted turtles on the other hand are much less aggressive than the snapping turtles. Painted turtles also live in the water, but are mainly seen basking in the sun throughout the day. They are easily noticeable because of their bright red and yellow colors. Their diet also consists of vegetation and other small amphibious creatures that they can catch. Box turtles are the only one of the three that does not live in the water. Box turtles live in fields and other wooded areas. They are similar in size to the painted turtle. Instead of eating fish and other animals that live in the water, the box turtle mainly eats worms, grasshoppers, and other small insects along with vegetation.

Snapping Turtle
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Alligator_snapping_turtle.jpg

Painted Turtle
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/dynes_jess/

Box Turtle
http://www.carolinanature.com/herps/boxturtle.html

Crayfish

Crayfish are crustaceans and are closely related to lobsters. Just like lobsters, crayfish have two large front claws called "Chellae." They use their large front claws to attack prey and as a defense mechanism. Crayfish eat both plants and animals. They are scavengers, which means they will eat anything they can find that is dead. Crayfish mainly eat the eggs of fish, frogs, and salamanders. When crayfish feel threatened or in danger, they throw themselves backwards extremely fast under rocks or any form of cover they can get too.

Crayfish
http://www.jaxshells.org/crust21.htm

Types of Fish

There are many different types of fish that live in the rivers and creeks in Pennsylvania. Minnows, Suckers, Catfish, Trout, and Bass are the most common. There are various species of each type. All of these fish have common diets. Their diet is made up of terrestrial (land) animals, aquatic wildlife, flies, and aquatic macro invertebrates. The aquatic macro invertebrates are their main source of food. Invertebrates, which means animals without backbones, consist of insects, crustaceans, mollusks, snails, and worms. With the presence of these invertebrates, it means there is an abundance of food and the water is clean and healthy for the fish to live in. Trout tend to be found more in cold fast moving water, where Bass, Catfish, and Suckers are found in more of a still, stagnant water.

Flathead Catfish
http://www.okiefish.com/flathead.gif

Brook Trout
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/42824387

Flathead Minnow

http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/search/Display.asp?FlNm=pimeprom

Largemouth Bass
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/largemouth_bass.htm

Sucker Fish

http://outdoorsdownsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sucker-300x183.png

My name is Mark Jensen and the purpose of this blog is to inform readers about the wildlife that reside in the creeks and rivers that the Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy strive to keep in great condition. The conservancy is dedicated to the conservation, protection, and improvement of  watershed resources. Their goal is not only to protect the watershed resources, but also work to educate the public about the importance of conserving these watersheds. Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy was formed in 2001 and is a non profit organization. They are only funded by memberships and donations. Over the next few weeks, I will have posts describing the animals that live in these streams and rivers.