giant boa constrictor in kitchen in virginia

River otters live in rivers, marshy ponds and wooded areas and move between these habitats seasonally in search of food, such as fish, crabs, frogs, and snakes. Beaver visit the Teaching Marsh during the winter and eat branches of river alder and wax myrtle. The beaver is not commonly associated with tidal marshes, but in a suburban setting they will search for food in any suitable wetland habitat. Their range is expanding throughout Virginia at the expense of the muskrat. Strictly herbivores, they eat a wide variety of aquatic plants with roots an important part of their diet. Nutria are non-native semi-aquatic rodents larger than muskrats and smaller than beaver and can be identified by their orange teeth, and round, slightly haired tail that remains still when it swims. They are sometimes considered to be a nuisance because they excavate bank dens that are incorrectly perceived as shoreline erosion. Muskrats are excellent swimmers and they eat mostly wetland plants, but will also feed on clams, frogs and fish. They are about the size of a small house cat, glossy fur ranging in color from light brown to sometimes black, with thin scaly tails that are flat on the sides. Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents commonly observed in ponds, streams, and marshes.

Diamondback terrapins eat clams, worms, snails, crabs, dead animals and some vegetation. The females lay eggs in shallow nests dug into sandy beach and marsh shorelines. The upper shell has a distinct pattern of concentric rings and the head and limbs are spotted. Northern Diamondback Terrapin ( Malaclemys terrapin) A medium-sized turtle that lives in brackish waters. The northern watersnake is common in a variety of aquatic habitats, including lakes, ponds, rivers, freshwater and tidal creeks, ditches, swamps, freshwater and brackish marshes, and low wet areas. This snake is found below 1500 meters elevation statewide in Virginia, including several of the barrier islands. It is often found in campground bathrooms, on kitchen windows, or on the side of well lit buildings actively foraging for insects. During the day, these well-camouflaged frogs rest motionless, often on cattail plants: at night, they are sometimes attracted to insects near lights. The green treefrog occurs throughout the coastal plain and prefers the floating and emergent vegetation along the swampy edges of ponds, lakes, marshes, and streams. This species occurs in the coastal region, including the Eastern Shore. Reptiles & Amphibians Green Treefrog ( Hyla cinerea) Small heron with bold black face and white cheeks, yellow crown, gray underparts, and thick black bill feeds day and night primarily on crustaceans such as marsh crabs, fiddler crabs, mud crabs, blue crabs, also fish, small snakes, young birds, and small mammals. Yellow-Crowned Night Heron ( Nyctanassa violacea)

Stocky heron with short neck and legs, hunches neck into body adult has glossy black crown and back, pale underparts and red eyes nocturnal, opportunistic feeding on insects, mussels, fish, amphibians, insects, rodents, birds, eggs and dead animals spends daytime hidden among terrestrial vegetation. Small, chunky bird with slender, slightly curved bill, white eyebrow stripe common in reedy marshes football-shaped nest attached to reeds above water loud song, vigorous territorial defense.īlack-Crowned Night Heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax) Male birds are glossy black with red shoulder patches female birds dark brown & heavily streaked nests in thick marsh vegetation abundant & aggressive mixes with winter flocks of other black birds. Red-Winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus) Small, chunky heron with short dull yellow legs green upper parts mixed with blue-gray greenish crown solitary, prefers marshes with adjacent woodland cover.īlue breast band & wings short, stocky legs large head, large bill, shaggy crest perches then dives head first to catch small fish burrows in sandy banks. Large, gray-blue heron, black stripe extends above eye holds neck in S-shape hook during flight commonly seen in fresh and salt water marshes along the water’s edge eats fish, snakes, frogs.

Some of the species commonly observed at the Teaching Marsh include muskrat, rabbits, water snakes, frogs, turtles and terrapins, fish-eating birds such as herons and red-winged blackbirds.

Giant boa constrictor in kitchen in virginia