4-H Adirondack Guide Study Guide

Beginner Guide Level Intermediate Guide Level Advanced Guide Level Advanced Guide—Year Two+

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Sugar Maple

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Striped Maple

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Red Maple

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Red Pine

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White Birch

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Red Oak

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American Beech

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White Spruce

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White Pine

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Balsam Fir

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White Ash

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Easter Hemlock

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Yellow Birch

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Tamarack (American Larch)

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Black Cherry

Also included: Ironwood, Black Birch, White Oak, Pin Cherry, Red Spruce, Black Spruce, Quaking Aspen, and Bigtooth Aspen

Resource: VirginiaTech Department of Forestry College of Natural Resources http://www.forestry.vt.edu/

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus Leaf: Ever gr een needles, 3 to 5 inches long, with five, slender , flexible needles per fascicle; fascicle sheath deciduous, needles appear blue-green because of 3 or more glaucous lines of stomata.

Flower: Monoecious; males cylindr ical, yellow, in cluster s near br anch tips; females light green, tinged in red, at ends of branches.

Fruit: Cones ar e 4 to 7 inches long, cylindr ical, with thick, r ounded cone scales, ver y resinous, borne on a long stalk and maturing in late summer.

Twig: Slender , gr ay-green to orange-brown in color; buds long, ovoid, reddish brown.

Bark: On young tr ees, thin, smooth and gr ay-green with some lighter splotty patches; later becoming thick, reddish brown to gray-brown with prominent finely scaly, rounded, long ridges and darker furrows.

Form: A lar ge tr ee with a ver y str aight tr unk often r eaching well over 100 feet in height.

The crown is conical when young, later developing wispy, horizontal, upturning branches.

White Birch Betula papyrifera Leaf: Alter nate, simple, pinnately-veined, ovate in shape, 3 to 5 inches long, with irregularly doubly serrate margins, an acute tip and rounded base (occasionally heart-shaped), green above and paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; pr efor med male catkins near the end of the twig in gr oups of 2 to 5, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long; female are upright, 1 to 1 1/4 inches long, appear or elongate (males) in mid-spring.

Fruit: Cone like, cylindr ical 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, deciduous at matur ity, r eleasing elliptical 2-winged nutlets, mature in the autumn and disperse over the winter.

Twig: Slender , dull r ed-brown, numerous lighter lenticels, lacking wintergreen smell when cut; terminal bud absent, lateral buds are gummy, green and chestnut brown in color, spur shoots present on older growth.

Bark: Reddish br own with light lenticels on ver y young stems; later tur ning chalky to cr eamy white, peeling in horizontal papery strips; brown to black and may be furrowed at base; orange inner bark.

Form: A medium sized tr ee to 70 feet with a pyr amidal or ir r egular cr own, often with sever al trunks.

Sugar Maple Acer saccharum Leaf: Opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 delicately r ounded lobes, entire margin; green above, paler below.

Flower: Light yellow-green, small, clustered, hanging from a long, slender (1 to 3 inch) stem, appearing with or slightly before the leaves in early spring.

Fruit: Two-winged horseshoe-shaped samaras about 1 inch long, appearing in clusters, brown when mature in in the fall.

Twig: Br own, slender and shiny with lighter lenticels; ter minal buds br own, ver y shar p pointed, with tight scales.

Bark: Var iable, but gener ally br own, on older tr ees it becomes dar ker , develops fur r ows, with long, thick irregular curling outward, firm ridges.

Form: Medium to tall tr ee (to 100 feet) with ver y dense elliptical cr own.

Red Maple Acer rubrum Leaf: Opposite, simple, 3 to 5 palmate lobes with ser r ated mar gin, sinuses r elatively shallow (but highly variable), 2 to 4 inches long; green above, whitened and sometimes glaucous or hairy beneath.

Flower: Attr active but small, occur in hanging cluster s, usually br ight r ed but occasionally yellow, appear in early spring, usually before leaves.

Fruit: Cluster s of 1/2 to 3/4 inch long samar as with slighly diver gent wings, on long slender stems. Light brown and often reddish, ripen in late spring and early summer.

Twig: Reddish and lustr ous with small lenticels, buds usually blunt, gr een or r eddish (fall and winter) with several loose scales usually present, leaf scars V-shaped, 3 bundle scars, lateral buds slightly stalked, may be collateral buds present.

Bark: On young tr ees, smooth and light gr ay, with age becomes dar ker and br eaks up into long, fine scaly plates.

Form: Medium sized tr ee up to 90 feet. In for est, tr unk usually clear for some distance, in the open the trunk is shorter and the crown rounded.

American Beech Fagus grandifolia Ehrh Leaf: Alter nate, simple, elliptical to oblong-ovate, 2 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches long, pinnately-veined, 11-14 pairs of veins, with each vein ending in a sharp distinct tooth, shiny green above, very waxy and smooth, slightly paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; male flower s bor ne on globose heads hanging fr om a slender 1 inch stalk, female flowers borne on shorter spikes, appearing just after leaves in the spring.

Fruit: Nuts ar e ir r egular ly tr iangular , shiny br own and edible, found in pair s within a woody husk covered with spines, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, maturing in the fall.

Twig: Ver y slender , zigzag, light br own in color ; buds ar e long (3/4 inch), light br own, and slender, covered with overlapping scales (best described as "cigar-shaped"), widely divergent from the stems, almost looking like long thorns.

Bark: The bar k is smooth, thin, and gr ay in color even on the lar gest stems. Beech bar k diseases severely deforms the smooth bark.

Form: A medium to lar ge tr ee up to 100 feet tall with a r ounded cr own. Often found in thickets produced by root suckering. Old trees may be surrounded by a ring of young beech.

Black Cherry Prunus serotina Leaf: Alter nate, simple, 2 to 5 inches long, oblong to lance-shaped, finely serrated, very small inconspicuous glands on petiole, dark green and lustrous above, paler below; usually with a dense yellowish-brown, sometimes white pubescence along mid-rib.

Flower: Small white flower s in hanging, nar r ow cluster s 4 to 6 inches long, appear ing in late spring.

Fruit: Dar k pur ple r ound dr upe, almost black when r ipe, 1/3 inch in diameter with a bitter -sweet taste; matures in late summer.

Twig: Slender , r eddish br own, sometimes cover ed in gr ay epider mis, pr onounced bitter almond odor and taste; buds are very small (1/5 inch),covered in several glossy, reddish brown to greenish scales. Leaf scars are small and semicircular with 3 bundle scars.

Bark: Smooth with numer ous shor t, nar r ow, hor izontal lenticels when young; becomes ver y dar k (nearly black), breaking up into small, rough, irregular, upturned plates (burnt corn flakes), when older.

Form: Medium sized tr ee which (on good sites) develops a long, str aight, clear bole and can reach heights approaching 100 feet.

Red Pine Pinus resinosa Leaf: Ever gr een needles, 4 to 6 inches long, with two needles per fascicle that snap cleanly when bent, dark green.

Flower: Monoecious; males almost r ound, light r ed, in lar ge cluster s at br anch tips; females a round, short cone, reddish brown.

Fruit: Cones ar e ovoid, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, shiny chestnut br own, umbo is not ar med, maturing in early summer.

Twig: Medium textur ed, or ange-brown in color with narrow, ovoid orange-brown buds.

Bark: On young tr ees, r ed-brown or pink to gray, flaky; eventually becoming plated, the plates have scaly surfaces with a reddish tinge.

Form: A medium size tr ee r eaching up to 90 feet tall, with oval cr own and a clear bole. Foliage is tufted, resembling a fox tail.

Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum Leaf: Opposite, simple, or bicular , 5 to 8 inches long, 3-lobed (resembles a goose foot), serrated margin; green above and paler below.

Flower: Dioecious; yellow-green, bellshaped, 1/4 inch long, appear in long, hanging slender clusters in late spring.

Fruit: Pair ed, wide-spreading samaras, 3/4 to 1 inch long, in hanging clusters, ripen in late summer and early fall.

Twig: Moder ately stout, gr een changing to r ed or r eddish br own, smooth; r eddish buds narrowly ovoid, stalked, valvate.

Bark: When young, smooth gr ay-green with prominent white lengthwise stripes, older bark becomes reddish brown.

Form: Small tr ee or lar ge shr ub up to 30 feet tall.

White Ash Fraxinus americana Leaf: Opposite, pinnately compound with 7 ser r ate to entir e leaflets that ar e ovate to somewhat lanceolate, 8 to 12 inches long, essentially hairless, green above and slightly paler below.

Flower: Dioecious; light gr een to pur plish, both sexes lacking petals, females occur ing in loose panicles, males in tighter clusters, appear after the leaves unfold.

Fruit: A one-winged, dry, flattened samara with a full, rounded, seed cavity, maturing in fall and dispersing over winter.

Twig: Stout, gr ay-olive-green, hairless, leaf scars round at the bottom, notched at the top, with lateral buds in the notch; terminal bud is large, brown, with leathery scales and flanked by two lateral buds.

Bark: Ashy gr ay to br own in color , with inter lacing cor ky r idges for ming obvious diamonds; older trees may be scaly.

Form: A lar ge tr ee up to 80 feet tall that typically develops a str aight, clear bole (par ticular ly on good sites), usually with a narrow oblong crown.

Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis Leaf: Alter nate, simple, ovate, 4 to 6 inches long, pinnately-veined, acute tip, rounded base, doubly serrate margins, somewhat soft or fuzzy, dark green above and paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; males ar e pr efor med catkins occur ing near ends of twig, 1 inch long, r eddish green; females are upright 5/8 inches long, reddish green; appear or elongate (males) in the spring.

Fruit: Cone like, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, r ather plump, upr ight, with many hair y scales containing 2-winged nutlets, matures in fall and disperse over winter.

Twig: Slender , gr een-brown and hairy when young, light-brown and smooth later; spur shoots present on older trees; buds are ovoid, sharply pointed, reddish brown with ciliate scale margins. Twigs have a wintergreen smell when broken.

Bark: On younger stems shiny br onze (sometimes gr ay), peeling hor izontally in thin, cur ly, paper y strips; older trees develop red-brown scaly plates.

Form: A medium size tr ee to 75 feet with an ir r egular cr own.

Tamarack Pinaceae Larix laricina Leaf: Deciduous, flat needle, light gr een, appear in spir als on spur shoots after fir st year , 3/4 to 1 inch long, turn yellow in the fall.

Flower: Monoecious; males yellowish, small and r ound in cluster s near br anch tips; females reddish-brown, numerous scales, egg-shaped.

Fruit: Small, 3/4 to 1 inch, light br own, egg-shaped cone; persist throughout the winter.

Twig: Slender , light br own, numer ous shor t, spur br anches.

Bark: Rough, small scaly patches, gr ayish br own to r eddish br own.

Form: Open, nar r ow, conical cr own; tr unk str aight, gr ows to 80 feet; 1 1/2 feet in diameter .

Balsam Fir Abies balsamea Leaf: Flattened needles, 3/4 inch long, blunt or notched at end, may be shor ter and shar per pointed on upper branches, shiny dark green above and silvery-blue below.

Flower: Monoecious; males occur on under sides of leaf axils, pur ple to yellow-brown; females occur in upper crown, are purple and inconspicuous.

Fruit: Resinous cones ar e upr ight, 2 to 3 1/2 inches long, oblong to cylindr ical, gr een with pur ple tinge, with bracts shorter than the scales; scales are deciduous with seed dispersal in late summer.

Twig: Yellow-green, later turning gray; buds are reddish brown and resin covered; leaf scars are flat and rounded.

Bark: Shiny silver y gr ay-brown, smooth except for numerous, raised resin blisters; largest stems may become a bit scaly.

Form: Balsam fir is a small to medium sized tr ee r eaching 80 feet tall with a ver y nar r ow, spir elike crown.

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis Leaf: Ever gr een, flat, single needles, 1/2 inch long, taper ing to a dull point, pr imar ily two-ranked, shiny dark green above, 2 lines of white stomata below.

Flower: Monoecious; males yellow, small, r ound; females light gr een at br anch tips.

Fruit: Ovoid light br own cone, 3/4 inch long with r ounded, entir e scales, matur ing in ear ly fall.

Twig: Slender , gr ay-brown in color; buds are very small.

Bark: Initially gr ay-brown and smooth then turning scaly; older trees are red-brown with wide ridges and furrows; when cut or broken, purple streaks are obvious.

Form: A medium sized tr ee with a dense, conical cr own, fine br anches and a drooping terminal shoot reaching up to 80 feet tall, typically a poor natural pruner.

Red Oak Quercus rubra Leaf: Alter nate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, oblong in shape with 7 to 11 br istle-tipped lobes, sinuses extend 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to midvein, generally very uniform in shape, dull green to blue-green above and paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; males in yellow-green slender, hanging catkins, 2 to 4 inches long; females are borne on short axiliary spikes, appearing with the leaves in spring.

Fruit: Acor ns ar e 3/4 to 1 inch long and near ly r ound; cap is flat and thick, cover ing about 1/4 or less of the acorn, resembling a beret; matures in 2 growing seasons, in late summer and fall.

Twig: Quite stout, r ed-brown and glabrous; terminal buds multiple, quite large, conical, and covered with red-brown, mostly hairless scales but terminal scales may bear some frosty pubescence.

Bark: On young stems, smooth; older bar k develops wide, flat-topped ridges and shallow furrows.

The shallow furrows form a pattern resembling ski tracts.

Form: A medium sized to lar ge tr ee that r eaches up to 90 feet tall, develops a shor t tr unk and round crown when open grown, straight with a clear, long bole when grown with competition.

White Spruce Picea glauca Leaf: Ever gr een needles, stiff, 1/3 to 3/4 inch long, squar e in cr oss section, needle tips ar e pointed but not sharp, when crushed a pungent odor is apparent (some say similar to cat urine), green to graygreen. Each needle borne on a raised, woody peg (sterigma).

Flower: Monoecious; males emer ge r eddish but tur n yellow when shedding pollen; females purple.

Fruit: Cones ar e 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, cigar shaped, light br own in color , scales ar e r ounded with entire margins, mature in late summer.

Twig: Slender , light br own or pale, sometimes glaucous, hair less. Needles bor ne on woody pegs.

Bark: Thin, gr ay-brown in color, smooth, later flaky or scaly.

Form: Conical, medium sized tr ees r eaching up to 90 feet tall.

Ironwood Ostrya virginiana Leaf: Alter nate, simple, pinnately veined, oval to br oadly lanceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, with a doubly serrate margin, green above, paler and fuzzy in the axils of veins and on the petiole.

Flower: Monoecious; males ar e pr efor med catkins, 1/2 to 1 inches long, in cluster s of 3's (r esemble birds toes), present throughout the winter; females appear in spring and are slender, light green catkins, 1/2 inch long, appearing or elongating (males) in spring.

Fruit: Ver y distinctive, r esembling hops. Mor e specifically, a 1/4 inch nutlet is enclosed in a dr ied, leafy, inflated sac. Serveral sacs hang from one stem, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long; maturing in late summer and persisting through winter.

Twig: Slender , r eddish br own, smooth, and may be slightly pubescent. Male catkins pr esent on the end of the branch; buds are small, plump ovate, and covered with green and red-brown, finely grooved (vertically) scales.

Bark: When young smooth, r eddish br own, with hor izontal lenticels (cher r y like), later tur ning light brown and developing a shreddy appearance, broken into small plates or loose scales that are easily broken off with a brush of the hand.

Form: A small tr ee up to 40 feet tall that develops a r ound cr own of fine br anches.

Black Birch Betula lenta Leaf: Alter nate, simple, pinnately-veined, ovate, with an acute tip and cordate base, singly or irregularly doubly, sharply serrate margins, 2 to 4 inches long, petiole is stout and pubescent, dark shiny green above, paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; pr efor med, gr een male catkins near the end of the twig, 3/4 to 1 inch long; females are upright, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, green tinged in red, appear or elongate (males) in mid-spring.

Fruit: Cone-like aggregate, brown, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, scales hairless or nearly so, containing very small 2-winged nutlets, ripen and break apart in late summer and fall.

Twig: Twigs ar e slender , r eddish br own and lenticellate with a winter gr een smell when cut. On older trees, spur shoots are apparent. Terminal buds are absent, lateral buds two toned, green and brown.

Bark: Reddish br own to black on young tr ees, later gr ay to near ly black; eventually br eaking up into large, thin, irregular, scaly plates.

Form: A medium sized tr ee with a single str aight tr unk r eaching up to 60 feet tall.

White Oak

Quercus alba

Leaf: Alter nate, simple, oblong to ovate in shape, 4 to 7 inches long; 7 to 10 r ounded, finger -like lobes, sinus depth varies from deep to shallow, apex is rounded and the base is wedge-shaped, green to blue-green above and whitish below.

Flower: Monoecious; male flower s ar e yellow-green, borne in naked, slender catkins, 2 to 4 inches long; female flowers are reddish green and appear as very small single spikes; appearing with the leaves in mid-spring.

Fruit: Ovoid to oblong acor n, cap is war ty and bowl-shaped, covers 1/4 of the fruit; cap always detaches at maturity; matures in one growing season in the early fall.

Twig: Red-brown to somewhat gray, even a bit purple at times, hairless and often shiny; multiple terminal buds are red-brown, small, rounded (globose) and hairless.

Bark: Whitish or ashy gr ay, var ying fr om scaly on smaller stems to ir r egular ly platy or blocky on large stems. On older trees smooth patches are not uncommon.

Form: A ver y lar ge tr ee; when open gr own, white oaks have r ugged, ir r egular cr owns that ar e wide spreading, with a stocky bole. In the forest crowns are upright and oval with trees reaching up to 100 feet tall and several feet in diameter.

Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica Leaf: Alter nate, simple, lanceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, finely ser r ated mar gin, green above and slightly paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; white, 1/2 inch acr oss, occur r ing in a small cluster .

Fruit: Red dr upe, 1/4 inch in diameter , r ipening in mid summer , ver y sour .

Twig: Slender , glabr ous, r eddish br own; buds ar e small (1/8 inch), r eddish br own and cluster ed at the branch tips; a mild bitter almond taste when chewed.

Bark: Lustr ous, shiny, r ed-brown, long horizontal lenticels, may peel off in horizontal strips.

Form: A small tr ee to 30 feet tall, 1 foot in diameter .

Red Spruce Picea rubens Leaf: Ever gr een needles, 1/2 to 5/8 inch long, shar ply pointed and four -sided, tending to curve upwards, shiny yellow-green. Each needle borne on a raised, woody peg (sterigma).

Flower: Monoecious; males cylindr ical r eddish but tur ning yellow-brown; females purplish green.

Fruit: Chestnut br own ovoid cone, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, cone scale mar gins entir e; seed disseminated in the fall and cones tend to drop their first winter.

Twig: Or angish br own, finely hair y (may need a hand lens); as with all spr uces, needleless twigs covered by short sterigmata (short pegs); buds orange-brown, small with loose scales.

Bark: Gr ayish br own on sur face, mor e r eddish br own beneath with ir r egular , fine flaky patches.

Form: Upr ight and str aight, with a nar r ow cr own; r eaching a height of 60 to 80 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet.

Black Spruce Picea mariana Leaf: Ever gr een, four -sided needles, stiff, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, light blue-green in color, somewhat blunt pointed tips, light blue-green to gray.

Flower: Monoecious; males r ed, tur ning yellow to light br own; females pur ple, upr ight, and in the upper crowns.

Fruit: Ovoid cones ar e the smallest of the spr uces, 1 inch long, scale mar gins ar e r ounded and finely erose; maturing in late summer with seeds disseminating in early fall.

Twig: Slender , br own and pubescent; needles ar e bor ne on woody pegs; buds ar e small, gr aybrown with loose scales.

Bark: Thin, gr ay-brown or red-brown in color, broken into irregular, close scales.

Form: Small to medium sized tr ees up to 70 feet tall with a ver y nar r ow conical or spir e-like crown and a poorly pruned trunk.

Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides Leaf: Alter nate, simple, 1 to 3 inches long, gr een above and paler below, hear t-shaped to nearly round with a fine toothed margin, petiole is flattened.

Flower: Dioecious; male and female hanging catkins 1 to 3 inches long.

Fruit: Catkin (2 to 4 inches long), with attached light gr een capsules which contain many small hairy seeds.

Twig: Slender , glabr ous, r eddish br own often with a gr ay, waxy film; buds conical, r eddish brown, terminal bud 1/4 inch long, may be slightly resinous.

Bark: At fir st smooth, cr eamy yellowish-white to very light green; later developing thick furrows and becoming dark, especially near the base.

Form: Small (30 to 40 feet tall) upr ight tr ee, which often occur s in thickets.

Bigtooth Aspen Populus grandidentata Leaf: Alter nate, simple, or bicular to ovate, 3 to 4 inches long, pinnately veined, lar ge blunt teeth, petiole flattened vetically, green above and paler below.

Flower: Dioecious; males and females occur on hanging, 2 to 3 inch long fuzzy catkins, appear ing before the leaves in early spring.

Fruit: Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long, bor ne in small dehiscent capsules that occur along catkins, maturing late spring to early summer.

Twig: Medium-textured, gray-brown in color; buds are ovate, pointed, red-brown to gray with some pubescence; leaf scars raised and heart-shaped. When chewed, the twig has a bitter, aspirin taste.

Bark: Thin, gr ay, olive-green to milky green and smooth on young stems; later gray-brown, ridged with diamond shaped lenticels and splits forming.

Form: A medium sized tr ee with an ir r egular , thin cr own and a str aight bole.

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White-tailed Deer

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Porcupine

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Beaver

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Red Squirrel

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Black Bear

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Fisher

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Red Fox

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Martin

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Gray Squirrel

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Ermine

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Bobcat

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Lynx

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Mink

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Moose

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Muskrat

Resource: http://www.nyfalls.com/index.html

White-Tailed Deer

Odocoileus Virginianus

Identifying characteristics: The light brown fur color of this deer varies based on season, with duller gray shades in winter and more redder tints in summer. White patches of fur outline the eyes and snouts, line the insides of the ears, underbelly and underside of the tail. Fawns commonly have white spots along their back and sides. Males have antlers that are shed each winter and grow back in spring.

Size: Roughly 4 feet tall and 7 feet in length. Weighing up to 220 lbs, with rare cases of 300 lbs specimens. Males are slightly larger than females.

Habitat: Woodland (open or dense) adjacent to open areas, farmland, successional fields.

Food: Herbivore. Various green plants in summer, corn and available nuts, tender parts of woody vegetation, buds, small shrubs and occasionally grasses. In the winter months, when food is scarce, they resort to eating pine needles.

Vocalization: Fawns are the most vocal, sometimes letting out a "baaa" similar to a lamb or goat. Adults may grunt or snort when disturbed.

Predators: Humans, wolves, black bears, cougars, bobcats, lynx Reproduction: Mating takes place from October to December. Litters average 2 in size and occur once a year.

Males will sometimes compete for mates.

Other Info.: Do not hibernate. They are generally solitary, but a good food source, such as crops, will often draw a population of hundreds for grazing. They have scent glands on their legs and hoofs that they use for communication. Their eyesight and hearing is well-developed but they rely greatly on their sense of smell to forage and detect danger. Mothers tend to leave young fawns lying on the ground in forest floors as the head out to forage for hours.

When startled, deer will often wave their tails from side to side, as an alert to others. They can dash quickly, turn on a dime and reach speeds up to 30 mph. If necessary, they will escape predators by swimming away. Males may be aggressive if cornered.

Tracks: 2-toed hoof prints up to 3-4 inches with strides of 12 to 20 inches. Deer tend to step their back hoof into the track of their front hoof creating an overlapping track.

Beaver

Castor Canadensis

Identifying characteristics: A large aquatic rodent with varying degrees of dark brown fur. The fur is naturally thick and oily, due to its waterproof nature. The ears and eyes are small, dark and round and the nostrils are large and closable. The incisors are large and orange. The hind feet are fully webbed and the front feet are not webbed, are smaller and clawed. Due to the hind legs being longer than the front legs, the Beaver's body profile slants down towards the head. The beaver is easy to identify by the tail alone (if you are lucky enough to see it above water). The scaly black tail is large, very broad and flat.

Size: The largest rodent in North America, they can be 3-4 feet in length and weigh from 30 to 70 lbs.

Habitat: Aquatic. Lakes, streams and ponds (either natural or created by the beaver's dam), with an average depth of 4 feet, within wooded areas. The beaver lives within a lodge, built near shore or on a small island, made of sticks, mud, grass and moss. A lodge will always be in contact with water, but for the most part are above the surface. They are usually furnished with bark, grasses and wood chips. Two underwater entrances offer an option for escape when a predator attacks the lodge. Beavers will constantly build upon and repair their lodges and dams.

Food: Herbivore. Bark and cambium (soft wood under the bark). They prefer birch, aspen, willow and poplar. They will store large quantities of sticks underwater for winter feeding. The young especially will feed upon aquatic plant, such as water lilies.

Vocalization: Low groaning sounds, whines. Will slap their tails against the water, producing a clapping noise, to warn others of threats.

Predators: Humans. Bears, fishers and otters are a threat to juveniles (kits).

Reproduction: Beavers are monogamous. Litter size average 2 with only 1 litter a year. Kits will stay with their families and help around the lodge for 2 years. Mating season is in the winter (Jan-Feb).

Other Info.: Primarily nocturnal and family oriented. They will often live in families of 4-8, with younger siblings helping to raise the kits. Since they are more agile in water than on land, they will often build small canals to provide access to quality food sources. They are superb simmers, but clumsy on land.

Tracks: Look for tracks often in mud (due to their close proximity to water) with 5 inch long, webbed hind feet and smaller, 3 inch long, unwebbed fore prints. A fore print will generally be side by side with a hind print. Beavers also tend to drag their tails through their prints.

American Black Bear

Ursus Americanus

Identifying characteristics: As the name implies, this bear has a coat of thick black fur. The snout is cream-colored with a black nose. It has small eyes, large rounded ears, a dog-like snout and a small stubby tail. They walk on all fours, but will often stand on two legs when foraging, scouting or when threatened. The back legs are stronger and better developed than the fronts. Paws have five strong, sharp claws, used for climbing and foraging.

Size: Up to 7 feet in length, weighing up to 600 pounds. Males are generally larger than females. Cubs weigh up to 1 pound at birth.

Habitat: Hardwood forests, swampland forests, with abundant shrubbery and coverage and close proximity to open areas. Areas in close proximity to corn crops, nut/fruit bearing trees. Dens may be in caves, hollowed out trees or logs or underneath groupings of logs.

Food: Omnivorous. Grasses and other small plants, fruits, nuts, insect larvae, honey, rodents, fish, eggs and carrion.

May also prey on larger game.

Vocalization: Grunts, moans and roars.

Predators: Humans and larger black bears. Although they can live up to 30 years in the wild, human hunting, random killings and traffic accidents limit their average age to roughly 10 years.

Reproduction: Litter size average 3 with one litter every 3-4 years. Young stay with the mother for a year and a half.

Other Info.: Can be diurnal or nocturnal depending on the availability of food. They are generally afraid of humans and will turn and run at the first sign of an intruder of their territory, but are certainly capable of seriously harming or killing people. Their sense of smell is superb.

Tracks: Look for paw prints with 5 claws. Front and back prints may overlap if bear was slowly walking. Front prints measure about 4 inches and rear prints are roughly 6 inches long. The stride ranges based on speed, from a foot walking to 3-5 feet running.

Red Fox

Vulpes Vulpes

Identifying characteristics: Red foxes have characteristic rusty red fur. The undersides, including the bottom of the muzzle and neck, are cream colored or white. The lower parts of the legs are generally black. The tail is bushy can either have a white or black tip. They have large, erect, pointed ears and small angular muzzles. Some variations my have predominantly gray fur, and is known as a Silver Fox, or a black stripe across the shoulders and down the back, which is known as a Cross Fox. Both variants are rare and still within the same species.

Size: Roughly 3 feet in length (not including their tail, which can be up to 18 inches). Weighing from 7 to 15 lbs.

Males are slightly larger than females.

Habitat: Forests, open fields and farmland. Dens are usually the former burrows of groundhogs and rabbits, but they may dig their own larger dens.

Food: Omnivorous. Primarily cottontail rabbits, rodents, small mammals, birds, insects and carrion. Fruits and other available vegetation. Often found taking advantage of farmland. Are a threat to poultry.

Vocalization: Typical canine sounds, wailing, barking, howling.

Predators: Humans, wolves, coyotes, eagles.

Reproduction: Mating takes place in winter. Litters average 4.5 in size and occur once a year. Young stay with their mother until the following autumn. Red foxes are monogamous.

Other Info.: Primarily crepuscular, active in twilight or when moonlight or artificial light is available. They are solitary and do not form packs.

Tracks: 4-toed tracks with claws present. Inverted V-shaped pad with calloused ridge. The foot is covered in hair, so the toes may be indistinct. The prints are about 2 inches in size and the stride is about 12-16 inches long.

Gray Squirrel

Sciuridae

Description: The gray squirrel’s appearance differs seasonally. The yellowish brown summer coat becomes thicker and gray in winter, the pelage of some individuals strikingly silver-gray. Under parts and eye-rings are buffy brown to white, usually lighter in winter. The backs of the ears, tan to cinnamon in color, have white tips in the winter and bold, conspicuous white spots at their bases and adjacent parts of the head. The bushy, 18-25 cm (7-10 in) tail, which is about half the total length of this 48-51 cm (18-20 in) rodent, is made up of long, wavy hairs, each banded alternately with brown and black at the base and broadly tipped with white. Seasonal color variation is a function of fading and molting. Additional individual color variation results in brown, black, silvery-gray color phases. Adults weigh 454-681 g (1-1.5 lb).

Habitats: Home for a gray squirrel may be a leafy nest, a dome-shaped mass of twigs and leaves with an inner chamber of shredded bark and leaves, or a tree cavity which it seems to prefer.

Food and Feeding Behavior: The principle foods are seeds and nuts with acorns, beechnuts, butternuts, and hickory nuts providing the mainstay of the autumn and winter diet. Beech and nuts, because of their relative abundance in parts of the Adirondacks, make the greater contribution. The smaller seeds of maples, ashes and basswood are of lesser importance. The buds, flowers, and inner bark of all these species, and others, contribute to the late winter and spring diet. Gray squirrels feed extensively on fungi, berries, and fruits during the summer, especially the fruit of the black cherry. In the south, this species requires 1.5 g (2 pounds) of food each week. The energy requirements of Adirondack populations probably exceed this amount.

In autumn, gray squirrels clip nuts from the canopy, and scatter hoard them in the ground, relying on their keen sense of smell to retrieve them in winter when they may have to dig through a foot or more of snow. Overlooked nuts sprout, some regenerating forests. Tree cavities may function as hiding places. Too, which may explain the survival of gray squirrels residing in the Adirondacks where deep snow is normal.

Activity: Gray squirrels stay in their dens or nests for several days at a time during periods of severe winter cold, eventually visiting stores of nuts at midday. Other than these brief periods, this diurnal species is most active in the 2-3 hours after dawn and preceding dusk, with the remainder of the day spent basking on a limb or resting in the nest. Heavy cloud cover and courtship may extend activity throughout the day.

Predators: The typical predators of small to medium-sized mammals prey upon gray squirrels.

Tracks: Squirrel tracks are easy to identify by their small size and V-shaped arrangement. Look for larger and longer hind legs with 5 clawed toes on the outsides and smaller, 4 clawed toes on the insides.

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

Identifying characteristics: Medium-sized cat with a coat that varies from light gray to yellowish-brown to reddish brown. Spots or small stripes are almost always present and more prominent on the sides and limbs than the back. The sides of the face have rough, sideburn-like tuffs of hair. The backs of the triangular ears and the top of the tip of the tail is black. The tail is short, rarely more than 6 inches in length, and is white underneath.

Size: Up to 3.5 feet in length (not including their tails), roughly 2 feet high and up to 33 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females.

Habitat: A variety of habitats, including forests, brushland and mountainous regions. Dens are usually in hollow or fallen trees, rock crevices or other debris.

Food: Carnivorous. Will hunt for rabbits, rodents, ground birds and sometimes small deer. Will also scavenge for carrion. Are a threat to small domesticated animals.

Vocalization: Typical big cat sounds: grunts, yowls, and roars.

Predators: Humans for pelts. Kittens are the prey of foxes, owls and coyotes.

Reproduction: Litter size average 2-3 (sometimes up to 8 kittens) with one litter every 1 year. Young stay with the mother for about 8 months. Mating season is in winter. This is the only wild cat known to reproduce in NY state.

Other Info.: Primarily nocturnal. Generally live up to 12 years in the wild, longer in captivity. They are usually solitary, having territories reaching 4 square miles. A male's territory may overlap with many female's. Females do not have overlapping territories. They use urine, feces and scent gland to mark their territory.

Tracks: Bobcat tracks show four toes, no claw marks and a "M"-shaped pad. The tracks average 1-1.5 inches in size with strides of 1-1.5 feet (3-5 feet when running). The hind prints usually fall within the front prints.

Mink

Mustela vison

Identifying characteristics: A small, weasel-like mammal (long body, short legs, long neck, triangular head, protruding ears, long whiskers) with soft, glossy medium to dark chocolate brown fur with a cream patch on their chin. Their feet and tip of their bushy tail are near black. Their feet are partially webbed, an adaptation to their nearaquatic habitat.

Size: From 19 to 28 inches in length (not including their tails, which make up 35% of their total length) and weighing up to 3 pounds. Males are roughly double the size of females.

Habitat: Near streams, lakes and marshes, often building their dens along the shore. They will also use abandoned muskrat beaver or rabbit dens. They frequently move to newer dens.

Food: Carnivorous. Primarily fish, crayfish, and small mammals such as mice. They are opportunistic and will capture and consume waterfowl, reptiles and amphibians.

Vocalization: Grunts, hisses, chatters, whines, purrs.

Predators: Humans, coyotes, foxes, owls.

Reproduction: Litter size average 4 with 1 litter a year. Mating season is in late winter, early spring.

Other Info.: They are diurnal and somewhat solitary. Unlike other weasels, they tend to stay in family groups during the summer months. They were frequently trapped for their fur coats, but since being raised in fur farms to cater to the clothing industry, wild populations seem to be stable. Well adapted for swimming and able to dive to depths over 15 feet. Marks its territory with a strong musk secreted from its anal gland, making this one stinky animal.

Minks, like other weasels are active year-round and do not hibernate.

Tracks: 5-toed tracks with claws present. Webbing and heal print may not be present unless the track is clear. Their prints are similar to other weasel prints in that they are often paired. Hind prints usually fall within the fore prints. Prints are 1-1.5 inches wide with the hind prints (shown in green) considerably longer. The stride is roughly 12-15 inches. Zig-zag track pattern. Tunnels in snow are a good sign of weasel activity.

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Identifying characteristics: They look like small beavers at first glance, with with similar brown, glossy fur and robust body. But are considerably smaller and have a few other characteristics to help you distinguish them from beavers. The ears of a muskrat are so small, they are barely noticeable. Also the legs (both front and back) are short and stubby, with only minor webbing on the hind feet. More notably, the tail is not as broad and flattened like the beavers, it is more similar to the rat's; hence the name.

Size: From 12 to 24 inches in length and weighing an average of 2.5 lbs.

Habitat: Aquatic. Swamps, marshes and ponds with abundant aquatic vegetation and average depths of 5 ft.

Marshes are preferred as they offer consistent water levels and abundant vegetation. Nests can either be burrows into the bank, or "houses" built in shallow water by piling vegetation and mud on a solid object (such as a stump).

The immediate area surrounding a nest is generally cleared of plants.

Food: Omnivore. Primarily green vegetation (aquatic plants, such as cattails, lilies and loosestrife), roots, crops.

Sometimes will feed on mussels, crayfish or carrion, if available.

Vocalization: Mating season may bring about squeaks, grunts and barks.

Predators: Humans (for pelts), minks, fishers, birds of prey.

Reproduction: Litter size average 6 (sometimes reaching 18) with up to 3 litters per mating season. Young will go on their own after 30 days. Mating season is generally around March-August.

Other Info.: Primarily nocturnal, but often active during the day. They are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 17 minutes at a time, but they are clumsy on land. They live in large family groups, but are very territorial. They use strong scent markings to mark their territory (hence Muskrat). Despite the name, they are not rats at all.

Tracks: Look for tracks often in mud (due to their close proximity to water) with 2-3 inch long hind prints and smaller 1 inch long fore prints. Hind prints will generally not show any webbing and will fall slightly within the preceding fore print. Fore prints may also appear to be 4-toed as the 5th toes is so small, it may not form on the print. Muskrats also tend to drag their tails through their prints.

Porcupine

Erethizon Dorsatum

Identifying characteristics: A large, stout rodent with large bright-orange incisors. The fur is dark brown to black, mixed with longer cream-colored spines. The face is dark brown to black with a large blunt snout and large nostrils.

The body is plump, the limbs are short, and the toes have long claws. They have 4 toes on the front paw, while the rear paw has a fifth (vestigial) thumb-like toe.

Size: The second largest rodent in North America. Average body length of 2 to 3 feet, weighing an average of 11 to 30 pounds. Males are generally larger than females.

Habitat: Coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests with plenty of cone-producing trees and ample ground cover. In New York, Porcupines spend the majority of their time in trees. The North American Porcupine is distributed across much of Canada and New England as well as Washington and California. In New York State, concentrations diminish the further west you go. Porcupines will nest in dens under rocks or logs or within hollow sections of trees. In the daytime they may rest in trees.

Feeding: Herbivore; feeding on bark, twigs, roots and other plant material. In spring they concentrate on budding maples. In summer they tend to strip tree bark to get at the soft cambium beneath. In the fall, their diets shift towards acorn and beech nuts, which are usually eaten directly off the trees. A good sign that a porcupine is in the area is a tree stripped of bark (usually higher than a beaver can reach).

Vocalization: Teeth chattering (when threatened); high-pitch grunts.

Predators: Fishers, bobcats, coyotes, great horned owls, humans (both for food and also those struck by vehicles).

Fishers are specialized porcupine predators. They attack from the front and flip the porcupine to get at the softfurred underbelly.

Reproduction: Mating season is from October through November. Males will compete aggressively for a mate.

They will bite and use their quills in quarrels that usually occur in trees. Mating, on the other hand, occurs on the ground. A peculiar mating ritual particular to porcupines is that the male will douse the female with urine prior to mating. Oddly enough, this is supposed to entice the female into pairing. Usually 1, but sometimes 2 offspring are born roughly 200 days layer. The young stay with their mother for 5 months. Porcupines become sexually mature around the age of two.

Other Info.: Porcupines are nocturnal; usually solitary, but often den in groups up to 8. They do not hibernate, but will become less active in winter. Porcupines are slow and have poor eyesight, resulting in a lot of them getting squished while crossing roads.

Tracks: Look for alternating prints with large 5-toed hind prints and smaller 4-toed foreprints. Prints may overlap.

The hind prints are just over 2 inches long on average, while the front prints rarely exceed two inches. A clear print may show a beaded texture to the paw pad. The claws are long. The stride is about 7-8 inches long. Porcupines tend to drag their spines (and tail)

Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

AKA: Pine squirrel, Chickaree Identifying characteristics: The smallest tree squirrel in our area with brownish-red to grayish-red fur above and white or grayish-white bellow. Dark lines may separate the reddish fur from the white fur of the belly. The tail is large and bushy, but not as bushy compared to other tree squirrels. Their large black eyes have white outlines.

Size: From 11 to 14 inches in length and weighing about 7 oz.

Habitat: Coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. Nests are often built of grass or shredded bark within the branches of conifers, but will also be in tree cavities, built on a tree fork, or in garages and attics.

Food: Omnivorous. Primarily confiner seeds, nuts (such as acorn, beechnuts), fruit , but also a variety of vegetation (barks, buds, flowers), sap, insects, reptiles, bird eggs, mice. They store massive quantities of food scattered underground or in tree cavities for the winter.

Vocalization: Very vocal squirrels. Barks, chatters, chirps, distress screams.

Predators: Humans, birds of prey, lynx, weasels, snakes, foxes.

Reproduction: Litter size average 4 with up to 2 litters a year (if the weather is particularly warm). Mating season is usually during the spring thaw. Young stay with their mother for 40 days.

Other Info.: Active mostly during the morning and late afternoon (diurnal). They are generally solitary and they do not hibernate, but may nest in small groups to maintain body temperature. Squirrel chases are frequent in mating season as one males usually tries to block other males from reaching his chosen mate. A sure sign of a red squirrel is a conifer stripped of pine cones with pine cone debris scattered about.

Tracks: Squirrel tracks are easy to identify by their small size and V-shaped arrangement. Look for larger and longer hind legs with 5 clawed toes on the outsides and smaller, 4 clawed toes on the insides.

Fisher

Martes Pennanti

Identifying characteristics: A small, weasel-like mammal (long body, short legs, long neck, triangular head, protruding ears, long whiskers) that tends to look stockier than other weasels due to its fluffy fur. They are medium to dark brown with either gold or silver hoariness around the top of the head and shoulders. The legs and tail are black. A cream-colored patch may be present on the neck or chest.

Size: From 30 to 45 inches in length (not including their tails, which make up 33% of their total length) and weighing up to 8 pounds. Males are roughly 20-40% larger than females.

Habitat: Coniferous or deciduous forests with a closed canopy. Hollow trees are preferred dens and habitats with plenty of hollow trees are preferred. Fishers will also create dens in the snow for winter and connect them with tunnels.

Food: Carnivorous. Mice, porcupines, snowshoe hares, squirrels, birds and other small mammals. Sometimes found easting carrion. They will often invade their prey's burrows. The Fisher will often prey upon porcupine, attacking its face until it collapses from its wounds. It will then roll it over and chow down! A porcupine is more than enough food so it will cache some for later.

Vocalization: Various hisses, grunts and one distinct call that sounds like a child screaming.

Predators: Humans. The young are preyed upon by raptors, bobcats, coyotes, American Martens and other larger predacious mammals.

Reproduction: Litter sizes average 3, with one litter every 1 year. Young stay with the mother for up to 5 months.

Mating season is in late winter through early spring.

Other Info.: Solitary and nocturnal, but may be active during the day. Is a very good climber and is often found in trees. Decent swimmer.

Tracks: Fishers have 5 toes and claws and, like other weasels, their prints are paired when walking and the fore prints overlap slightly with the hind prints. Their prints are wide (2 inches) with a 30 inch stride. In the diagram above, green represents the slightly larger hind print. Irregular track patterns are almost always present due to the animal's erratic foraging strategy.

Martin

Martes americana

Identifying characteristics: A small, weasel-like mammal (long body, short legs, long neck, triangular head, protruding ears, long whiskers) that is usually a light to dark brown with paler gray head, buff throat and cream under parts. The legs and long bushy tail tend to be a darker color than the rest of the body. The fur is generally shiny. The head and face appear cat-like and have dark lines that run from the muzzle past the inner corners of their eyes. Their ears are large and the snout is pointed.

Size: Up to 12-24 inches in length (not including their tails, which is 30% of their total length) and weigh up to 3 pounds. Males are larger than females by more than 20%.

Habitat: Mature forests, pine forests with plenty of debris and little outside disturbance. Their dens are usually in hollow trees, woodpecker holes or abandoned burrows.

Food: Omnivorous. Small mammals, birds, insects, fruits, nuts, carrion, with voles and red squirrels being their preferred food. Often found hunting or scavenging on the ground for rodents. Martens often cache leftover food.

Vocalization: Huffs, chuckles, pants, screams, whines eeps.

Predators: Humans for pelts, possibly owls.

Reproduction: Litter size average 3 with only 1 litter a year. Mating season is in summer.

Other Info.: Primarily nocturnal and solitary. Martins are arboreal, spending a lot of time in trees, where they can move quite impressively. Martens will often chase and catch red squirrels around the tree tops in an amazing display of acrobatics. A Martin's territory may reach 3 square miles.

Tracks: Martin tracks, like other Weasel-family tracks are twin prints. The prints tend to overlap when walking and forma a straight line when running. Prints are1.4-1.6, with a walking stride of 6-9 inches. Claws are present and during the winter fur grows in between the toes, possibly obscuring the pads. Trails are usually zigzags, with leap gaps. Irregular track patterns are almost always present due to the animal's erratic foraging strategy.

Ermine

Mustela erminea

Identifying characteristics: A small, weasel-like mammal (long body, short legs, long neck, triangular head, protruding ears, long whiskers) with brown fur on top and white fur on the the undersides including the neck and lower jaw. In winter they tend to turn completely white, except for the black tips of their tail.

Size: From 6 to 12 inches in length (not including their tails, which make up 35% of their total length) and weighing up to 4 ounces. Males are roughly double the size of females.

Habitat: Coniferous and other forests, marshes, open fields (close to forests), brushland. Dens can be crevices under tree roots, rocks or logs and sometimes in abandoned burrows. Dens are usually at or below ground level.

Food: Carnivorous. Specialize in small mammals, but will often eat birds, eggs, fish, lizards, snakes, frogs and insects. Ermine often cache leftover food. Females tend to hunt within their prey's burrows, while males hunt on the ground.

Vocalization: Generally not vocal. Grunts, hisses, chatters, whines.

Predators: Humans, larger mammals and birds.

Reproduction: Litter size average 4-9 (sometimes reaching 18) with 1 litter a year. Mating season is in late spring, early summer.

Other Info.: They are diurnal, often active both day and night. They are capable climbers and swimmers. They often investigate all the crevices and holes when moving about, looking for prey. They will periodically stand upright to check their surroundings and to look out for predators. They are well adapted for snow. Very solitary animals.

Tracks: Ermine prints are similar to other weasel prints in that they are often paired. Hind prints usually fall within the fore prints The ermine's 5th toe is obscured. The hind print is longer than the fore print. Pints are up to an inch wide and the stride is 4-5 inches. Claws present. In the diagram above, green represents the longer hind print. Small tunnels in the snow may be left by ermines diving for prey. Irregular track patterns are almost always present due to the animal's erratic foraging strategy.

Lynx

Lynx canadensis

Identifying characteristics: Medium-sized cat with a coat that is normally grey to yellowish-brown. Their whitetipped fur appears frosted. Spots or small stripes are sometimes present. The sides of the face have rough sideburnlike tuffs of hair. The triangular ear tuffs and the backs of the ears are black. The tail is short, like the bobcat, but has black rings and a black tip. The legs are longer than the bobcat and the paws are much larger, being more adapted for walking in snow.

Generally the Lynx is more fluffy-looking than the Bobcat.

Size: Up to 3.5 feet in length (not including their tails), roughly 2 feet high and up to 38 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females.

Habitat: Mature forests with plenty of ground cover, near rocky areas. Dens are usually under rock ledges, fallen tress or within shrubs.

Food: Carnivorous. Ambush hunters. Concentrate on snowshoe hares, which are a large part of their diet, but will also feed on rodents, ground birds and fish. They have also been known to prey on deer. Will also scavenge for carrion.

Vocalization: Typical big cat sounds: grunts, yowls, and roars.

Predators: Humans. Kittens may be preyed upon by larger predators.

Reproduction: Litter size ranges between 1-8 depending on availability of prey, with one litter every 1 year.

Young stay with the mother for about 4 months. Mating season is in winter.

Other Info.: Primarily nocturnal. Generally live up to 14 years in the wild, twice as long in captivity. They are generally solitary having territories reaching 190 square miles. Territories tend to overlap. They use urine, feces and scent gland to mark their territory.

Tracks: Lynx tracks show four toes, no claw marks and a "M"-shaped pad. The tracks average 3-3.5 inches in size with strides of 1-1.5 feet (3-5 feet when running). The hind prints usually fall within the front prints. Heavy fur on the paws may lead to obscuring of the toes marks.

Moose

Alces alces americanus

Identifying characteristics: The moose is a large hoofed animal with thick, woolly brown fur (ranging from medium to dark, almost black). Their heads are long and end with fleshy lips and noses. Their throats have a prominent dewlap. The most striking characteristic for males is their large palmate antlers, which are shed every year after mating season.

Size: The largest member of the deer family and one of the largest mammals in North America. Up to 7.5 feet in height, 10.5 feet in length. Weighs from 600 to 1300 lbs. Males are slightly larger than females.

Habitat: Temperate forested areas with plenty of shade, winter snow-cover and close proximity to lakes, streams or ponds. They cannot tolerate high temperatures of 80°F or higher for very long. Will often cool themselves off in water.

Food: Herbivore. A parts of woody plants, especially willows and aspens. Water plants, such as horsetails and water lilies, are preferred in warmer months. In the winter months, when food is scarce, they resort to eating pine needles.

Vocalization: Females use a moaning sound to attract males for mating.

Predators: Humans, wolves, black bears Reproduction: Mating takes place in September/October. Litters are 1-2 in size and occur once a year. Males will often compete violently for mates. This is a dangerous time to come in contact with them.

Other Info.: Do not hibernate, often solitary. Their antlers are the largest of any animal on earth reaching 6.5 feet across in some specimens. During mating season, males are a dangerous threat to humans. Mothers will aggressively defend their young. Their eyesight is poor, but their sense of smell and hearing are far superior to humans.

Tracks: 2-toed hoof prints up to 6 inches with strides of 2-3 feet.

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Sunfish

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Brook Trout

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Brown Trout

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Northern Pike

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Largemouth Bass

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Small Mouth Bass

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Yellow Perch

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Walleye

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Brown Bullhead

About the Sunfish Family With the diversity of species included in this family group, sunfish live in a wide range of habitats.

Rocky, cool lakes and streams, warm, vegetated lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams are all home to one or more members of the sunfish family.

Sunfish are small- to medium-sized fish with a single anal (bottom rear fin) and a two-part dorsal (back) fin. They are spiny-rayed, with one or more sharp spines found on their dorsal, pelvic (bottom front) and anal fins. These spines help protect adult fish from being eaten by larger fish and can prick the fingers of any angler who is not careful when removing the hook.

Reproduction (spawning) takes place from spring until summer. Male sunfish build nests by using their fins to fan the bottom to remove fine materials that might smother developing eggs. Females will often deposit eggs in several nests. Males, however, remain in one nest and guard the eggs and young. Some male sunfish may stay in the nest for up to three or more weeks. Sunfish are important to recreational fishing in New York State. Smaller sunfish can often be taken from shore with nothing more than a string with a bobber and worm. Larger members of the sunfish family, such as smallmouth and largemouth bass, challenge even the most experienced angler with the best equipment.

Fourteen species of sunfish are found in New York State waters. Of these 14, seven are commonly encountered by anglers and are the subject of this article. These seven species are separated into three groups: 1) true sunfish; 2) black bass; and 3) rock bass and black crappie.

The other less common sunfish species not discussed here are the mud sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, banded sunfish, green sunfish, warmouth, longear sunfish, and white crappie.

True Sunfish The true sunfish are small-sized fish and include three species: bluegill, pumpkinseed, and redbreast. They are flat and deep-bodied in appearance and are bright and colorful - hence the name sunfish. All are usually easy to catch, good to eat, and extremely popular with anglers, especially children.

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Redbreast (Lepomis auritus)

Largemouth Bass Largemouth bass are another major sportfish in New York State. While they are not the spectacular fighters their cousins the smallmouth are, largemouths can be just as challenging and exciting to land because of the habitat they prefer.

Largemouths thrive best in warm, shallow, well-vegetated areas of ponds and sluggish streams. They are rather solitary fish, preferring to stay among dense aquatic vegetation or close to submerged cover, such as stumps, logs, or dock pilings.

The largemouth bass is the largest member of the sunfish family and has been known to reach weights in excess of ten pounds. It closely resembles the smallmouth, but differs by its long upper jaw which extends well beyond the eye, and its pronounced wide, solid black lateral band. In addition, the largemouth is more of a dark green color than the smallmouth.

Largemouth bass are primarily fish-eating predators. They lie in wait in the cover of weeds and ambush prey as it swims by. Crayfish, frogs, and small animals, such as mice, are also eaten by this large sunfish.

Like smallmouths, largemouths are also late spring to midsummer spawners. Largemouth nests are less elaborate than smallmouth nests. Nests are built near protective cover in a variety of bottom types and are usually located far apart from each other.

Largemouth bass are a popular gamefish with New York anglers. They can be taken in weedy, stumpy areas by still fishing or casting with live bait or a wide variety of lures, including plastic worms and surface plugs. Since largemouths can thrive in small, warmer waters where other game species do not, they play an important role in fishery management by providing a highly desirable fishery in these waters.

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The Trout Of New York For anglers and non-anglers alike, the word "fish" often brings to mind the simple, robust form of the trout. For many years, these strong, streamlined, colorful fish have been among the most popular game fish in New York State. Their beauty and fighting ability attracts the skilled, as well as the novice, angler.

Trout are held in high regard by people from all walks of life. Both public and private interest in trout have led to many efforts to ensure there will be trout for future generations to enjoy. What other fish can boast its own fan club? Trout Unlimited, a private, nonprofit organization, is dedicated to improving and protecting trout habitat. In addition, DEC annually stocks millions of these fish into waters across New York State to provide anglers with additional trout fishing opportunity. Several private groups have been formed by citizens committed to protecting trout habitat.

Trout live in a variety of habitats, ranging from small mountain streams to the enormous Great Lakes. They require cool, clean water to survive and are often the first species to disappear from polluted waters. Similar to salmon, trout are fairly primitive fish, with small scales and soft-rayed fins. Their lower (ventral or pelvic) fins are set well back on the body and a small lobe-shaped fin (the adipose) sits behind the single dorsal (back) fin.

Trout are highly variable in color. In streams, they have spots or wavy lines over backgrounds ranging from dark olive to light brown. In large lakes, they are often silvery. Trout also vary a great deal in size. While two pounds would be large for a stream brook trout, 15 pounds is not uncommon for a Great Lakes steelhead.

Feeding Trout eat a wide variety of organisms. Young trout eat small items, such as plankton, crustaceans and insects. Older trout eat snails, salamanders, frogs, snakes, small mammals and fish, as well as smaller food items.

Although trout will not grow to record size in waters where larger prey is not available, they still survive and grow quite well. The ability to live on smaller prey allows them to provide fishing in some waters too small to support other game fish.

Spawning Rainbow trout spawn or reproduce in the spring, while New York's other trout spawn in the fall. Like salmon, most trout species build nests, called redds. Using their tails to fan the bottom, female trout create a depression in clean gravel or cobble sites in streams and, occasionally, in seepage areas in ponds. The males remain nearby and drive off rivals.

When the nest is ready, the eggs are deposited, quickly fertilized, and covered under a layer of gravel. Both adults then move on, leaving the eggs and young to develop on their own.

Lake trout, however, do not follow this spawning habit. Rather than build a nest, they simply scatter their eggs over the lake bottom.

Trout eggs are larger and fewer in number than those of many other fish species. For example, while a mature female walleye may have 50,000 to 100,000 eggs, a mature female trout may only have 1,000 to 3,000 eggs. After the trout eggs hatch, the young fish (called alevins) remain in the gravel for about one week before emerging to feed.

An interesting fact is that although rainbow trout spawn later than other New York trout species, their eggs still hatch at about the same time in the spring. This is because the amount of time required for fish eggs to develop depends on the water temperature. Eggs develop faster in warm water than in cool water. Therefore, the eggs deposited in the fall take longer to hatch - as they develop over the winter - than those deposited in the early spring, allowing the eggs of each species to hatch at a similar time.

Brook Trout The brook or speckled trout is New York's official State fish. A native of the State, it is the smallest, and to many people, the most attractive trout occurring in the State. It has a dark olive green background with light wavy markings on the back, and tan or red spots on the sides. Its lower fins are striking, with bright white edging separated from the mostly red fin by a black line.

Once widespread throughout the state, brook trout were found in remote wilderness settings in the Adirondacks and in small streams on Long Island. Over the years, many populations have been lost due to habitat destruction and introduction of competing fish species. DEC and Cornell University scientists have identified strains of brook trout that have not been genetically altered by interbreeding with hatchery-reared fish. These rare, or heritage, strains are a priceless link to New York State's original fauna and DEC is working to preserve them.

Brook trout generally live in small- to moderate-sized streams, lakes, and ponds, wherever cool (below 72 degrees Fahrenheit), clean water is available. They are relatively short lived, seldom living longer than five years. Although some brook trout can weight more than eight pounds, fish weighing more than two pounds are uncommon.

Brookies are highly popular game fish. Often associated with an Adirondack wilderness experience, anglers enjoy the pristine surroundings of brook trout water almost as much as catching these delicious fish. Speckled trout are relatively easy to catch and are frequently taken on flies, small artificial lures, and worms.

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Brown Trout The brown trout has long been a popular game fish all over the world. Brought over from Europe in the 1880s, brown trout can be found in waters all across New York State. Its ability to tolerate warmer water than either of New York State's native trout has allowed this species to do well in waters otherwise not able to support trout.

Brown trout are primarily found in streams, but also live in ponds and lakes. As the name implies, brown trout are brown in color with black and often red spots on the sides. However, in large bodies of water, fish tend to be silvery with scattered black spots.

Brown trout are generally faster growing and longer lived than brook trout. Fish more than ten pounds are fairly common, but in streams they seldom grow larger than two pounds. Many anglers enjoy fishing for brown trout because they are relatively wary and a challenge to catch. Brown trout can withstand heavy fishing pressure better than other New York trout.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

Northern Pike Northern pike are among the State's most important sportfish. They are relatively easy to catch, can grow to over 40 pounds, and put up a good fight when hooked.

Northern pike are very adaptable and occur in a wide range of habitats. They are one of the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the world, and the only members of the pike family to occur in arctic environments. Northerns prefer weedy portions of rivers, ponds, and lakes, but large adults will often move offshore into deeper waters. In New York State, they occur primarily in the St. Lawrence, Upper Hudson River, Lake Champlain, and Finger Lakes drainages.

Northern pike can be distinguished from their cousins, the pickerels, by the scaleless lower half of the gill covers. Their bodies are dark green to brown with light bean-shaped spots. There is no distinct dark bar beneath the eye. The undersurface of the lower jaw has eight to 12 pores and there are often bright gold markings on both sides of the head. Northerns can grow to be quite large - the current New York State record is a 46-pound two-ounce monster taken from Great Sacandaga Lake back in 1940.

Northern pike spawn in April or May, normally just after ice-out. Like other pike, they migrate into flooded marshes to deposit their adhesive eggs.

Northerns are delicious to eat. Their meat is white and flaky, and because of their large size, their bones are more easily removed than those of pickerels. Northerns can be taken through the ice as well as in open water, and provide an important winter fishery. Ice derbies are common sporting events for these prize fish in many parts of the State.

Due to their predatory nature, rapid growth, and large size, northern pike help control populations of smaller fish species. By feeding on small fish, they prevent over population and stunting. In some parts of Europe, northerns are raised for food.

Northern Pike (Esox lucius)

Yellow Perch Yellow perch are important panfish in New York State. They are relatively easy to catch and are often one of the first fish caught by youngsters and beginners.

While yellow perch are found throughout the State in a variety of habitats, they prefer shallow, weedy protected sections of rivers, lakes, and ponds. Ranging in length from six to 12 inches, yellow perch are easily distinguished from other perch by the five to nine black vertical bars on their yellow sides.

Yellow perch spawn in April or May. Adults migrate into shallow weedy sections and randomly release long strings (up to seven feet) of transparent eggs. The egg masses eventually adhere to submerged vegetation, where they remain until hatching.

Yellow perch are most active in the morning and evening. They eat a variety of organisms, including aquatic insects, crayfish, and fish.

Yellow perch are very tasty and are popular year-round, especially with ice fishermen. When handling the fish, care should be taken to avoid their sharp spines and sharp gill plates.

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

Walleye Walleye, the largest members of the perch family, often exceed 20 inches in length. Although not as widely distributed as yellow perch, walleye are found in every major watershed in New York State.

They are important gamefish and provide major recreational fisheries in lakes Erie, Oneida, Chautauqua, and Champlain.

Walleye are sometimes called walleye pike, yellow pickerel, yellow pike, or pike perch and have been incorrectly identified as a member of the pike family. A quick look at the dorsal fins of the walleye (two fins) and the pike (one fin) shows that the two are not from the same family.

Walleye are similar in body shape to both sauger and yellow perch. However, walleye can be identified by the dark spot found at the bottom of their first dorsal fin and their large canine teeth. Saugers lack the dark spot and yellow perch lack the large teeth. Most walleye are yellow, but occasionally a variation occurs which gives the fish a blue color. Called "blue phase," these fish are not blue pike.

Walleye prefer the deep water sections of large lakes, streams, and rivers. They have large, lightsensitive eyes that help them locate food in poor light. To protect their eyes from the sun, walleye stay in sheltered or deep water during the day and move into shallower water at night. They are voracious predators and use their large canine teeth to catch a variety of minnows and the young of other fishes.

Yellow perch are often a favorite meal.

Spawning takes place from mid-March to early April. Adult walleye randomly release their eggs over rocky bottoms of lake shoals or gravel bars in rivers and streams. The eggs fall between the rock crevices to hatch.

Walleye are popular sportfish and play an important role in New York State's tourism industry. Anglers and non-anglers alike hold walleye in high esteem due to their excellent taste. DEC has produced a walleye management strategy for the State focusing on reestablishing and enhancing walleye fishing opportunities. DEC also uses walleye to help control yellow perch and gizzard shad populations. Walleye are effective predators of these two species and, therefore, keep their populations from becoming too large.

Brown Bullhead The brown bullhead is the most common catfish in New York State and is found in nearly all waters and all areas of the State. Often, when New Yorkers see or eat catfish, it is a brown bullhead.

The brown bullhead is a medium sized fish - averaging about eight to 14 inches in length. It has the typical catfish appearance of a broad, flat head and dark barbels around the face. Its square tail and mottled side coloration distinguishes it from other members of the catfish family. The brown bullhead is generally dark brown above and yellow to white on its belly, but as is the case with most fishes, its color may vary with its surroundings.

Brown bullheads are probably the most adaptable member of the catfish family and live in a wide variety of habitats. They exemplify the hardiness of catfishes in general, tolerating both high water temperatures and low oxygen levels. They are present in many cool Adirondack lakes and often abundant in warm water ponds, lakes, and larger, slow moving streams. They occur in areas with or without aquatic vegetation and can be found over both muddy and gravelly bottoms.

Spawning takes place in May or June when the water temperature approaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The entire process can take as much as several weeks, with one or both parents remaining for the whole time. Bullhead nests are usually found in a shaded spot near a log, but sometimes they will nest inside objects such as an auto tire nailed to a boat dock.

Brown bullheads are delicious to eat and a favorite of many. During the spring, anglers can catch them by the bucketful and large bullhead feeds are popular especially in New York State's Great Lakes counties.

Small-mouth Bass CHARACTERISTICS: The dorsal fin on the smallmouth bass is distinctly separated and contains nine to 11 spines and 13 to 15 rays. The anal fin has three spines and 10 or 11 rays. The bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins are covered with scales. The complete lateral line has 68 to 80 scales. The mouth is relatively large, with the upper jaw almost reaching the rear margin of the eye. The eye may have a reddish tint. Smallmouth bass lack the characteristic black stripe or jointed, lateral black blotches found on largemouth bass and spotted bass. Instead, the back and sides are bronze to olive green, with many irregularly spaced dark spots. The venter is generally white in small individuals, becoming dusky with age. Young smallmouth bass have several vertically oriented dark blotches along their sides that usually fade with age.

ADULT SIZE: 15 to 20 inches (380 to 508 mm). The state angling record (10 lb, 8 oz) was caught in the Tennessee River below Wheeler Dam in 1950.

DISTRIBUTION: Smallmouth bass are native to the Tennessee River drainage. They have been unsuccessfully introduced into Lake Lewis Smith (Black Warrior River) and the Cahaba, Coosa, and upper Tombigbee rivers. A sub-page shows the Alabama distribution and shows a United States map including only the native range of this species.

HABITAT AND BIOLOGY: Smallmouth bass inhabit clear, small to medium-sized streams, rivers, and reservoirs. They favor such underwater structures as rock outcrops, logs, treetops, and constructed riprap walls. Spawning usually occurs in April and May, when water temperatures reach 59ยบ to 63ยบF (15ยบ to 18ยบC). Smallmouth feed primarily on small fishes, crayfishes, and insects. Carlander (1977) reports life spans of six to 14 years in southern and northern populations.



Sunfish

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Brook Trout



Brown Trout



Northern Pike



Largemouth Bass



Small Mouth Bass



Yellow Perch



Walleye



Brown Bullhead

About the Sunfish Family With the diversity of species included in this family group, sunfish live in a wide range of habitats.

Rocky, cool lakes and streams, warm, vegetated lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams are all home to one or more members of the sunfish family.

Sunfish are small- to medium-sized fish with a single anal (bottom rear fin) and a two-part dorsal (back) fin. They are spiny-rayed, with one or more sharp spines found on their dorsal, pelvic (bottom front) and anal fins. These spines help protect adult fish from being eaten by larger fish and can prick the fingers of any angler who is not careful when removing the hook.

Reproduction (spawning) takes place from spring until summer. Male sunfish build nests by using their fins to fan the bottom to remove fine materials that might smother developing eggs. Females will often deposit eggs in several nests. Males, however, remain in one nest and guard the eggs and young. Some male sunfish may stay in the nest for up to three or more weeks. Sunfish are important to recreational fishing in New York State. Smaller sunfish can often be taken from shore with nothing more than a string with a bobber and worm. Larger members of the sunfish family, such as smallmouth and largemouth bass, challenge even the most experienced angler with the best equipment.

Fourteen species of sunfish are found in New York State waters. Of these 14, seven are commonly encountered by anglers and are the subject of this article. These seven species are separated into three groups: 1) true sunfish; 2) black bass; and 3) rock bass and black crappie.

The other less common sunfish species not discussed here are the mud sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, banded sunfish, green sunfish, warmouth, longear sunfish, and white crappie.

True Sunfish The true sunfish are small-sized fish and include three species: bluegill, pumpkinseed, and redbreast. They are flat and deep-bodied in appearance and are bright and colorful - hence the name sunfish. All are usually easy to catch, good to eat, and extremely popular with anglers, especially children.

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Redbreast (Lepomis auritus)

Largemouth Bass Largemouth bass are another major sportfish in New York State. While they are not the spectacular fighters their cousins the smallmouth are, largemouths can be just as challenging and exciting to land because of the habitat they prefer.

Largemouths thrive best in warm, shallow, well-vegetated areas of ponds and sluggish streams. They are rather solitary fish, preferring to stay among dense aquatic vegetation or close to submerged cover, such as stumps, logs, or dock pilings.

The largemouth bass is the largest member of the sunfish family and has been known to reach weights in excess of ten pounds. It closely resembles the smallmouth, but differs by its long upper jaw which extends well beyond the eye, and its pronounced wide, solid black lateral band. In addition, the largemouth is more of a dark green color than the smallmouth.

Largemouth bass are primarily fish-eating predators. They lie in wait in the cover of weeds and ambush prey as it swims by. Crayfish, frogs, and small animals, such as mice, are also eaten by this large sunfish.

Like smallmouths, largemouths are also late spring to midsummer spawners. Largemouth nests are less elaborate than smallmouth nests. Nests are built near protective cover in a variety of bottom types and are usually located far apart from each other.

Largemouth bass are a popular gamefish with New York anglers. They can be taken in weedy, stumpy areas by still fishing or casting with live bait or a wide variety of lures, including plastic worms and surface plugs. Since largemouths can thrive in small, warmer waters where other game species do not, they play an important role in fishery management by providing a highly desirable fishery in these waters.

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The Trout Of New York For anglers and non-anglers alike, the word "fish" often brings to mind the simple, robust form of the trout. For many years, these strong, streamlined, colorful fish have been among the most popular game fish in New York State. Their beauty and fighting ability attracts the skilled, as well as the novice, angler.

Trout are held in high regard by people from all walks of life. Both public and private interest in trout have led to many efforts to ensure there will be trout for future generations to enjoy. What other fish can boast its own fan club? Trout Unlimited, a private, nonprofit organization, is dedicated to improving and protecting trout habitat. In addition, DEC annually stocks millions of these fish into waters across New York State to provide anglers with additional trout fishing opportunity. Several private groups have been formed by citizens committed to protecting trout habitat.

Trout live in a variety of habitats, ranging from small mountain streams to the enormous Great Lakes. They require cool, clean water to survive and are often the first species to disappear from polluted waters. Similar to salmon, trout are fairly primitive fish, with small scales and soft-rayed fins. Their lower (ventral or pelvic) fins are set well back on the body and a small lobe-shaped fin (the adipose) sits behind the single dorsal (back) fin.

Trout are highly variable in color. In streams, they have spots or wavy lines over backgrounds ranging from dark olive to light brown. In large lakes, they are often silvery. Trout also vary a great deal in size. While two pounds would be large for a stream brook trout, 15 pounds is not uncommon for a Great Lakes steelhead.

Feeding Trout eat a wide variety of organisms. Young trout eat small items, such as plankton, crustaceans and insects. Older trout eat snails, salamanders, frogs, snakes, small mammals and fish, as well as smaller food items.

Although trout will not grow to record size in waters where larger prey is not available, they still survive and grow quite well. The ability to live on smaller prey allows them to provide fishing in some waters too small to support other game fish.

Spawning Rainbow trout spawn or reproduce in the spring, while New York's other trout spawn in the fall. Like salmon, most trout species build nests, called redds. Using their tails to fan the bottom, female trout create a depression in clean gravel or cobble sites in streams and, occasionally, in seepage areas in ponds. The males remain nearby and drive off rivals.

When the nest is ready, the eggs are deposited, quickly fertilized, and covered under a layer of gravel. Both adults then move on, leaving the eggs and young to develop on their own.

Lake trout, however, do not follow this spawning habit. Rather than build a nest, they simply scatter their eggs over the lake bottom.

Trout eggs are larger and fewer in number than those of many other fish species. For example, while a mature female walleye may have 50,000 to 100,000 eggs, a mature female trout may only have 1,000 to 3,000 eggs. After the trout eggs hatch, the young fish (called alevins) remain in the gravel for about one week before emerging to feed.

An interesting fact is that although rainbow trout spawn later than other New York trout species, their eggs still hatch at about the same time in the spring. This is because the amount of time required for fish eggs to develop depends on the water temperature. Eggs develop faster in warm water than in cool water. Therefore, the eggs deposited in the fall take longer to hatch - as they develop over the winter - than those deposited in the early spring, allowing the eggs of each species to hatch at a similar time.

Brook Trout The brook or speckled trout is New York's official State fish. A native of the State, it is the smallest, and to many people, the most attractive trout occurring in the State. It has a dark olive green background with light wavy markings on the back, and tan or red spots on the sides. Its lower fins are striking, with bright white edging separated from the mostly red fin by a black line.

Once widespread throughout the state, brook trout were found in remote wilderness settings in the Adirondacks and in small streams on Long Island. Over the years, many populations have been lost due to habitat destruction and introduction of competing fish species. DEC and Cornell University scientists have identified strains of brook trout that have not been genetically altered by interbreeding with hatchery-reared fish. These rare, or heritage, strains are a priceless link to New York State's original fauna and DEC is working to preserve them.

Brook trout generally live in small- to moderate-sized streams, lakes, and ponds, wherever cool (below 72 degrees Fahrenheit), clean water is available. They are relatively short lived, seldom living longer than five years. Although some brook trout can weight more than eight pounds, fish weighing more than two pounds are uncommon.

Brookies are highly popular game fish. Often associated with an Adirondack wilderness experience, anglers enjoy the pristine surroundings of brook trout water almost as much as catching these delicious fish. Speckled trout are relatively easy to catch and are frequently taken on flies, small artificial lures, and worms.

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Brown Trout The brown trout has long been a popular game fish all over the world. Brought over from Europe in the 1880s, brown trout can be found in waters all across New York State. Its ability to tolerate warmer water than either of New York State's native trout has allowed this species to do well in waters otherwise not able to support trout.

Brown trout are primarily found in streams, but also live in ponds and lakes. As the name implies, brown trout are brown in color with black and often red spots on the sides. However, in large bodies of water, fish tend to be silvery with scattered black spots.

Brown trout are generally faster growing and longer lived than brook trout. Fish more than ten pounds are fairly common, but in streams they seldom grow larger than two pounds. Many anglers enjoy fishing for brown trout because they are relatively wary and a challenge to catch. Brown trout can withstand heavy fishing pressure better than other New York trout.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

Northern Pike Northern pike are among the State's most important sportfish. They are relatively easy to catch, can grow to over 40 pounds, and put up a good fight when hooked.

Northern pike are very adaptable and occur in a wide range of habitats. They are one of the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the world, and the only members of the pike family to occur in arctic environments. Northerns prefer weedy portions of rivers, ponds, and lakes, but large adults will often move offshore into deeper waters. In New York State, they occur primarily in the St. Lawrence, Upper Hudson River, Lake Champlain, and Finger Lakes drainages.

Northern pike can be distinguished from their cousins, the pickerels, by the scaleless lower half of the gill covers. Their bodies are dark green to brown with light bean-shaped spots. There is no distinct dark bar beneath the eye. The undersurface of the lower jaw has eight to 12 pores and there are often bright gold markings on both sides of the head. Northerns can grow to be quite large - the current New York State record is a 46-pound two-ounce monster taken from Great Sacandaga Lake back in 1940.

Northern pike spawn in April or May, normally just after ice-out. Like other pike, they migrate into flooded marshes to deposit their adhesive eggs.

Northerns are delicious to eat. Their meat is white and flaky, and because of their large size, their bones are more easily removed than those of pickerels. Northerns can be taken through the ice as well as in open water, and provide an important winter fishery. Ice derbies are common sporting events for these prize fish in many parts of the State.

Due to their predatory nature, rapid growth, and large size, northern pike help control populations of smaller fish species. By feeding on small fish, they prevent over population and stunting. In some parts of Europe, northerns are raised for food.

Northern Pike (Esox lucius)

Yellow Perch Yellow perch are important panfish in New York State. They are relatively easy to catch and are often one of the first fish caught by youngsters and beginners.

While yellow perch are found throughout the State in a variety of habitats, they prefer shallow, weedy protected sections of rivers, lakes, and ponds. Ranging in length from six to 12 inches, yellow perch are easily distinguished from other perch by the five to nine black vertical bars on their yellow sides.

Yellow perch spawn in April or May. Adults migrate into shallow weedy sections and randomly release long strings (up to seven feet) of transparent eggs. The egg masses eventually adhere to submerged vegetation, where they remain until hatching.

Yellow perch are most active in the morning and evening. They eat a variety of organisms, including aquatic insects, crayfish, and fish.

Yellow perch are very tasty and are popular year-round, especially with ice fishermen. When handling the fish, care should be taken to avoid their sharp spines and sharp gill plates.

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

Walleye Walleye, the largest members of the perch family, often exceed 20 inches in length. Although not as widely distributed as yellow perch, walleye are found in every major watershed in New York State.

They are important gamefish and provide major recreational fisheries in lakes Erie, Oneida, Chautauqua, and Champlain.

Walleye are sometimes called walleye pike, yellow pickerel, yellow pike, or pike perch and have been incorrectly identified as a member of the pike family. A quick look at the dorsal fins of the walleye (two fins) and the pike (one fin) shows that the two are not from the same family.

Walleye are similar in body shape to both sauger and yellow perch. However, walleye can be identified by the dark spot found at the bottom of their first dorsal fin and their large canine teeth. Saugers lack the dark spot and yellow perch lack the large teeth. Most walleye are yellow, but occasionally a variation occurs which gives the fish a blue color. Called "blue phase," these fish are not blue pike.

Walleye prefer the deep water sections of large lakes, streams, and rivers. They have large, lightsensitive eyes that help them locate food in poor light. To protect their eyes from the sun, walleye stay in sheltered or deep water during the day and move into shallower water at night. They are voracious predators and use their large canine teeth to catch a variety of minnows and the young of other fishes.

Yellow perch are often a favorite meal.

Spawning takes place from mid-March to early April. Adult walleye randomly release their eggs over rocky bottoms of lake shoals or gravel bars in rivers and streams. The eggs fall between the rock crevices to hatch.

Walleye are popular sportfish and play an important role in New York State's tourism industry. Anglers and non-anglers alike hold walleye in high esteem due to their excellent taste. DEC has produced a walleye management strategy for the State focusing on reestablishing and enhancing walleye fishing opportunities. DEC also uses walleye to help control yellow perch and gizzard shad populations. Walleye are effective predators of these two species and, therefore, keep their populations from becoming too large.

Brown Bullhead The brown bullhead is the most common catfish in New York State and is found in nearly all waters and all areas of the State. Often, when New Yorkers see or eat catfish, it is a brown bullhead.

The brown bullhead is a medium sized fish - averaging about eight to 14 inches in length. It has the typical catfish appearance of a broad, flat head and dark barbels around the face. Its square tail and mottled side coloration distinguishes it from other members of the catfish family. The brown bullhead is generally dark brown above and yellow to white on its belly, but as is the case with most fishes, its color may vary with its surroundings.

Brown bullheads are probably the most adaptable member of the catfish family and live in a wide variety of habitats. They exemplify the hardiness of catfishes in general, tolerating both high water temperatures and low oxygen levels. They are present in many cool Adirondack lakes and often abundant in warm water ponds, lakes, and larger, slow moving streams. They occur in areas with or without aquatic vegetation and can be found over both muddy and gravelly bottoms.

Spawning takes place in May or June when the water temperature approaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The entire process can take as much as several weeks, with one or both parents remaining for the whole time. Bullhead nests are usually found in a shaded spot near a log, but sometimes they will nest inside objects such as an auto tire nailed to a boat dock.

Brown bullheads are delicious to eat and a favorite of many. During the spring, anglers can catch them by the bucketful and large bullhead feeds are popular especially in New York State's Great Lakes counties.

Small-mouth Bass CHARACTERISTICS: The dorsal fin on the smallmouth bass is distinctly separated and contains nine to 11 spines and 13 to 15 rays. The anal fin has three spines and 10 or 11 rays. The bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins are covered with scales. The complete lateral line has 68 to 80 scales. The mouth is relatively large, with the upper jaw almost reaching the rear margin of the eye. The eye may have a reddish tint. Smallmouth bass lack the characteristic black stripe or jointed, lateral black blotches found on largemouth bass and spotted bass. Instead, the back and sides are bronze to olive green, with many irregularly spaced dark spots. The venter is generally white in small individuals, becoming dusky with age. Young smallmouth bass have several vertically oriented dark blotches along their sides that usually fade with age.

ADULT SIZE: 15 to 20 inches (380 to 508 mm). The state angling record (10 lb, 8 oz) was caught in the Tennessee River below Wheeler Dam in 1950.

DISTRIBUTION: Smallmouth bass are native to the Tennessee River drainage. They have been unsuccessfully introduced into Lake Lewis Smith (Black Warrior River) and the Cahaba, Coosa, and upper Tombigbee rivers. A sub-page shows the Alabama distribution and shows a United States map including only the native range of this species.

HABITAT AND BIOLOGY: Smallmouth bass inhabit clear, small to medium-sized streams, rivers, and reservoirs. They favor such underwater structures as rock outcrops, logs, treetops, and constructed riprap walls. Spawning usually occurs in April and May, when water temperatures reach 59ยบ to 63ยบF (15ยบ to 18ยบC). Smallmouth feed primarily on small fishes, crayfishes, and insects. Carlander (1977) reports life spans of six to 14 years in southern and northern populations.

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Cardinal

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Eastern Screech Owl



Loon



American Crow



Northern Flicker



Tufted Titmouse

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Black-capped Chickadee



Raven

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Scarlet Tanager

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Osprey

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Yellow Warbler

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Hooded Merganser

  

Red-tailed Hawk Great Blue heron Kill deer

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Size & Shape The Northern Cardinal is a fairly large, long-tailed songbird with a short, very thick bill and a prominent crest.

Cardinals often sit with a hunched-over posture and with the tail pointed straight down.

Color Pattern Male cardinals are brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill and black face immediately around the bill. Females are pale brown overall with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest. They have the same black face and red-orange bill.

Behavior Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs. They are common at bird feeders but may be inconspicuous away from them, at least until you learn their loud, metallic chip note.

Food Northern Cardinals eat mainly seeds and fruit, supplementing these with insects (and feeding nestlings mostly insects). Common fruits and seeds include dogwood, wild grape, buckwheat, grasses, sedges, mulberry, hackberry, blackberry, sumac, tulip-tree, and corn. Cardinals eat many kinds of birdseed, particularly black oil sunflower seed. They also eat beetles, crickets, katydids, leafhoppers, cicadas, flies, centipedes, spiders, butterflies, and moths.

Habitat Look for Northern Cardinals in inhabited areas such as backyards, parks, woodlots, and shrubby forest edges.

Northern Cardinals nest in dense tangles of shrubs and vines.

Call / Songs Both male and female Northern Cardinals sing. The song is a loud string of clear down-slurred or two-parted whistles, often speeding up and ending in a slow trill. The songs typically last 2 to 3 seconds. Syllables can sound like the bird is singing cheer, cheer, cheer or birdie, birdie, birdie. Males in particular may sing throughout the year, though the peak of singing is in spring and early summer.

Adult Male

Adult Female

Common Loon The eerie yodel of the Common Loon is a symbol of the wild North. The territorial call of the male loon can be heard from lakes across Canada to the very northern United States.

Adult Description Large waterbird with long pointed bill and long body that slopes to rear. Sits low on water.

Immature Description Juvenile similar to nonbreeding adult, but head more uniformly dark with more distinct edge between light underparts and dark upperparts. Back feathers edged with light, giving a scaled appearance. Bill paler, but still with dark upper edge.

Behavior Pursues fish underwater, grabs with bill.

Food Fish; some other aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates.

Habitat Breeds on clear freshwater lakes with rocky shorelines surrounded by forest; also on subarctic tundra lakes.

Stages for migration on large lakes and rivers. Winters primarily in coastal marine areas near shore; also in large freshwater lakes.

Call A tremulous wail.

Adult

Adult Winter

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump.

Size & Shape Flickers are fairly large woodpeckers with a slim, rounded head, slightly downcurved bill, and long, flared tail that tapers to a point.

Color Pattern Flickers appear brownish overall with a white rump patch that’s conspicuous in flight and often visible when perched. The undersides of the wing and tail feathers are bright yellow, for eastern birds, or red, in western birds.

With a closer look you’ll see the brown plumage is richly patterned with black spots, bars, and crescents.

Behavior Northern Flickers spend lots of time on the ground, and when in trees they’re often perched upright on horizontal branches instead of leaning against their tails on a trunk. They fly in an up-and-down path using heavy flaps interspersed with glides, like many woodpeckers.

Food Mainly insects, especially ants and beetles that they gather from the ground. They also eat fruits and seeds, especially in winter. Flickers often go after ants underground (where the nutritious larvae live), hammering at the soil the way other woodpeckers drill into wood. They’ve been seen breaking into cow patties to eat insects living within. Their tongues can dart out 2 inches beyond the end of the bill to snare prey. Other invertebrates eaten include flies, butterflies, moths, and snails. Flickers also eat berries and seeds, especially in winter, including poison oak and ivy, dogwood, sumac, wild cherry and grape, bayberries, hackberries, and elderberries, and sunflower and thistle seeds.

Habitat Look for flickers in open habitats near trees, including woodlands, edges, yards, and parks. In the West you can find them in mountain forests all the way up to treeline.

Call A loud, rolling rattle with a piercing tone that rises and falls in volume several times. The call lasts 7 or 8 seconds and is quite similar to the call of the Pileated Woodpecker. You’ll hear it in the spring and early summer, while pairs are forming and birds are establishing their territories. Flickers also make a loud single-note call, often sounding like kyeer, about a half-second long. When birds are close together and displaying they may make a quiet, rhythmic wick-a, wick-a call.

Adult Female

Adult Male

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

A bird almost universally considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn.

Size & Shape This tiny bird has a short neck and large head, giving it a distinctive, rather spherical body shape. It also has a long, narrow tail and a short bill a bit thicker than a warbler’s but thinner than a finch’s.

Color Pattern The cap and bib are black, the cheeks white, the back soft gray, the wing feathers gray edged with white, and the underparts soft buffy on the sides grading to white beneath. The cap extends down just beyond the black eyes, making the small eyes tricky to see.

Behavior Black-capped Chickadees seldom remain at feeders except to grab a seed to eat elsewhere. They are acrobatic and associate in flocks—the sudden activity when a flock arrives is distinctive. They often fly across roads and open areas one at a time with a bouncy flight.

Habitat Chickadees may be found in any habitat that has trees or woody shrubs, from forests and woodlots to residential neighborhoods and parks, and sometimes weedy fields and cattail marshes. They frequently nest in birch or alder trees.

Food In winter Black-capped Chickadees eat about half seeds, berries, and other plant matter, and half animal food (insects, spiders, suet, and sometimes fat and bits of meat from frozen carcasses). In spring, summer, and fall, insects, spiders, and other animal food make up 80-90 percent of their diet. At feeders they take mostly sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, peanut butter, and mealworms. They peck a hole in the shell, and then chip out and eat tiny bits of seed while expanding the hole.

Call / Songs In most of North America, the song is a simple, pure 2 or 3-note whistled fee-bee or hey, sweetie. In the Pacific Northwest, the song is 3 or 4 notes on the same pitch; the song is also different on Martha's Vineyard in MA. In much of the range, males begin singing in mid-January, and the song increases in frequency as winter progresses. Females also sing occasionally.

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

This is probably the most common hawk in North America. If you’ve got sharp eyes you’ll see several individuals on almost any long car ride, anywhere. Red-tailed Hawks soar above open fields, slowly turning circles on their broad, rounded wings. Other times you’ll see them atop telephone poles, eyes fixed on the ground to catch the movements of a vole or a rabbit, or simply waiting out cold weather before climbing a thermal updraft into the sky.

Size & Shape Red-tailed Hawks are large hawks with typical Buteo proportions: very broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Large females seen from a distance might fool you into thinking you’re seeing an eagle. (Until an actual eagle comes along.)

Color Pattern Most Red-tailed Hawks are rich brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the wing underside, a dark bar between shoulder and wrist. The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds it’s brown and banded. “Dark-phase” birds are all chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-phase” birds are reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly.

Behavior You’ll most likely see Red-tailed Hawks soaring in wide circles high over a field. When flapping, their wingbeats are heavy. In high winds they may face into the wind and hover without flapping, eyes fixed on the ground. They attack in a slow, controlled dive with legs outstretched – much different from a falcon’s stoop.

Food Mammals make up the bulk of most Red-tailed Hawk meals. Frequent victims include voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. The hawks also eat birds, including pheasants, bobwhite, starlings, and blackbirds; as well as snakes and carrion. Individual prey items can weigh anywhere from less than an ounce to more than 5 pounds.

Habitat The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of open country. Look for it along fields and perched on telephones poles, fenceposts, or trees standing alone or along edges of fields.

Call Adults make a hoarse, screaming kee-eeeee-arr. It lasts 2-3 seconds and is usually given while soaring. During courtship, they also make a shrill chwirk, sometimes giving several of these calls in a row.

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

The largest and most widespread heron in North America, the Great Blue Heron can be found along the ocean shore or the edge of a small inland pond. An all white form is found from southern Florida into the Caribbean, and used to be considered a separate species, the "Great White Heron."

Adult Description Large, gray bird with long legs, long, "S"-shaped neck, a long thick bill and white crown stripe. Black plume extending from behind eye to off the back of the neck. Shaggy feathers on neck and back. Bluish gray back, wings, and belly. Reddish or gray neck. White morph all white with pale legs, yellow bill.

Immature Description Juvenile similar to adult, but has gray crown, a dark upper bill, rusty brown edging to back feathers, and lacks body plumes.

Behavior Walks slowly, stands and stabs prey with quick lunge of the bill.

Food Fish, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals.

Habitat Found along calm freshwater and seacoasts. Usually nests in trees near water, but colonies can be found away from water. Great White Heron found almost exclusively in shallow marine habitats.

Call A deep, hoarse croak.

Adult Heron

Juvenile Heron

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey. Their voice, a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, is a common sound even after dark, often given in flight as the bird circles overhead on slender wings.

Size & Shape Killdeer have the characteristic large, round head, large eye, and short bill of all plovers. They are especially slender and lanky, with a long, pointed tail and long wings.

Color Pattern Brownish-tan on top and white below. The white chest is barred with two black bands, and the brown face is marked with black and white patches. The bright orange-buff rump is conspicuous in flight.

Behavior Killdeer spend their time walking along the ground or running ahead a few steps, stopping to look around, and running on again. When disturbed they break into flight and circle overhead, calling repeatedly. Their flight is rapid, with stiff, intermittent wingbeats.

Food Feeds primarily on invertebrates, such as earthworms, snails, crayfish, grasshoppers, beetles, and aquatic insect larvae. Follows farmers' plows in hopes of retrieving any unearthed worms or insect larvae. Will also eat seeds left in agricultural lands. An opportunistic forager, Killdeer have been observed hunting frogs and eating dead minnows.

Habitat Look for Killdeer on open ground with low vegetation (or no vegetation at all), including lawns, golf courses, driveways, parking lots, and gravel-covered roofs, as well as pastures, fields, sandbars and mudflats.

This species is one of the least water-associated of all shorebirds.

Calls Most noticeable among the Killdeer’s many calls is the high, plaintive kill-deer the bird is named for. Displaying males give this 0.5-second call over and over while in flight. Birds in distress or sounding an alarm make a sharp dee that can intensify into a nervous, bubbling trill. This trill may also be used in courtship displays.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Otus asio

The Eastern Screech-Owl is found in nearly every habitat throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. It is common in urban as well as rural areas and readily nests in nest boxes.

Adult & Immature Description Small owl with feathered ear tufts. Gray, brownish gray, or reddish-brown.

Behavior Sit-and-wait predator. Hunts at night and in evening, occasionally during the day.

Food Insects, crayfish, earthworms, songbirds, rodents.

Habitat Found in most habitats with trees, including urban and suburban areas. Nests in tree cavities; readily uses nest boxes. Adds no nesting material to cavity.

Call Two common songs: A descending whistled whinny, and a whistled trill on one pitch. Calls hoots, barks, and screeches.

Adult Gray Form

Adult Red Form

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Size & Shape A large, long-legged, thick-necked bird with a heavy, straight bill. In flight, the wings are fairly broad and rounded with the wingtip feathers spread like fingers. The short tail is rounded or squared off at the end.

Color Pattern American Crows are all black, even the legs and bill. When crows molt, the old feathers can appear brownish or scaly compared to the glossy new feathers.

Behavior American Crows are highly social birds, more often seen in groups than alone. In addition to roosting and foraging in numbers, crows often stay together in year-round family groups that consist of the breeding pair and offspring from the past two years. The whole family cooperates to raise young. Winter roosts of American Crows sometimes number in the hundreds of thousands. Often admired for their intelligence, American Crows can work together, devise solutions to problems, and recognize unusual sources of food. Some people regard this resourcefulness and sociality as an annoyance when it leads to large flocks around dumpsters, landfills, and roosting sites; others are fascinated by it. American Crows work together to harass or drive off predators, a behavior known as mobbing.

Food American Crows eat a vast array of foods, including grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and many kinds of small animals such as earthworms and mice. They eat many insects, including some crop pests, and also eat aquatic animals such as fish, young turtles, crayfish, mussels, and clams. A frequent nest predator, the American Crow eats the eggs and nestlings of many species including sparrows, robins, jays, terns, loons, and eiders. Also eats carrion and garbage.

Habitat American Crows are highly adaptable and will live in any open place that offers a few trees to perch in and a reliable source of food. Regularly uses both natural and human created habitats, including farmland, pasture, landfills, city parks, golf courses, cemeteries, yards, vacant lots, highway turnarounds, feedlots, and the shores of rivers, streams, and marshes. Crows tend to avoid unbroken expanses of forest, but do show up at forest campgrounds and travel into forests along roads and rivers. Avoids deserts.

Call Crows have more than 20 calls. The most common, a harsh caw, has several qualities and lengths that may serve different purposes. Immature begging young American Crows give a higher-pitched, nasal call that can sound like a Fish Crow. You may also hear a variety of calls and alert calls given to rally others to mob predators.

Songs The American Crow is not known for the beauty of its song, a series of loud caws. You may also hear crows making a “subsong�: a mixture of hoarse or grating coos, caws, rattles, and clicks. These are arranged in sequences that can be many minutes long, given quietly and with a rambling, improvised quality.

Tufted Titmouse Size & Shape Tufted Titmice look large among the small birds that come to feeders, an impression that comes from their large head and eye, thick neck, and full bodies. The pointed crest and stout bill help identify titmice even in silhouette.

Color Pattern Soft silvery gray above and white below, with a rusty or peach-colored wash down the flanks. A black patch just above the bill makes the bird look snub-nosed.

Behavior Tufted Titmice are acrobatic foragers, if a bit slower and more methodical than chickadees. They often flock with chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers and are regular visitors to feeders, where they are assertive over smaller birds. Their flight tends to be fluttery but level rather than undulating.

Food Tufted Titmice eat mainly insects in the summer, including caterpillars, beetles, ants and wasps, stink bugs, and treehoppers, as well as spiders and snails. Tufted Titmice also eat seeds, nuts, and berries, including acorns and beech nuts. Experiments with Tufted Titmice indicate they always choose the largest seeds they can when foraging.

Habitat You’ll find Tufted Titmice in most eastern woodlands below 2,000 feet elevation, including deciduous and evergreen forests. Tufted Titmice are also common visitors at feeders and can be found in backyards, parks, and orchards.

Call Titmouse calls are nasal and mechanical. A scratchy, chickadee-like tsee-day-day-day is the most common.

Tufted Titmice also give fussy, scolding call notes and, when predators are sighted, a harsh distress call that warns other titmice of the danger.

Song The Tufted Titmouse’s song is a fast-repeated, clear whistle: peter-peter-peter. The birds repeat this up to 11 times in succession or up to 35 songs delivered per minute. Females occasionally sing a quieter version of the song.

Common Raven

Corvus corax

The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving ever more complicated problems invented by ever more creative scientists. These big, sooty birds thrive among humans and in the back of beyond, stretching across the sky on easy, flowing wingbeats and filling the empty spaces with an echoing croak.

Size & Shape Not just large but massive, with a thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and a Bowie knife of a beak. In flight, ravens have long, wedge-shaped tails. They're more slender than crows, with longer, narrower wings, and longer, thinner “fingers” at the wingtips.

Color Pattern Common Ravens are entirely black, right down to the legs, eyes, and beak.

Behavior Common Ravens aren’t as social as crows; you tend to see them alone or in pairs except at food sources like landfills. Ravens are confident, inquisitive birds that strut around or occasionally bound forward with light, two-footed hops. In flight they are buoyant and graceful, interspersing soaring, gliding, and slow flaps.

Habitat Common Ravens live in open and forest habitats across western and northern North America. This includes deciduous and evergreen forests up to treeline, as well as high desert, sea coast, sagebrush, tundra, and grasslands. They do well around people, particularly rural settlements but also some towns and cities.

Food Common Ravens will eat almost anything they can get hold of. They eat carrion; small animals from the size of mice and baby tortoises up to adult Rock Pigeons and nestling Great Blue Herons; eggs; grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, and other arthropods; fish; wolf and sled-dog dung; grains, buds, and berries; pet food; and many types of human food including unattended picnic items and garbage.

Call Common Ravens make many different kinds of calls varying from a low, gurgling croak to harsh grating sounds and shrill alarm calls. Scientists have placed their vocalizations into as many as 33 different categories based on sound and context. The most commonly heard is the classic gurgling croak, rising in pitch and seeming to come from the back of the throat. It’s much deeper and more musical than a crow’s simple, scratchy caw. Ravens make this call often. It’s audible for more than a mile, and ravens often give it in response to other ravens they hear in the distance. Among their other calls, ravens make short, repeated, shrill calls when chasing predators or trespassers, and deep, rasping calls when their nests are disturbed. Dominant females sometimes make a rapid series of 12 or so loud knocking sounds that lasts about a second. Common Ravens can mimic other birds, and when raised in captivity can even be taught words.

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

A striking black-winged red bird, the Scarlet Tanager is a common species of the eastern forest interior. Despite its brilliant coloring it is often overlooked because of its rather secretive behavior and its preference for the forest canopy.

Color Pattern Adult Description: Medium-sized songbird. Male distinctive: bright red bird with black wings and tail Male Description: Breeding (Alternate) plumage: Bright red all over; variable in hue and can be somewhat orange. Black tail and wings. Whitish bill. Dark eye. Gray legs.

Nonbreeding (Basic) plumage: Bright olive-green body. Black wings and tail. During molts in spring and fall, shows mixed red and olive green in body feathers.

Female Description: Olive green to yellow body, brightest on throat, rump and undertail. Brownish olive wings and tail edged green.

Immature Description: Immature resembles adult female. First spring male with lighter red or orange body.

Behavior Captures insects by gleaning and grabbing them while hovering; will hawk flying insects. Beats prey against branch to kill it.

Food Insects and spiders, some earthworms, buds, and fruits.

Habitat Breeds in deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodlands, especially mature forests. Occasionally in suburban areas with large trees. Winters in montane evergreen forests.

Call Song a series of short, burry syllables, reminiscent of a robin with a sore throat. Call a springy "chik-burr."

Male

Female

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

One of the largest birds of prey in North America, the Osprey eats almost exclusively fish. It is one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica.

Color Pattern Adult Description: Large raptor with White breast and belly. Black back and wings. Long wings, held with wingtips angled slightly backwards. Dark eyestripe. Crown and forehead white.

Immature Description: Juvenile similar to adult, but with whitish scaling on back feathers, fewer markings on chest, and orange eyes.

Behavior Dives feet-first into water to grab fish from near surface. Often hovers over water before dive.

Food Fish

Habitat Breeds in variety of habitats with shallow water and large fish, including boreal forest ponds, desert salt-flat lagoons, temperate lakes, and tropical coasts. Winters along large bodies of water containing fish. Large nest of sticks, lined with bark, sod, grasses, vines, and sometimes plastic bags.

Call Calls are short, chirping whistles.

Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

Although many warblers are yellow, the Yellow Warbler is the most extensively yellow of any species.

This widespread species of willows and mangroves is the only warbler with yellow tail spots.

Color Pattern Adult Description: Small songbird with thin pointed bill. Yellow overall with chestnut streaks on chest of male.

Male Description: Face, throat, and underparts bright yellow. Streaked with chestnut below throat. Upperparts yellow-green to olive. Wings edged in yellow. Yellow tail spots.

Female Description: Underparts bright yellow. Back and most of face greenish-yellow. Indistinct yellow eye ring. Narrow and indistinct chestnut streaks on breast, sides, and flanks. Yellow tail spots.

Immature Description: Immatures similar to adult female, but paler and duller, usually without chestnut chest streaks. Yellow tail spots reduced.

Behavior Captures insects by gleaning, flycatching, and hovering.

Food Insects and other arthropods, occasionally fruit.

Habitat Breeds in wet, deciduous thickets, especially in willows. Also in shrubby areas and old fields.

In southern Florida and farther south, found in mangroves.

Call Variable. Most common song is a rapid musical "sweet-sweet-sweet-I'm-so-sweet."

Male

Female

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

A small fish-eating duck of wooded ponds, the Hooded Merganser nests in holes in trees. It is frequently seen on shallow waters where its only waterfowl companion is the Wood Duck.

Color Pattern Adult Description: Small to medium-sized duck with long, narrow bill and a fluffy, fan-shaped crest.

Male Description: Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Circular crest with large white patch, outlined in black.

Face black. Eyes gold. Back black. Sides rusty. Chest white, bordered by black and white stripes. Bill dark with yellow base. Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: Back, sides, and breast grayish brown. Belly white. Crest dusky, not brown like female's. Eyes yellow. Bill black.

Female Description: Body brownish. Head brownish with bushy rufous crest. Small white patch on chin.

Breast and neck slaty. Tail brownish. Wings blackish brown. Small white patch at base of wings. Eyes brownish buff. Upper mandible blackish green with orange edge, lower mandible orange or yellowish.

Immature Description: Immature resembles adult female. First-year male similar to female, but crest dull brown with a white patch, some black feathers on head and sides, bill dark, and eyes yellow.

Behavior Dives underwater to catch prey.

Food Fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans (especially crayfish).

Habitat Breeds in forested wetlands. In migration and in winter found in wider range of open waters, along coasts, and in shallower waters than other mergansers.

Call Silent except in courtship when male gives a deep rolling frog-like sound. Wings produce a loud whistling in flight.

Male Breeding (crest may be raised or lowered)

Female Breeding (crest may be raised or lowered)

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Bowline

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Taunt Line Hitch

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Square Knot

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Clove Hitch

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Sheet Bend

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Diagonal Lashing

For excellent instructional videos on each of these knots check out www.animatedknots.com

Bowline This knot is used to make a fixed (non-slip) loop in the end of a line.

1. This knot is typically taught using a "rabbit and a hole" narrative.

3. And back down the hole.

The finished knot.

2. The "rabbit" comes out of the hole, around the tree...

Bowline The classic climber's waist loop knot for ultralight, and the strongest single-line knot you can tie in cord.

1. Bring the free-end around your waist in belt fashion.

3. Holding the standing cord, rotate your wrist and thumb forward, away from your body. This ensures that you fold the loop in the proper direction.

2. Lay your free-end hand atop the standing cordage, palm down.

4. Take the free end and run it upwards through the loop ...

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...

Bowline This knot is used to make a fixed (non-slip) loop in the end of a line.

5. ... around the standing end, and back down

through the loop in exact reverse. "The rabbit climbs out of its hole, around the tree, and back down into the hole."

6. Look closely at the sample knot and how the

loop is made. When tied incorrectly, the bowline turns into a slip knot.

7. Bowlines are strong, but not that secure,

for critical uses they should be backtied with a half hitch or other secure knot.

Tautline Hitch This knot is used when you need to create tension on a line, such as a guy-line for a mast or a patient tie-in.

1. First, pass the free end through the inside loop twice.

2. Then pass the end outside of the loop, but around the rope with tension.

3. Here is the finished, tightened knot.

Tautline Hitch The normal hitch for tightening tent guylines without using hardware.

4. Continue running the free end through the loop a second time, in a corkscrew pattern.

1. Take the free end of the guyline and run it around a tree, tent stake or other anchor.

2. Run the free end through the loop.

3. Hold the knot you're creating in the place as you continue to wrap the free end through the loop multiple times.

5.

For more tension resistance, you can run the spiral up to four times through the loop.

6. On the last spiral, run it around the standing end of the rope and insert the free end through the resulting

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...

Tautline Hitch The normal hitch for tightening tent guylines without using hardware.

7. This is another angle of putting the

free end through the loop.

8. Tighten and neaten the knot.

Without this step it'll slip.

9. A standard three-spiral tautline hitch should look like this.

10. To add tension, grab the knot itself and slide it toward the standing end.

Square Knot Be careful to tie it correctly and not wind up with a "Granny knot"

Clove Hitch A fast-to-tie knot for tying off to tent stakes, dock posts, broken tree branches, and carabineers. It's easily adjustable for tension on either end.

1. Hold a mid-portion of the rope in both hands.

4. Overlap the two loops on the opposite side from the rope's two departing ends. Look closely at the distinctively-shaped result.

If you've done this wrong, the knot just falls apart.

2. Twist a loop into the rope.

5. Put the resulting loop over your desired anchor point. A hitch differs from a knot in that it needs to be tied around something to be secure. The clove hitch without an anchor point is just loops of rope.

3. Twist a second loop into the rope going the opposite direction, so the loops lie opposing each other as shown. One departing end should be in front of the rope connecting the loops, while the other departing end is behind it.

6. Tighten the loop, removing any kinks that may form from twisting stiff cord. To adjust, just slide slack either way through the spiraling loops.

Sheet Bend The sheet bend is recommended for joining two ropes of unequal size. The thicker rope must be used for the simple bight as shown. It works equally well if the ropes are of the same size.

Diagonal Lashing Used to bind two pokes together

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Parts of a Compass Topographic Map Colors/ Symbols Contour Lines

Parts of a Compass

Topographic Map Symbols/ Colors RED -Overprinted on primary and secondary roads to highlight them. Also used to denote surveying features that belong to the U.S. Public Land Survey.

Township or range line

Land grant or mining claim

Fence line

BLACK -Manmade or cultural features Primary highway Campground Secondary highway Picnic Area Light duty road Cemetary Dirt/gravel road Railroad Tracks Trail Power Lines Divided highway National Boundary Dwelling

School

Church

Airport

State Boundary

City Boundary

National Park or Forest Boundary

Quarry Landmark Cave or Mine Entrance

Topographic Symbols/ Colors BLUE -Water-related features Stream

Large falls

River

Large rapids

Intermittent stream

Water well

Disappearing stream

Spring

Small falls

Glacier contour lines

Small rapids

Marsh or swamp

BROWN -Contour lines and elevation numbers Index contour lines

Intermediate contour lines

GREEN -Vegetation features Woods

Scrub

Orchard

WHITE -Sparse or no vegetation. Basically, white indicates any landscape feature except for trees or water including desert, grass, sand, rocks, boulders, and so on.

PURPLE– Updated info added to map by photo revision only– not surveyed

Contour Lines Definition: A line drawn on a topographic map, which connects all points of equal elevation above, or below, a known or assumed reference point , usually mean sea level Law # 1.

99.999% of the time contour lines do not cross. An exception is an overhanging cliff.

Law # 2.

The closer the contour lines the steeper the slope.

Law # 3.

The further apart the contour lines the flatter the terrain.

Law # 4.

Where contour lines form a “

Law # 5.

Where contour lines form a pronounced “

>”, the closed end points uphill.

U ”, the closed end points

downhill.

Law # 6.

Where contour lines are so close together that they are almost touching, they represent a cliff.

Law # 7.

Closed contour lines represent a hill top.

Law # 8.

Every fifth contour line is darker and contains a number which is the elevation at every point along the line. It is called an “index contour”.

Law # 9.

A closed contour line with hash marks within represents a depression.

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Japanese Knotweed

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Purple Loosestrife

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Eurasian Watermilfoil

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Emerald Ash Borer

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Common Reed Grass

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Garlic Mustard

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Water Chestnut

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Feral Swine

Invasive Species- those species which establish a population, reproduce rapidly, and displace native species. An invasive species can be a native species that becomes locally aggressive, usually because of some human-caused habitat change, or an invasive species may be a non-native species

Japanese Knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum Biology: A fast-growing, herbaceous perennial with upright jointed stems and alternate leathery leaves that are broadly ovate. Established plants quickly grow into 3-6 ft. high thickets with extensive rhizomes. Flowers are small and greenish-white, developing in August and September and forming a mass of white over the plant when in full flower. Dead stems remain upright throughout the winter.

Habitat: Commonly found in disturbed open areas such as roadways, forest edges, neglected gardens, stream and river banks, and edges of water bodies. It generally does not thrive under the shade of a forest canopy and is most problematic in wetland and riparian habitats.

Origin: Eastern Asia NY and Adirondack Range: Throughout NYS. It is one of the most common invasive plants along roads and streams in the Adirondacks.

Spread: Introduced in the late 1800s as an ornamental. An interest in the plant's medicinal properties may have contributed to further plantings. Current spread occurs primarily from broken roots or stems that are transported by waterways and by thick underground rhizomes that may reach 50 feet in length.

Problems: Japanese Knotweed's early spring emergence and dense growth prevent other species from becoming established. Stems produce dense stands that crowd all other vegetation, degrading native plant and wildlife habitat. Control is difficult due to vigorous rhizomes that form a deep mat. Plants can re-sprout from fragments and infestations are common along streams. During winter dormancy, the species standing biomass can be a fire hazard.

Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Biology: An erect, hardy perennial most easily identified by its showy magenta flowers that appear from July to September. Flowers are five - six pedaled and are borne close to the stem on terminal spikes. Opposite leaf arrangement is typical but leaves may also be found in whorls of three or four, and sometimes are alternate on the stem. Stems are stiff, four to six - sided, and angular. Mature plants grow from 1.5 - 8 feet tall. As many as 30 - 50 stems may arise from one root system, forming a large bushy cluster.

Habitat: Grows in a variety of habitats that are wet or moist for at least part of the year. It is common in wet meadows, marshes, river banks, and the edges of ponds and reservoirs. It is tolerant of a wide variety of moisture, nutrient and pH conditions. It thrives in disturbed wetlands.

Origin: Native to Eurasia.

NY and Adirondack Range: Throughout most of NYS. Central NY has massive areas dominated by Purple Loosestrife.

Spread: Introduced into America in the early 1800s as an ornamental and for honey bee forage. Cultivars are still widely sold by commercial nurseries.

Many of the cultivars are advertised as being infertile but in fact are highly fertile when crossed among themselves and with wild plants. Wild plants spread by seeds (viable in soil and water for many years), rhizomes, and plant fragments. Flowers from an older plant can produce up to 2 million seeds.

Problems: Purple Loosestrife crowds out native wetland vegetation, such as cattails, grasses, sedges and rushes. The impact of this plant on native wetland vegetation has been disastrous, with monotypic Purple Loosestrife stands virtually eliminating all other plants. Biological control efforts are being undertaken in many parts of the state with European beetles and weevils.

Eurasian Watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum Biology: A submerged aquatic plant that grows in fresh inland water and fresh to brackish coastal waters. Growing stems are tassel-like and reddish in color. It can reach surface waters while rooted in 3-5 meters of water and is capable of both sexual and vegetative reproduction. Tiny pink flowers occur on red emergent spikes that stand several inches above the water.

Habitat: Plants prefer still, shallow water and muddy shores with fine-textured inorganic sediments. Growth is less successful on steeply sloping shores and basins. Relative to other submerged aquatics, Eurasian Watermilfoil requires high light. Plants can survive under ice cover.

Origin: Native to Eurasia and Africa.

NY and Adirondack Range: Expanding through Northeastern New York, particularly in the Hudson River—Albany region and the lakes in the foothills and mountains of the Adirondacks, especially Warren, Essex, and Franklin counties.

Spread: Introduced in the Chesapeake Bay Area in the late 19th century.

The primary means of dispersal is plant regeneration from fragmented stems. Plant parts are spread by waterways, animals, and motorboats.

Problems: Produces dense water canopies that shade out native plants, including waterfowl food plants. Infestations result in decreased oxygen levels under plant mats and an elevated PH. The decomposition of plant mass at the end of the season results in nitrogen and phosphorous loading. Eurasian Watermilfoil also provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes, interferes with navigation and recreation, and clogs water intakes.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) was first discovered in the U.S. in 2002 in southeastern Michigan. It was also found in Windsor, Ontario the same year. This Asian beetle infests and kills North American ash species (Fraxinus sp.) including green, white, black and blue ash. Thus, all native ash trees are susceptible. Adult beetles leave distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the outer bark of the branches and the trunk. Adults are roughly 3/8 to 5/8 inch long with metallic green wing covers and a coppery red or purple abdomen.

They may be present from late May through early September but are most common in June and July. Signs of infection include tree canopy dieback, yellowing, and browning of leaves.

Most trees die within 2 to 4 years of becoming infested. The emerald ash borer is responsible for the destruction of over 50 million ash trees in the U.S. since its discovery in Michigan.

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata Biology: An obligate biennial herb with prolific seed production. Seedlings emerge in early spring and form basal rosettes in the early summer. In the spring of the second year plants produce flowering stems and die.

First year rosettes are 4 inches tall and second year flowering stems can reach 2-4 ft. Leaves on first year plants are kidney-shaped. Leaves on flowering stems are large-toothed, triangular, and alternate. Plants usually produce single or double branched flower stalks that bear white flowers in the spring and early summer. Seeds are viable up to 5 years.

Habitat: Thrives in deciduous forest communities and partially shaded moist habitats. Most invasive in disturbed areas where it can dominate herb strata within ten years. It cannot tolerate acidic soils.

Origin: Native to Europe.

NY and Adirondack Range: Throughout NYS.

Spread: Brought by settlers as an early spring potherb. First recorded in Long Island, NY in 1868. Now it is mainly spread by humans and wildlife that track seeds and by floodwaters that disperse seeds along river corridors. Roadside mowing, cars, rodents, and birds also contribute to the spread. Plants can also self-fertilize.

Problems: Garlic Mustard is one of the few invasive plants that dominates the understory of forested areas by growing during early spring when native species are dormant. Prolific seed production and lack of natural predators allow it to quickly dominate the herbaceous layer. In stands dominated by Garlic Mustard, studies have shown that total perennial cover declines by 33-46%. It invades species rich areas as readily as species-poor areas. Phytotoxins in the root tissue may suppress adjacent plants.

Common Reed Phragmites australis Biology: A tall herbaceous, perennial wetland grass ranging in height from three to 15 feet. Horizontal stems (rhizomes) give rise to annual erect shoots that support broad sheath-like leaves.

Leaves and stems are stiff and sharp, due to a high content of cellulose and silica. Large feathery plumes of flowers change from a purple-brown color in July to tan or grey by late in the season. Plants can sprout from a rhizome fragment or from seed and can form colonies hundreds of acres in size.

Habitat: Phragmites thrives in sunny wetland habitats. It is commonly found in the moist soil of shallow brackish and freshwater marshes. It also grows along riverbanks and lakeshores and can form floating mats in deeper waters. This species is prevalent in the disturbed and degraded soils found along roadsides, ditches, and dredged areas. It can tolerate salt water and a pH range of 3.7 to 9.

Origin: Phragmites is native to Europe and Africa but is now widespread throughout the world and the U.S. There is also a native species but it too may have found a new niche in human-disturbed habitat.

NY and Adirondack Range: Throughout NYS. Small stands throughout the Park and intermittent expansive stands along the Northway.

Spread: Spreads rapidly through prolific seeds and underground root systems called rhizomes. Rhizome fragments are dispersed by water, animals, and construction equipment.

Problems: Invasive stands can quickly replace desirable wetland species such as wild rice, cattails, and native wetland orchids.

Monocultures as large as 7,000 acres have been documented.

Water Chestnut Trapa natans Biology: An annual, fast growing, floating aquatic plant that can grow up to 16 feet long. Leaves are triangular and toothed. Flowers with 4 white petals are produced in July.

Thorny, black nutlets with terminal barbs mature in late July and are easily dispersed by water.

Habitat: Requires full sunlight and a soft substrate. Plants can survive on mudflats but normally grow in water several cm to 2 meters deep. Waters with a high fertility and neutral to alkaline pH are preferred.

Origin: Native to temperate southern Europe and Asia.

NY and Adirondack Range: The lower Mohawk River, the Hudson River from the Mohawk to Iona Island, and Watervliet Reservoir near Albany. In the Adirondack Park, only Lake Champlain.

Spread: Introduced into Collins Lake (near Scotia, NY) in 1884 as an ornamental. Plant fragments can float long distances and establish new colonies. The nutlets/seeds are transported when they attach to the feathers of waterfowl.

Problems: Mats of Water Chestnut plants can cover large expanses of water. Submerged native aquatic plants are reduced due to shading. Infestations can make boating, fishing, and swimming difficult or impossible. Rapid sedimentation may occur in Water Chestnut areas due to trapping of silt. Rapid decomposition of plants at the end of summer can reduce dissolved oxygen levels. Seeds can cause painful injury when stepped on.

Feral Swine The term feral swine is often used to describe all swine species that are living unconfined in the wild. The definition often includes domestic pigs or pet pigs that have been released or escaped captivity, Eurasian boar (wild boar native to Europe and Asia also called wild boar, razorback, and Russian boar) and hybrids of the two. However, it is the invasive Eurasian boar that is new to the New York landscape, represents the greatest threat to NY and has the potential to become permanently established if action is not taken immediately.

Why Are Feral Swine a Problem?

Eurasian boars are a highly adaptable, destructive, non-native species. The primary source of Eurasian boar in New York appears to be escaped or released boars from enclosed shooting facilities, breeding facilities or animal sanctuaries.

DEC's goal is to eradicate Eurasian boars from New York's landscape. Eurasian boars in New York can have tremendous negative impacts on native plants, native wildlife, livestock, agriculture, and humans including:

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Eurasian boars eat hard mast (acorns and other nuts) and directly compete with deer, bear, turkey, squirrel and waterfowl for food.

 Eurasian boars consume the nests and eggs of ground nesting birds and reptiles. 

Eurasian boars will kill and eat fawns and young domestic livestock.

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Eurasian boars will eat almost any agricultural crop as well as tree seeds and seedlings.

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Their rooting and wallowing habits destroy crops and native vegetation, cause erosion, and negatively affect water quality.

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Eurasian boars have razor sharp tusks and can be aggressive toward humans and their pets.

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Eurasian boars carry and can transmit several serious diseases including swine brucellosis, E. coli, trichinosis, and pseudorabies to livestock and /or humans. Some of these diseases, if introduced to domestic swine, can decimate the pork industry.

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Spotted Salamander

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Jefferson/Blue Spotted Salamander Complex

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Marbled Salamander

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Eastern Newt

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Northern Redback Salamander

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Four-Toed Salamander

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Wood Frog

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Gray Treefrog

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Northern Spring Peeper

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Green Frog

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Bullfrog

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Eastern American Toad

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Fowler’s Toad

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Northern Leopard Frog

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Pickerel Frog

Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings Amphibian Identification Guide The NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University are working with communities to conserve forests, woodland pools, and the wildlife that depend on these critical habitats. This guide is designed to help volunteers of the Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings Project identify species they observe during spring migrations, when many salamanders and frogs move from forest habitat to woodland pools for breeding. For more information about the project, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/51925.html.

spotted salamander* (Ambystoma maculatum) Black to dark gray body with two rows of yellow spots. Widespread distribution in the Hudson Valley.

Total length 5.0-8.0 in.

Jefferson/blue-spotted salamander complex* (Ambystoma jeffersonianum x laterale) Brown to grayish black with blue-silver flecking. Less common.

Note: Hybridization between Jefferson and blue-spotted salamander has created very variable appearances and individuals may have features of both species. Because even experts have difficulty distinguishing these two species in the field, we consider any sightings to be the ‘complex.’ Total length 3.0-7.5 in.

marbled salamander* (Ambystoma opacum) Black or grayish-black body with white or gray crossbars along length of body. Stout body with wide head. Less common.

(Breeds in the fall.)

Total length 3.5-5.0 in.

*Woodland pool breeding species.

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Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings: Amphibian Identification Guide

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eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)

Terrestrial “red eft” stage of newt (above) is reddish-orange with two rows of reddish spots with black borders. Efts have dry, rough skin and a rounded tail. Aquatic, adult newts (below) are yellowish-brown with a yellow belly with black spots. The adult’s tail is flattened and skin is smooth. Very common.

Total length 1.5-3.0 in.

northern redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus) Slender dark gray body with or without (“leadback”) redorange stripe along back and tail. Four-toed salamander may appear similar in general color and size. Very common.

Total length 2.5-4.0 in.

four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

Small body with reddish-brown back flecked with dark spots.

White belly with black spots. Four toes on each hind foot. Blunt snout. Distinct constriction at the base of the tail.

Redback salamander may appear similar in color and size but lacks white belly. Less common.

Total length 2.0-3.5 in.

Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings: Amphibian Identification Guide

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wood frog* (Lithobates sylvatica)

Light tan to brown body with solid white or cream undersides and dark “raccoon” mask across eyes. Two distinct ridges (dorsolateral folds) run down its back. Very common.

Total length 1.5-3.0 in.

gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

Light green to gray body with rough skin and dark blotches on back. Yellow inner thighs. Light spot with dark edge beneath eyes.

Large toe pads. Common.

Total length 1.5-2.0 in.

northern spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Small body with smooth skin that is usually light brown but may be gray or olive. Dark, irregular “X” on its back and pale undersides. Small toe pads. Very common.

Total length 0.5-1.5 in.

green frog (Lithobates clamitans) variable coloration. Usually green to bronze body, often with dark mottling. Ridges extend from the eye to two-thirds down the back on each side. Bullfrog may appear similar but lacks ridges along back. Very common.

Total length 2.5-3.5 in.

bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana)

Very large body with variable coloration; often dull green with dark mottling and skin folds curving from eye downward around the rear of the tympanum (disc-shaped ear drum behind eye). Green frog may appear similar. Very Total length 3.5-6.0 in. common.

Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings: Amphibian Identification Guide

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cranial crest paratoid gland

eastern American toad (Bufo americanus) Stout, rough-skinned toad with variable coloration.

Usually light brown to reddish brown, with one to two warts per dark spot on its back (but overall more warty throughout its back) and dark speckles on white belly.

Fowler’s toad may appear similar. Very common.

Total length 2.0-3.5 in.

northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) Green to light brown, elongate body with rows of dark roundish spots with light borders and distinct ridges (dorsolateral folds) along either side of back. Pickerel frog is very similar. Less common. Total length 2.0-3.5 in.

Fowler’s toad (Bufo fowleri) Stout, rough-skinned toad with variable coloration; usually gray or greenish. Similar to American toad but with 3 to 7 warts per dark spot on its back and no spots on belly (and paratoid glands touch cranial crests, whereas they usually do not on American toads – see inset). Less common.

Total length 2.0-3.0 in.

pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) Tan body with dark rectangular spots and distinct ridges (dorsolateral folds) along either side of back. Inner thighs are bright yellow.

Similar to northern leopard frog, which has rounder spots and no yellow coloration inside hind legs. Common.

Total length 2.0-3.0 in.

Information compiled by Lan Tran and edited by Laura Heady of the Hudson River Estuary Program. Photo credits: spotted salamander: Laura Heady | Jefferson/blue-spotted salamander complex: Jim Clayton | marbled salamander: Chris Bowser | eastern newts: Laura Heady | northern redback salamander: Brian Houser (redback phase), Elizabeth Janes (leadback phase) | four-toed salamander: Laura Heady, Amy Bloomfield (spotted belly) | wood frog : Charlie West | gray treefrog: Mark Fitzsimmons | northern spring peeper: Ray Sussman | green frog: Laura Heady | bullfrog; eastern American toad: Amy Bloomfield | Fowler’s toad: Vernal Pool Association | pickerel frog: Laura Heady | leopard frog: Vernal Pool Association.

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Common Snapping Turtle

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Painted Turtle

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Spotted Turtle

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Wood Turtle

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Common Garter Snake

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Eastern Milk Snake

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Northern Water Snake

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydr a s. ser pentina) AKA: Snapper, Snake neck Identifying characteristics: A large turtle with a massive head, long and highly mobile neck and powerful beak-like jaws. The top shell (carapace) comes in various shades of brown with pronounced ridges (that lessen with age) and a serrated back edge. Their tails are long and spiked. Snappers appear like they have outgrown their shell with their robust body structure. Their skin is rough and bumpy.

Size: Average shell length of 8-14 inches. 10-35lbs.

Habitat: Aquatic. Shallow ponds lakes and slow-moving rivers/canals with muddy bottoms and plenty of vegetation. They will travel on land, often across roads, to reach a new habitat or to lay eggs.

Food: Omnivorous. Fish, carrion, invertebrates, aquatic plants, small birds and mammals.

Temperament: Aggressive and dangerous.

Other Info.: Since they cannot retract their head and feet fully into the shell, they use aggressive displays when confronted. Their bite is quick and strong, often injuring people, sometimes taking off a finger or toe.

Some snappers can reach their neck halfway around their shell, making them risky to handle. Picking them up by the tail will most often injure them. It’s best to leave them alone.

Painted Turtle (Chrysem ys picta) Identifying characteristics: A mid-sized turtle with a relatively low-domed top shell (carapace) that comes in olive to black with yellow/red accents. These accents may diminish with age. The bottom shell (plastron) is a bright orange/red and has a beautiful symmetrical design that looks like it was painted. This pattern may also fade with age. Yellow and red stripes on the neck.

Size: Average shell length of 7-9 inches.

Habitat: Most aquatic habitats, but prefers shallow, calm areas of lakes, ponds and marshes with plenty of vegetation.

Food: Omnivorous. Aquatic and terrestrial plants, slugs, snails, insects, small fish, carrion, algae.

Temperament: Docile, wary.

Other Info.: One of the most common turtles in N. America ranging across the entire continent. Will usually bask in groups on logs and along the shore.

Spotted Turtle (Clem m ys guttata) Identifying characteristics: Aptly named for its spotted shell, this small turtle has a dark brown or black top shell (carapace) with a pattern of scattered round yellow spots. Its bottom shell (plastron), is either yellow or faint orange with a black blotch on each bony plate (scute). Shell markings may fade with age. Its skin is black and has the same yellow spots as the shell.

Size: Average shell length of 4.5 inches.

Habitat: Aquatic, preferring shallow waters with muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation. They will travel on land to bask, nest or search for a new habitat and will often be found hiding under leaf debris.

Food: Omnivorous. Aquatic and terrestrial plants, slugs, snails, insects, small fish, crayfish, carrion, algae.

Temperament: Docile.

Other Info.: Tolerant of cold temperatures, but not heat, which is why they are generally distributed in northern states. A common pet.

Wood Turtle (Clem m ys insculpta) Identifying characteristics: An oblong, dome-shelled turtle with a brown/grey top shell (carapace) with a small central keel. The color of the shell and its fine grain ring pattern looks very similar to wood. The bottom shell (plastron) is yellow with a black blotch on each bony plate (scute). The head is generally black, often with small colored spots, while the limbs may be a lighter color. The neck and portions of the limbs close to the shell are often a yellow or orange.

Size: Average shell length of 6-10 inches.

Habitat: Semi-aquatic. Although they prefer moving water, such as rocky or sandy streams and rivers, they can often be found away from water in bushy and wooded areas. They need moist sand for nesting.

Food: Omnivorous. Herbaceous and woody plants, fruits, fungi, algae, slugs, snails, insects, earthworms, carrion. Feeds both in and out of water.

Temperament: Docile.

Other Info.: Diurnal (active both day and night). An odd behavior has been observed in some populations of wood turtle: by stomping their feet or shell on the ground, they encourage earthworms to surface, and then they feast on them.

Common Garter Snake (T ham nophis sirtalis) AKA: Garter snake; Garter; Brown garter; Green garter Identifying characteristics: Brown checkerboard-like pattern along the back, usually with a pattern of yellow or off-white stripes running the length of the body. The color varies depending on age and season and the stripes may not be well defined in some specimens. The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a type of garter, but much slimmer, with brighter, more defined yellow stripes and a long slender tail. Most snake encounters in NY state will be with a Common Garter.

Size: Average adult length of 3 to 5 feet with narrow girth.

Habitat: Forests, grass, wetlands, ponds, and other damp areas. Semi-aquatic, often found near water.

Food: Carnivorous. Primarily amphibians, slugs, earthworms, known to eat small birds and mammals.

Temperament: Generally docile.

Venom: Not poisonous/venomous, but may cause a rash or swelling around the bite area in humans.

Other Info.: May secrete a foul smelling substance when handled. Gives birth to live offspring.

Eastern Milk Snake (L am propeltis t. triangulum ) Identifying characteristics: Slender snake with grey to tan color body, broken by large blotches of dark brown (or reddish-brown) along the back. The blotches are outlined in black. Although the pattern may give the appearance of lighter-colored rings around the snake, from the side are most definitely blotches. The color patterns well-defined. Slender head. Belly has a black and white checkerboard pattern.

Size: Average 2-3 feet in length.

Habitat: Forests, fields, marshes, farmland and suburbs with good cover. Usually found under objects.

Food: Carnivorous constrictor. Small animals (mammals, birds, eggs amphibians, invertebrates), but mostly rodents.

Temperament: Docile, but defensive.

Venom: Not poisonous, but resembles the venomous Coral Snake, which is not native to New York, but are kept as pets. Coral snakes have rings rather than blotches.

Other Info.: They are nocturnal hunters. Lays eggs. When threatened, may vibrate tail repeatedly and strike but bite barely breaks skin.

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia s. sipedon) Identifying characteristics: Can be grey or light brown with black or dark red blotches across its back.

Botches are thicker than the lighter spaces between them. The blotches are are not well-defined and some older snakes may appear as a solid color.

Size: Average adult length of 3 feet.

Habitat: Grassy or wooded shorelines of lakes, ponds or streams. Needs water for feeding hunting.

Food: Carnivorous: small fish, frogs, worms, crayfish, salamanders, young turtles, and small birds and mammals. At night they hunt small sleeping fish.

Temperament: Aggressive.

Venom: Not poisonous, but does bite.

Other Info.: Gives birth to live young. When confronted will either slither away or flatten out and strike repeatedly.