Summer Season in the Arboretum

Today we'll add some photos of various sections of the Arboretum to catalog the Summer conditions. We have gone from "rain, rain, and more rain" to weather that is hot and dry but very humid.

This is the northeast section of the arboretum. The grass is quite lush, indicative of the large amount of rain we had last month.

In this photo, we see the southeast section of the arboretum. This slope looks too grassy. The winged and smooth sumacs are slowly claiming the sunny spots on the hill, but this coming winter we ought to plant a shrub or tree in the shady area.

It's very shady on the east side of the upper drainage channel, where the vegetation has become unruly. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), pictured on the right side of the photo, is partly responsible for all of the shade. These spots are cooler, but you can't linger here for too long without being noticed by the mosquitoes.

Standing on the long, white wooden bridge, we see the arboretum's collection of mayhaws (Crataegus spp.).

Watch out for these sunny spots. Too much time spent there in the heat of the day can be dangerous. You might not feel the full effects until hours later.

Here we can see the wild section (the "volunteer recruitment center") of the arboretum, as detailed in previous posts. It is roughly square, measuring about 32 feet on a side or approximately one thousand square feet.

An old redbud (Cercis canadensis) and new recruits can be found along the gravel path between the Fitness Center and the Student Union Building.

Looking up toward Rotary Hall, we see a chalk maple (Acer leucoderme) leaning over the gravel path under the shade of an aged white oak (Quercus alba). Muscadine vines with immature fruits can be found hanging from the limbs of the old white oak; the fruits appear to be numerous this summer.

This is the drainage channel for the west side of the arboretum. Pictured center is a young hackberry (Celtis laevigata).

These young trees on the lawn in the southwest corner of the arboretum are very much enjoying the full sun and summer weather.

 

Some people might be horrified to see a snake's shed skin under their feet, but this is a good sign for the arboretum; we want to see lots of small critters. Unfortunately we cannot conclusively identify the previous owner of this discarded garment, but it was almost certainly a rough earth snake (Virginia striatula) or a Dekay's snake (Storeria dekayi.)

Snakes in the Arboretum

Raking leaves during the winter sometimes results in happy surprises. Today, two small snakes were uncovered, hiding under a couple inches of leaf litter. The snakes were found together, suggesting kinship. However, these are actually two distinct species. Due to the weather, both snakes were sufficiently startled and sufficiently cold to allow for a brief photoshoot. Afterwards, they were returned to their shared home in the leaf litter.

The larger, reddish-brown snake is De Kay's snake (Storeria dekayi). Note the characteristic band running down its back. Unfortunately, this poor animal is sometimes mistaken for an immature venemous snake and killed. In fact, it is a harmless native snake that subsists on insect vermin and other tiny critters.

De Kay's snake (Storeria dekayi)

The smaller individual is a rough earth snake (Virginia striatula). It is much more 'worm-like' in appearance.

 The rough earth snake (Virginia striatula) is a common find in the arboretum. They don't grow very large and have the same diet as the De Kay's snake. Interestingly, it's easier to find one of these guys in the winter than it is in the summer. Of course, they are also a little more difficult to catch in the summer!

For more information about the different snakes (and also our frogs and toads) found in Louisiana, check out Brad Glorioso's excellent website, Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana.