As of 2012, we have had three sightings of Small-mouthed Salamanders at Chert Hollow Farm. All observations have been in the spring in moist permanent beds. We generally find them when hoeing beds in preparation for planting. Fortunately, all of the ones we’ve found have escaped a direct encounter with the hoe. The one in the photograph sat still for a while in the sun, semi-encrusted in soil, before warming up enough to scurry off through the weeds.
We’ve had two observations of the Western Painted Turtle at Chert Hollow Farm between 2007 & 2012, both times near the house, and both times moving fast. Their primary habitat tends to be aquatic, so the ones we’ve seen are probably just passing through. They certainly seemed in a hurry to get somewhere else, and aren’t at all shy.
Tiger Swallowtails are common butterflies at Chert Hollow Farm.
This individual made its way into our greenhouse but couldn’t figure out how to get out. So in the cool morning, when it was moving slowly, I took it out of the greenhouse (minimizing contact with the delicate wings) and snapped a few photos.
As of 2012, we have one recorded observation of this snake on the farm. Our indoor cat somehow found this one; we promptly took it away from her, photographed it, and released it outdoors. From the MDC description:
This nondescript little snake is a woodland species and usually remains hidden under rocks or logs or in leaf litter….It feeds chiefly on earthworms.
Honey locusts are especially common here in former, now overgrown, pastures. The vicious thorns are the most obvious identifying characteristic of this tree, and they help to deter herbivores from nibbling on the branches or bark. Some trees have only a few, while others are armored along nearly every inch of trunk. Lower branches often die back and drop thorns onto the ground, posing a hazard for boots, tires, and goat hooves. In the fall, the trees produce long pods which have a sweet, slightly fruity smell when broken open. Goats are quite fond of the pods, which are probably reasonably nutritious given that the honey locust is a member of the legume family. Honey locust wood is dense and an excellent source of firewood if you can manage the thorns.
Deadnettle is a common weed that blooms in early spring.
Henbit is a common weed that blooms in early spring. The flowers are quite pretty when inspected closely, a visual treat hidden in plain view.
This tree’s name is self-explanatory. Nuts from the shagbark hickory are tasty, but they are a rare treat since they require significant effort to open and clean. In any case, the squirrels usually get there first. The high density of the wood makes hickory an excellent firewood, though it’s usually not suitable for shiitake mushroom cultivation due to the flakiness of the bark.
Gray treefrogs are relatively common amphibians at Chert Hollow Farm. We often hear their trill in the spring. They are hard to spot in the woods due to their excellent camouflage, but we often see them clinging to walls of farm buildings during the warm months of the year. We’re happy to have them around eating insects & other invertebrates.
Hornworms of the genus Manduca can be a major pest of tomato plants. Contrary to the claims of this Mother Earth News letter, hornworms can and do eat the fruit of tomato plants. Our hornworm population was happy to provide photographic opportunities to set the record straight, as we did here.
To minimize hornworm damage, we pick them off by hand and smush them with a boot. The trails of droppings are often the first sign that these well camouflaged moth larvae are present.