[00:00:10]
SO THIS IS A LITTLE AMERICAN ALLIGATORS, NOT A CROCODILE.
IN FACT, ONE OF THEM JUST FLU OH, HERE'S A BUNCH OF NEAT STUFF.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE MUD CRABS.
NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT SPECIES THIS IS.
UM, I'M WEARING GLOVES TO PROTECT SELF FROM OYSTERS, NOT FROM THE MUD CRAB.
ALTHOUGH THESE GUYS CAN GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD PINCH NOW MUD CRAPS HIDE.
THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME UNDERNEATH ROCKS AND THINGS LIKE THIS.
AND THAT'S WHY I LIKE TO FLIP ROCKS.
CAUSE YOU SEE ALL KINDS OF REALLY COOL THINGS.
HIDING PROTECTS ANIMALS LIKE THIS FROM ALL KINDS OF PREDATORS, OTTERS, MINK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BIRDS ALSO, IT ALLOWS YOU TO AVOID EXTREMES IN TEMPERATURE.
AND IN THIS CASE KEEPS A MUD CRAB LIKE THIS FROM DRYING OUT.
AND A LOT OF THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE WOULD BELONG TO A GROUP.
WE WILL CALL A HIDDEN BIODIVERSITY.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY COMMON, BUT NOT OFTEN SEEN.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE HIDDEN BIODIVERSITY RIGHT HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
MAN, THERE ARE LITTLE BABY TOADS EVERYWHERE THROUGH HERE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE LITTLE GUYS BECAUSE TOADS METAMORPHOSE HAD A REALLY, REALLY SMALL SIZE AND THEY DO SO IN GREAT NUMBERS.
SO OTHER SPECIES OF FROGS AND TOADS MAY HAVE FEWER YOUNG, BUT BIGGER SIZES.
AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF BABIES, EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF THEM GET EATEN BY PREDATORS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE VERY SMALL, SOME OF THEM ARE BOUND TO SURVIVE, MAN.
AND HERE'S A LITTLE GUY RIGHT HERE.
SO SOMETIMES THERE'S AN ADVANTAGE TO BE IN REALLY, REALLY SMALL.
I MEAN THIS TOAD PROBABLY JUST METAMORPHOSED FROM A TADPOLE INTO THIS LITTLE TOTAL IT AND MAN TALK ABOUT SMALL AND I DON'T WANT TO PICK THIS GUY UP BECAUSE I'M AFRAID I MIGHT HURT HIM IN THE PROCESS.
BUT SO THESE ARE BABY SOUTHERN TOADS.
SO AS ADULTS, THE MALES GET ABOUT THIS LONG FEMALES, JUST A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, I'M PRETTY SURE WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
THERE'S A NICE LITTLE WETLAND KIND OF RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER HERE.
LET'S GO WALK AROUND IN THERE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND.
SO THIS IS A FRESHWATER WETLAND AND YOU CAN TELL BY THE VEGETATION, THIS CANA IS PARTICULARLY GOOD FOR LOTS OF THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE FLIES AND ALL KINDS OF WATCHMAN BEES BUZZING AROUND IT.
AND LOTS OF DRAGONFLIES TOO, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC THINGS I'M LOOKING FOR IN THIS CANA.
HERE'S ONE I'M RIGHT HERE, CAUGHT HIM.
AND SO THIS IS A LITTLE GREEN IN OLD, A LITTLE GUY HE'S ONLY ABOUT HALF GROWN.
SO AS AN ADULT, IF IT'S A MALE, IT'LL HAVE A PRETTY PINK THROAT FAN, BUT I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE FEMALE.
IT LOOKS LIKE A, THIS OF COURSE IT'S FEEDING ON ALL KINDS OF INSECTS AND, AND LITTLE SPIDERS AND THINGS THAT IT CATCHES ON THIS CANNER.
I MEAN BLENDS IN BEAUTIFULLY WITH THESE GREEN LEAVES.
AND IF YOU LOOK RIGHT HERE, THERE'S A POND HAWK, WHICH IS A REALLY NEAT DRAGONFLIES.
THE MALES AND FEMALES ARE DIFFERENT COLORS.
FEMALES ARE GREEN, THE MALES ARE BLUE AND YOU CAN SEE DRAGONFLIES ARE FABULOUS.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THEY HAVE THESE HUGE EYES.
THEY HUNT PRIMARILY ON THE WING.
SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS FLYING AROUND, LOOKING FOR THINGS AT ALL TIMES, CATCHING OTHER DRAGON FLIES, MOSQUITOES, ALL KINDS OF FLYING INSECTS AND THEN FEEDING ON THEM.
AND AS I SAID, SOMETIMES ON THE WING THEY'RE SPECTACULAR FLIERS AND UH, VERY ATHLETIC.
SO WE CAN LET THIS GUY FLY OFF.
THERE'S STUFF, JUST HOPPING EVERYWHERE.
DRAGON FLIES BUZZING AROUND AND TREE FROGS AND GREEN AND OLES HOPPING.
[00:05:03]
OKAY.SO HERE'S A TREE FROG AND THIS HAS A LITTLE GREEN TREE, ACTUALLY.
THERE'S A LITTLE SQUIRREL TREE FROG.
SO THERE'S TWO COMMON SPECIES HERE.
THERE'S ONE CALLED A GREEN TREE FROG AND THE LINE GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN THE BODY.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE CALLED A SQUIRREL TREE.
FROG LOOKED VERY, VERY SIMILAR, BOTH GREEN AND THEY BLEND IN BEAUTIFULLY IN THESE CANTON LEAVES.
NOW THESE GUYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE COLOR A LITTLE BIT, SO THEY CAN GO FROM KIND OF A GREEN TO BROWN.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS ONE'S DARKEN AND UP A LITTLE BIT.
THE OTHER THING IS THESE TREE FROGS HAVE TOE PADS, LITTLE TOE DISCS THAT ALLOW THEM TO STICK TO LEAVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK I MAY HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SEE HERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THESE LEAVES, IT'S A VERY CHARACTERISTIC MARKINGS ON THEM AND THAT'S FEEDING FROM CATERPILLARS AND I'LL BET YOU IT FROM A BRAZILIAN SKIPPER, CAUSE THIS IS KIND WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY TYPICALLY DO IS MAKE THESE CUTS IN A LEAF.
AND THEN A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL FOLD IT OVER AND THEN ADHERE IT TOGETHER, KIND OF WITH SILK.
SO I'M GONNA LOOK AROUND AND SEE IF I CAN FIND ONE HERE'S ONE RIGHT HERE.
SO IF WE OPEN THIS UP AND THIS LEAF HAS ALMOST AS THOUGH IT'S BEEN GLUED TOGETHER, I MEAN IT'S REALLY, REALLY TIGHT AND SURE ENOUGH.
I WAS ACTUALLY LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE THIS IN MY OWN BACKYARD.
I HAVE SOME CANNABIS IN MY BACKYARD AND I OPENED ONE OF THESE LEAVES TO LOOK AT ONE OF THESE CATERPILLARS AND IT CLOSED THE LEAF BACK.
AND WHAT IT DID IS IT, YOU SILK AND IT CONTINUALLY SHORTEN THE SILK UNTIL IT PULLED THE TWO LEAF HALVES TOGETHER, ALMOST LIKE A SANDWICH, WHICH OF COURSE CREATES A LITTLE REFUGIO AND PROTECTS IT FROM ALL KINDS OF PREDATORS, LIKE WASPS, BIRDS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT MIGHT EAT THEM.
AND THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF SOMETIMES IS TO STAY HIDDEN.
SO THIS LARVAE IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I MEAN, THEY GROW TO ALMOST THREE INCHES LONG, BUT THEY TURN INTO KIND OF A MEDIUM SIZED BUTTERFLY.
I CALLED IT BRAZILIAN SKIPPER AND SKIPPERS ARE BUTTERFLIES THAT MOVE AROUND VERY QUICKLY.
THEY ALMOST LOOK A LITTLE BIT LIKE MOTHS, BUT THEY ARE TRUE BUTTERFLIES.
ONE OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS ABOUT BRAZILIAN SKIPPERS IS THAT SINCE THEY LIVE IN THIS TUBE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPEL FECAL PELLETS.
FRASS CATERPILLAR, DROPPINGS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT SO THEY CAN FIRE IT OUT THE BACK OF THIS LITTLE TUBE.
AND ONE OF THE REAL ADVANTAGES TO THAT IS THAT PREDATORS MAY HAVE MORE TROUBLE FINDING THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND THE DROPPINGS.
I'M GOING TO PULL THIS GUY OUT.
HE CAN WANT YOU TO SEE HOW BIG THIS LARVAE ACTUALLY IS.
IT'S KIND OF A MEATY CATERPILLAR.
SO THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE IT'S GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO METAMORPHOSING.
SO EVENTUALLY WHAT IT'LL DO IS CRAWL INTO A LEAF AND SEALED UP REALLY TIGHT AND THEN FORM A CHRYSALIS OF SORTS.
AND THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO IT'LL EMERGE AS A BUTTERFLY, JUST LIKE JUST LIKE A LOT OF OTHER CATERPILLARS DO, BUT A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SKIPPERS IS THIS LITTLE ROUND HEAD AND SORT OF A THICK BODY CATERPILLAR TELL YOU WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS.
CATERPILLAR IS I CAN LOOK AT IT CLOSELY AND IT'S VERY CLEAR AND TRANSLUCENT AND I CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE LEAVES THAT IT'S BEEN EATING INSIDE ITS BODY REALLY NEAT, LITTLE CATERPILLAR.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY THESE GUYS REALLY CHEW UP CANADA.
AND IF YOU HAVE CANON YOUR YARD, YOU MAY SEE SOME DAMAGE FROM THEM.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THEY POSE NO REAL DANGER TO ANYBODY OR ANYTHING.
AND OF COURSE THEY'RE GOOD FOOD FOR BIRDS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO I'M GOING TO LET THIS GUY GO.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I LOVE ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, YOU'VE WALKED THROUGH AN AREA LIKE THIS AND ALL THESE PLANTS AND ALL THIS LIFE AROUND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING, UNLESS YOU KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO LOOK FOR IT, YOU WOULD NEVER SEE IT.
GREAT EXAMPLE OF HIDDEN BIODIVERSITY THINGS THAT ARE HERE, BUT VERY WELL HIDDEN IN, IN NOT APPARENT TO MOST PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SPECIES OF ANIMAL THAT LIVES IN THIS FIELD.
THAT'S ACTUALLY QUITE COMMON AND YOU SEE THE ADULTS OFTEN, BUT ONE THING YOU NEVER SEE IS THE BABIES.
NOW WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HATCH OUT 14 BABY LEGLESS, LIZARDS, EASTERN GLASS LIZARDS IN THE NATURE CENTER.
IN FACT, THE MOM CAME FROM RIGHT HERE AND SHE WAS GRABBING IT FULL OF EGGS IN HATCHED OUT.
SO A GLASS LIZARD OR LEGLESS LIZARD IS TRULY A LIZARD.
IT'S SHAPED LIKE A SNAKE, BUT IT HAS EXTERNAL EAR OPENINGS.
AND IT HAS ISLANDS TWO THINGS THAT SNAKES JUST DON'T HAVE SNAKES DON'T HAVE EYELIDS.
THEY HAVE A CLEAR SCALE OVER THE EYE.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT DIFFERENTIATES LEGLESS LIZARDS FROM SNAKES IS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOSE
[00:10:01]
THE TAIL AND REGROW IT.SO IF YOU HANDLE ONE ROUGHLY, AND WE'LL BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THESE LITTLE GUYS, THE TAIL MIGHT BREAK OFF AND THEN REGENERATE IN TIME.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS RELEASE THEM RIGHT HERE, BECAUSE IT'S WHERE THE ADULT CAME FROM.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'VE NEVER SEEN A BABY IN THE WILD.
I'VE ONLY SEEN THEM AFTER THEY HEDGED OUT OF AN EGG.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM DOWN HERE AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE NEVER GOING TO SEE THEM AGAIN, BY THE WAY, THIS IS GREAT HABITAT.
NOT ONLY FOR LEGLESS LIZARDS, BUT ALL KINDS OF BIRD, SPECIES, AND SMALL MAMMALS AND SNAKES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SORT OF OPEN AREA.
SUNLIGHT CAN GET DOWN, UH, TAKE CARE OF THESE EARLY SUCCESSIONAL SPECIES AND GRASSES AND THINGS.
IT'S GOOD HABITAT AND A GOOD PLACE FOR THESE LITTLE GUYS TO LIVE.
OKAY GUYS, WE GOT A REAL TREAT FOR YOU TODAY.
WHO'S HERE FROM MISSOURI, WESTERN, AND WE ALSO HAVE TRACY TUBERVILLE WHO IS HERE FROM SAVANNAH RIVER ECOLOGY LAB.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT ON THE RIVER AND HAVE SOME FUN TODAY.
OH MAN, THIS IS JUST LIKE OLD TIMES TONY.
IT'S GOING TO BRING BACK GREAT MEMORIES.
AND I HOPE WE SEE SOME SNAKES TODAY.
ACTUALLY AS A GRADUATE STUDENT, WHEN WE WERE GRADUATE STUDENTS TOGETHER, I WENT OUT ON THE RIVER THE FIRST TIME AND CAUGHT BROWN WATER.
AND I CAUGHT A LOT OF WATER SNAKES WITH YOU GUYS TOO.
WELL, IF YOU AND TRACY, YOU'RE STILL, YOU STILL HAVE RESEARCH GOING HERE, RIGHT? I'M A FACULTY MEMBER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, SAVANNAH RECOLOGY LAB.
AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE CALL LONG LIVED REPTILES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS THEIR EXPOSURE TO AN ACCUMULATION OF CONTAMINANTS AND WHETHER THAT HAS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THEIR PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOLOGY.
AND BACK WHEN WE WERE WORKING IN THE NINETIES, UH, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET BASIC LIFE HISTORY DATA ON THESE BASIC ECOLOGY.
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A COMMON SNAKE IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER AND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST, WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT IT.
AND SO WE WANTED TO GET JUST BASIC DATA ON WHERE DO THEY GO? HOW FAR DO THEY MOVE REPRODUCTION? AND SO NOW THEY'RE BUILDING ON THAT WITH THIS IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF TOXINS THEY MIGHT HAVE IN THEIR SYSTEM.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF SCIENCE INVOLVED, BUT IT WAS REALLY FUN.
SO TRACY, YOU HAVE A GRADUATE STUDENT WORKING OUT HERE.
AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT ON THE RIVER, HELPED HIM COLLECT SNAKES AND COLLECT SOME DATA.
LET'S GO, DAVID HASKINS, MEET TONY MILLER, DAVID.
SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TODAY? WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING OUT ALONG THE SAVANNAH RIVER AND TRYING TO CATCH US SOME BROWN WATER SNAKES, TWO BOATS TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE UP AND DOWN THE RIVER, SCANNING EMERGENT LOGS, LOOKING FOR BASKING SNAKES TO CATCH AND BRING BACK TO THE BOAT.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO DRIVE ALONG THE RIVER AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR SNAKES ALONG THE EDGE.
AND THEN WHEN WE SEE ONE, WE'RE GOING TO GO PAST IT.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO SLIP OUT OF THE BOAT AND FLOAT DOWN JUST WITH OUR HEAD ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.
AND THEN IF WE CAN REACH OVER AND GRAB THE SNAKES OFF LIMBS OR OFF THE BANK OR HOWEVER WE CAN CATCH THEM, HE GOT HIM AND THIS WATER IS COLD.
THE CURRENT STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS.
SO WE GOT TO WORK THIS GUY OUT.
THIS IS A GREAT LOOKING SNAKE.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SNAKES, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY LIKES A WATER SNAKE.
BUT I THINK THEY'RE A REALLY COOL SNAKE FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
I MEAN, ONE OF THEM IS THAT WHILE THERE MAY BE ONE OF THE MORE AQUATIC OF THE WATER SNAKES LIVES AROUND HERE, THEY'RE ALSO THE MOST ARBOREAL.
AND BY THAT, I MEAN, YOU CAN FIND THEM UP IN THESE TREES ALONG THE RIVER, YOU KNOW, 12, 15 FEET ABOVE THE WATER.
AND THEN WE MIGHT SEE SOME TODAY THAT, HI, DAVID, WHAT DO YOU FIND? WHAT DO YOU FIND THAT THESE GUYS ARE EATING MOSTLY? WELL, A LOT OF MARK'S RESEARCH, UH, BACK IN THE NINETIES FOUND THAT THESE GUYS TYPICALLY EAT A LOT OF CATFISH AND IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
THEY'LL EAT FISH THAT ARE UP TO A THIRD OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT, AND YOU'LL EVEN SEE SPAWNS COMING OUT OF THESE GUYS WHEN YOU CATCH THEM.
HE'S GOT A NICE LITTLE SCAR OR AN INJURY RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY CRYPTIC.
SO WE SAW THIS GUY CAUSE HE'S, HE WAS OUT ON A LIMB.
BUT IF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IN ANY KIND OF, UH, DAPPLED SUNLIGHT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH INVISIBLE, HARD TO SEE.
THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THE COLOR OF THAT LAMB.
AND ESPECIALLY AT THAT LIMB HAS A LITTLE BIT OF WATER ON IT.
OR LIKE YOU SAID, DAPPLED, SUNLIGHT, THEY'RE ALMOST INVISIBLE AND THIS IS A LITTLE MALE, RIGHT? YEAH.
[00:15:01]
MAIL AND THE TAIL LOOKS INTACT AND WE USUALLY TAKE TELL CLIPS.SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A NEW INDIVIDUAL FOR ME, AT LEAST.
SO FEMALES GET ENORMOUS FOR SURE.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND THE ONE THAT'S BIGGER THAN THE MALES.
SO WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DO YOU NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS ANIMAL? FIRST THING WE DO IS WEIGH HIM, MEASURE HIM AND THEN WE ALSO SEE WHAT SEX THEY ARE.
AND WE'RE PRETTY SURE THIS IS A MALE, BUT WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK ANYWAY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE INTERESTED IN IS MERCURY.
UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
WE'RE ON A PUBLIC RIVER, UH, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO IT AND THERE ARE FISH CONSUMPTION, ADVISORIES DUE TO MERCURY.
UM, AND OUR FUNDING AGENCIES REALLY INTERESTED IN BROWN WATER SNAKES.
LIKE WE MENTIONED, BECAUSE THEY EAT PRIMARILY FISH.
AND SO THEY COULD REPRESENT, UH, BASICALLY SOME OF THE RISKS THAT HUMANS MIGHT ALSO EXPERIENCE THAT'S RIGHT.
AND SO YOU'RE TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD FROM THE CARNAL DANE IN THE TAIL THERE, AND THAT KIND OF TELLS YOU WHAT ITS RECENT EXPOSURE TO MERCURY IS LIKE ITS LAST MEAL.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TAKE A TAIL TIP, WHICH GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA OF ITS LONG-TERM EXPOSURE AND ACCUMULATION HOPE.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING BESIDES MONITORING CONTAMINANTS IS ALSO MAKING, UH, BLOOD SMEARS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL.
WE CATCH TO GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THEIR WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNTS LOOK LIKE.
AND ALSO GIVES US AN IDEA OF LIKE, UH, THE ABILITY TO BUILD A REFERENCE INTERVAL OF WHAT A HEALTHY SNAKE OR NOT HEALTHY.
SO YEAH, BASELINE INFORMATION, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, IT'S HARD TO GET A LOT OF SNAKE SAMPLES, BUT THESE GUYS MAKE IT SUPER EASY.
SO WE'VE ALSO TAKEN SWABS OF THEIR SKIN TO TEST FOR, UM, A SNAKE FUNGAL DISEASE, WHICH IS EMERGING PATHOGEN.
UM, AND BROWN WATER SNAKES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT SPECIES.
HAVE YOU SEEN EVIDENCE OF THAT FUNGAL DISEASE HERE? SO THESE GUYS, WHEN THEY COME OUT, THEY HAVE A LOT OF LESIONS.
UH, SOME OF THEM PEOPLE CALL IT SCALE, ROCK, A LOT OF SNAKES HAVE IT.
UH, THESE GUYS ARE USUALLY LOADED WITH LESIONS IN THE SPRING, BUT AS SOON AS THEY SHUT THEM OFF, THEY LOOK GREAT.
I MEAN, THEY LIVE IN THE WATER, THEY LIVE IN THE MACH.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE ADAPTED TO DEAL WITH.
SO OF COURSE THE SAME THING THAT'S IN DOGS AND CATS, SAME THING THAT THEY USE AT THE VET CLINIC, BUT WE CAN USE IT IN OUR SNAKES AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN RECAPTURING INDIVIDUALS THAT WE CAUGHT IN 2017 AND 2018.
HOW LONG DID THESE SNAKES LIVE? DO YOU THINK MARK'S DATA SHOWED THAT SOME OF THE BIG FEMALES LIVED TO BE WELL OVER 10 YEARS? SO IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE FOR A SNAKE.
SO COMMON AND IN SUCH A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, A LOT OF ALLIGATORS CAN EAT THEM ALLIGATORS AND BIRDS, SHOULDERED, HAWKS ERRANDS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S PRETTY FAR UP AND DOWN THE RIVER TOO.
RIGHT? SO RECAPTURING THE SAME INDIVIDUAL UNIT THAT IS ALIVE CAN BE TRICKY JUST RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE BELLY SCALE, BUT A THIRD FROM THE S UH, EVENT AND THAT'S GOING TO STAY THERE.
AND SO EVEN IF YOU CATCH IT YEARS LATER, YEP.
YOU'RE STILL GONNA KNOW WHO IT IS.
SOMETIMES THE INFORMATION JUST DROPS IN YOUR LAP.
WE FOUND A FREEZER THAT WAS, UH, STARTING TO FAIL.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO SALVAGE ALL THE SPECIMENS IN THERE.
WE FOUND BROWN WATER SNAKES THAT HAD BEEN SAMPLED 30 YEARS AGO WERE IN THE FREEZER.
AND SO DAVID HAS TAKEN THE TAIL TIPS FROM THEM AND HE'S COMPARING THE HISTORICAL LEVELS OF MERCURY FROM THE SAME PLACE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THEM.
NOW WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND THAT THE SAMPLES FROM THE MID EIGHTIES THAT WERE DOWN NEAR THE STILL CREEK SYSTEM RIGHT ON THE SAVANNAH, RIVERSIDE ARE THREE TO FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN LEVELS THAT WE'RE MEASURING.
NOW WE'VE REDUCED ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION TO MERCURY ACTUALLY THE MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
I THINK SINCE THE EIGHTIES, WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE REGULATIONS PUT FORWARD ON HOW WE ACTUALLY GET RID OF OUR MERCURY, WHETHER IT'S PRODUCING BLEACH OR WHETHER IT'S BURNING COAL CAN DISPOSE OF IT.
SO IT'S LESS IS GOING INTO THE RIVER, LESS IS GOING INTO THE AIR AND WE'RE SEEING THAT IN TRENDS IN OUR SNAKES, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
AND IF YOU PROTECT THE ANIMAL, YOU HAVE TO FIRST AND FOREMOST PROTECT THE HABITAT.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND ANOTHER ALL RIGHT GUYS.
NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT TRACY SAW THIS UP IN ONE OF THE LIMBS AND THEIR GREEN SNAKES TEND TO SHOW UP ALONG STREAMS AND RIVERS, BUT THIS IS A PARTICULARLY BIG ONE, A BET.
AND I THINK IT MAY EVEN HAVE EGGS IN IT.
NOT ONLY IS IT A COUPLE OF THINGS, ONE IS, IT FEELS LIKE IT MAY HAVE A FOOD ITEM IN IT.
AND THEN ALSO IT'S REALLY HEAVY TOWARDS THE BACK END.
I MEAN, THESE ARE WONDERFUL SNAKES.
I'M REALLY SURPRISED TRACY SAW IT AND THEY BLEND IN SO WELL WITH FOLIAGE AND LEAVES AND VINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S AN INSECT ABOARD EACH PRIMARILY.
WELL ALMOST ALL INVERTEBRATES SPIDERS AND GRASSHOPPERS AND CATERPILLARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:20:01]
ANIMAL THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A RELATIVELY COMMON SPECIES, BUT ONE THAT YOU JUST DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN.SO HIDDEN BIODIVERSITY SOMETHING THAT'S HERE THAT BECAUSE IT'S SO CRYPTIC BECAUSE IT HAS SUCH GOOD CAMOUFLAGE.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ARE AROUND.
THEY'VE WORKED THIS ONE UP AND WE'RE READY TO LET IT GO.
PUT IT BACK IN THE FOLIAGE HERE AND WATCH OUT.
SO THIS IS A REALLY NICE SIZED FEMALE.
I MEAN, LOOK AT, LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK AT ALL THE BABIES IN HER.
SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY YOUNG DO YOU THINK THIS SNAKE MIGHT HAVE A GREAT BIG ONES CAN HAVE 50.
SO I WOULDN'T SAY THIS ONE WOULD HAVE 50.
WE COULD HAVE 35 40 BABIES AND THEY, THEY GIVE BIRTH TO LIVE YOUNG.
SO THEY'RE THEY'RE VIVIPAROUS SO ONE OF THE, THE REALLY COOL THINGS ABOUT THIS SPECIES IS THAT UNLIKE OTHER THAN THE RODEO AROUND HERE, THEIR EYES SEEM TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER UP ON THE TOP OF THEIR HEAD.
AND THAT LIKELY JUST HAS TO DO WITH THEM BEING ADAPTED, TO DEAL WITH THOSE MORE AERIAL, LIKE PREDATORS THAT ARE GOING TO COME DOWN AND GET THEM HI, TODD.
GOD, HE'S DEFINITELY GOT TO PRAY ON HIM.
SO THIS ONE, I MISSED IT THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS, FELT REALLY BAD ABOUT IT, BUT I HUNG AROUND UNDERNEATH AND HE CAME UP AND STUCK HIS HEAD OUT AND I WAS ABLE TO GRAB HIM OUT OF THE WATER.
SO FORTUNATELY I REDEEMED MYSELF.
SO WE HAVE TWO, TWO AT THIS SPOT.
BEING OUT HERE TODAY AND SEEING ALL THESE SNAKES AND GETTING SOME DATA.
WELL, I'M GLAD I COULD COME ALONG AND HELP YOU GUYS.
I GUESS THE LAST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS JUST TAKE THESE GUYS BACK AND LET THEM GO.
[00:25:01]
IT'S GOT SOMETHING REALLY COOL TO SHOW YOU GUYS.AND ACTUALLY WE HAD AN ADULT FEMALE COME INTO A LOCAL NATURE CENTER.
AND WHILE SHE WAS IN CAPTIVITY, SHE LAID EGGS.
AND THESE EGGS HATCHED JUST JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AFTER INCUBATING IN THE LAB FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
AND THEY HATCHED INTO THESE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE LITTLE MUD TANKS.
THEIR TAILS ARE LINKED, BUT VERY VIVID AND SHINY LITTLE GUYS.
AND OF COURSE THESE ARE GOING TO GROW INTO IF THEY'RE FEMALES, THEY COULD GET FIVE FEET LONG.
IF THEY'RE MALES, THEY PROBABLY WON'T GET OVER FOUR.
NOW MOM WAS RELEASED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO AND NOW IT'S TIME TO RELEASE THESE LITTLE GUYS.
NOW, IF THEY AREN'T EATEN BY PREDATORS AND IF THEY GET ENOUGH TO EAT, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GROW INTO ADULT MUD SNAKES.
SO I'M GOING TO LET THESE LITTLE GUYS GO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE THESE GUYS AGAIN, BUT IT IS SO COOL TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE STILL PART OF OUR HIDDEN BIODIVERSITY.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON COASTAL KINGDOM.