Southern Species Make Their Way Into Area

SOUTHERN SPECIES MAKE THEIR WAY INTO AREA

Wednesday, November 07, 2007 (Napanee Beaver)

Friday, November 09, 2007 (Picton Gazette)

This discovery of a salamander at the east end of Consecon Lake this fall, believed to be a Jefferson’s, is another example of how the make-up of our local wildlife keeps changing, and the interest local residents are taking in wanting to know just what we have in this area. The Jefferson’s salamander is not expected to be seen in this area, due to its southern distribution range, but just how common they are anywhere, is open to argument. Peter Christie, in his book, Reptiles and Amphibians of Prince Edward County, treats the species rather ambiguously, preferring instead to call the more common blue-spotted salamander the blue-spotted/Jefferson salamander, saying the peculiar ecology of these species is too complicated to really figure out. In his treatment of the species in his book, they were considered together, because of the difficulty in readily and reliably distinguishing between blue-spotted salamanders from hybrids.

Not too far away, and even more baffling to one Bloomfield resident, was an irritating noise coming from a Manitoba maple tree in his backyard, a noise he described as loud enough that it could be heard from the street. “Do you know what it is, and do you have any ideas how we might stop the noise?” he asked, since the noise had been continuing since mid-August and it was now October.

I volunteered that the noise which was not described in detail could be coming from a screech owl since they would be calling in the fall, although I found it odd that one would be so persistent. Unable to get away myself, I sent Bloomfield resident and local naturalist David Bree, to the address given. David is a long time park naturalist with considerable expertise in strange sounds and odd sights. He has a self confessed interest particularly in insects. David explained in an e-mail to both of us, that the loud noise in question came not from a bird, but an insect, and was identified by sound as a common true katydid.

Don’t however be mislead by the name. Common true katydids are not common, at least, not here, although we do have smaller katydids, that are reasonably common. The large insect is about two inches long, and its persistent song, after which the insect is named, had Bloomfield residents baffled, curious and intrigued, and after more than two months – annoyed. The insect, explained David is quite common in eastern United States, but only reaches Ontario in extreme southwestern Ontario. How, then, did it get here, since katydids are flightless? “Transcontinental commerce,” explains David as these insects get around by hitching a ride on transports to areas outside its normal range. Sure enough, the neighbour is a transport driver, and often parks his rig right beside the trees where the katydid was heard singing. True to form, the katydid was near the top of a tree, and “whistled and sang till the green wood rang, but he could not win (or even find) the heart of a lady,” Likely the hard frost of last week ended everyone’s suffering.

While the Jefferson’s salamander’s appearance is not clearly understood, and the true katydid hitch hiked to its location, one spectacular insect in the Quinte area arrived on its own this past summer, likely attributed, in part, to global warming. Giant swallowtail butterflies arrived en masse in the Quinte area from their normal southern breeding grounds, with reports coming in from as far north as Madoc. With a wingspan of almost six inches, it is a species that hardly goes unnoticed. At Prince Edward Point, bird banders down there monitored their occurrence, and noted several adults, along with larvae of different sizes. Giant swallowtail larvae have three defence mechanisms which they can employ at a moment’s notice. For starters, they blend in well with their environment. Also, the larvae somewhat resemble a dollop of bird poo. And if all that camouflage fails to dissuade predators, they employ one final defence – chemical warfare. In an effort to learn more about these unusual larvae, I made the mistake of touching one on one memorable day at Prince Edward Point, at least, to me anyhow. Almost immediately, the air around me was filled with a disgusting musky odour not unlike that secreted by snakes when they are picked up.

The arrival of these new animals in the wild kingdom to our area continues to make the study of nature more fascinating and interesting with each passing year as we strive to learn more about them. A few years ago, there was a run of opossums in Prince Edward County, one even showing up as an albino, all likely transported here on vehicles from areas farther south. They didn’t seem to make it as a breeding population, but others that have come in from other directions, such as the fishers from areas east of here, have done remarkably well. Southern birds such as mockingbirds and cardinals and gnatcatchers have become established quite quickly while others like Carolina wrens are still struggling with cold winter temperatures. Some will make it, and others will not, but as our winters turn more mild, we may see a few like the opossum who has so far been unable to get established, suddenly start enjoying our milder weather and begin checking out the local real estate market. And perhaps the day will come when we won’t have to wonder about the identity of a Jefferson’s salamander; it will be just assumed.