Dive into the captivating world of herpetology as a team of experts explore the Cedar River Preserve, revealing the important role of wetland habitat for reptiles and amphibians. Director of Natural Areas and Preserves Becky Hill joins the herpetologists to see how they unveil the hidden wonders of these creatures in one of nature’s most diverse ecosystems.
Within the Cedar River Preserve, a wild world quietly bustles.
A Floral Quality Assessment was done at the preserve to determine what rare and interesting plants could be found there. A high score of 91.1 indicated that an impressive diversity of flora thrives at CRP, including uncommon carnivorous plants like sundew, bladderwort, and pitcher plants. What other creatures could inhabit the preserve if these unique plants lived here?
David Mifsud specializes in herpetofauna, the study of reptiles and amphibians. Two years ago, he began working with the Leelanau Conservancy to survey the herpetofauna at CRP, first by studying the preserve’s history and previous species found, then surveying it for the first time last summer.
Director of Natural Areas and Preserves Becky Hill recently joined David and his team on a survey. They started at the Ingraham Preserve at Cedar River Preserve and worked towards the fen.
“We’ll start with the uplands,” said David. He instructed his teammates and Becky not to walk clustered together but rather spread out in a horizontal line. They scan the ground, looking for the most minuscule movements. Logs are gently overturned, and dense piles of leaves and brush are sorted through. “We’ve been on the fringes of finding box turtles. They’re looking for blackberries, raspberries, and things like that right now,” said David. “We’ve seen red-spotted newts, ribbon snakes, garter snakes, water snakes, green snakes, red-backed salamanders.”
Moments later, a northern leopard frog was spotted. Palm-sized, bright green, and leopard spotted, it awaited the afternoon sun near ferns. “These guys are always looking for sunny opportunities. They go back and forth between sunning themselves, eating, and getting shade.” The frog was documented and photographed, and a note was made of where it was seen. The team ventured further into a stretch of woodlands before reaching the spongy edge of the wetlands. Equipped with tall rubber boots, they started trekking through. David uses a variety of techniques to survey herpetofauna, including trapping. “We don’t have any traps out here,” he said. “There’s not much open water in the fen to support a turtle trap. We need at least a foot of water.” The crew has, however, strategically placed pieces of sheet metal to attract “herps.” The sheet metal traps heat from the sun, creating a warm but shaded oasis that snakes, salamanders, and other amphibians and reptiles love. On this trip, he is surprised not to have found any movement under the pieces. simple Best Management Practice we plan to do is create woody debris and brush piles from invasive shrub removal. Instead of removing or chipping the autumn olive shrubs, we can create brush piles in the upland habitat. This not only reduces the amount of work on our end but would improve habitat for herpetofauna and hopefully attract new species to colonize the area.”
At the edge of the wetlands, Cedar River ripples peacefully. A suggestion was implemented to place basking logs near the water’s edge at Kehl Lake. Becky and the stewardship crew soon saw lots of painted turtles utilizing them after. David has several suggestions like these to continue to attract herpetofauna to the preserve. “It’s been amazing to see such instant results from implementing the basking log recommendation,” said Becky. “We plan to do the same at the Cedar River Preserve. Another simple Best Management Practice we plan to do is create woody debris and brush piles from invasive shrub removal. Instead of removing or chipping the autumn olive shrubs, we can create brush piles in the upland habitat. This not only reduces the amount of work on our end but would improve habitat for herpetofauna and hopefully attract new species to colonize the area.”
Habitat loss has contributed significantly to the decline of herpetofauna species over the last several decades. Protected places are key to keeping these populations intact. Before Becky and David parted ways, he stressed the importance of rich habitats like the Cedar River Preserve. “This is irreplaceable for herpetofauna,” explained David. “You just don’t always see high-quality habitats like this.” Thanks to your generosity, these delicate ecosystems, and others, flourish. Each discovery, every species documented, underscores your critical role in protecting Leelanau’s natural world, where turtles bask on logs, salamanders sunbathe, and frogs leap between endless ferns.
