Fowler’s Toads (Bufo fowleri) are difficult to tell apart from Eastern American Toads (both can be found in Maryland). One difference is that a Fowler’s toad never has a spotted belly. Its ventral surface (belly) is usually whitish and without spots aside from the dark spot in the throat area.

Also, Fowler’s Toads have three or more warts in each of the largest dark spots.

This Fowler’s toad was another species I recorded for the Maryland Amphibians and Reptiles Atlas (MARA) for 2011.

I spotted this Eastern box turtle (Terrapene Carolina) near my blueberry bushes this past summer. I presume he was looking for some of the fallen fruit to eat.

I know it is a male because of the depression in his bottom shell (called a plastron). This depression is not present on all box turtle males however. (But if you see this depression, it is a male.)

This box turtle was another species I recorded for the Maryland Amphibians and Reptiles Atlas (MARA).

I hope you too continue to learn about Maryland reptiles and amphibians!

Finding and gathering the pine cones is half the fun of this project.

This is what a Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) plant looks like. It is native to some parts of Maryland, as well as, much of New England.

I collected these during a visit to NH.

These are simple to make. Tie the pinecones to a string one at a time; working your way along the string.

I don’t think I captured just how cute these swags are but I think you get the idea.

An osage-orange (Maclura pomifera)  is a tree not native to Maryland but can be found growing here. My husband remembers having wars with his friends; they would throw them at each other. Boys!

I call this one the Grinch.

I call this one Oscar the Grouch.

I call this one Dude.

Here is a rough green snake we found near our house in Southern Maryland. The Kids and I enjoyed holding this beautiful snake.

The smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis looks very similar to the rough green snake but if you look closely, the rough green snake Opheodrys aestivus has keeled scales on top. Note the line running down the middle of the scales in the picture.

Our property is near a marsh and has plenty of bushes and trees so it is a great place for this snake.

It is a good climber as you can see in this photo.

The rough green snake is a fun snake for kids to hold because they are so docile. Teach children to be gentle when handling because even the nicest animal will try to bit if it is being hurt.

You can guess what this is. To deter possible predators, snakes will release a foul-smelling substance. Skunks aren’t the only ones to use smell as a deterrent.

Yes, it did stink on us.

Ever come across some clay while on some outdoor adventure and wish you could make some pottery out of it? You can. I love working with clay and have experimented with both a pit kiln and firing pieces over coals of a campfire. Below are tips on the whole process from finding clay to firing your primitive pottery.

This summer I held a workshop for children which included making pinch pots from locally dug clay.

Here are some of the pieces my students made.

This is what they looked like before being fired.

Finding clay and getting it ready to use

Find

You can often find clay along the banks of a river or stream. You can sometimes find it on local beaches. Look for gray or red stuff that clumps when you squeeze it in your hand. When wet, it should also feel slippery. You might also find it dry.

Gather

Bring along a container. Gather clay while trying to avoid surrounding soil.

Clean

Fill the container about halfway with clay and then fill the remainder with clean water. Remove rocks and sticks and other organic matter. Break up the clumps and mix until completely dissolved. Your mixture is called slip. If you collected dry clay, pound with mortar, reconstitute.

Strain

Put a screen (can be made out of hardware cloth or purchased) on the top of a clean bucket. I made a screen out of a wood frame with stapled wire window screen. Pour your slip into the bucket. The screen will take out any unwanted stuff. If after screening it still feels too gritty (sandy), you can strain it again through an old tee-shirt.

Let it settle

Let the clay settle to the bottom. Scoop or pour off the clear water

Dry more

When it is thick enough, put it on a piece of wood to dry in the sun. The wood helps to absorb the excess water in the clay. Check your clay during this drying time because you don’t want it to become too dry. When the clay is the right consistency to use, scrap it up and put in a plastic bag and seal. Your clay will be even better to use if you wait a couple of weeks.

Wedge and knead the clay before using. You may need to add temper (sand, grit, shell, grog (broken pottery), etc. Add 1/5 -1/3 temper, knead, and wedge. Temper is used to open the pores and make them less likely to crack when subjected to heat. Also reduces shrinkage and warping during drying and firing. This is especially important for large pieces.

Drying pieces

3-10 days, depending on the piece and temperature and humidity etc.

Pit Kiln

Dig a pit with sloping sides about 2 feet in diameter and about eighteen inches deep in the middle. This fits the standard round barbecue grill but you can make your hole to accommodate the amount of material you wish to fire. Find a place to put your pit that is away from trees or other plants that could catch on fire. Next, place a three inch deep layer of sawdust and or manure in the bottom. Put the oven rack on top of this layer. Again, you can adjust your design to accommodate your needs. Then arrange the pieces to be fired on the rack so that there is at least one inch of space around all sides of each piece. Fill any bowls or other containers with sawdust. If there are too may pieces on the rack, you can cover the pieces on the rack with more sawdust (4 inch layer). Remember to put the heavier pieces on the bottom to help avoid breakage. Now cover the pieces with at least twelve inches or more of sawdust. You should fill your pit completely. Add twisted pieces of newspaper in a thin layer. These are to be used to set the fire. Place a cover (like an old trashcan lid) to cover the top of the pit. Place some rocks under the edges of the sides of the lid to hold up the cover and allow air to get in. Light the newspaper. After it is burning well, put the cover on. Flames will come out the gaps for a little while and then you should only see smoke. If the smoke soon stops you should relight. Let the pit kiln burn over-night or at least for 6 to 7 hours. It isn’t necessary to stay with the pit the entire time it is burning. Once the flames have died down, it’s safe to leave. For safety, you may choose to post a warning sign. When the firing is completed, remove the lid carefully (it may still be hot). You could use a potholder or a stick. Carefully dig through the ashes to find your pieces.

Firing in Campfire

Place the pieces on a bed of hot coals. Experiment with the placement of your pieces to determine what will give you the best results. I let the fire go out naturally before taking them out of the ashes. Taking the pieces out while really hot can cause them to crack if they cool too quickly.

Obtained information from experience and from:

Make it in Clay 2nd edition by f. Speight and J. Toki.

The Kids ‘N’ Clay Ceramics Book created by Kevin Nierman and written be E. Arima. This is a nice book that has a lot of cool kid project ideas.

Nature Crafts for Kids: 50 Fantastic Thinks To Make With Mother Nature’s Help. By G. Diehn and Terry Krautwurst.

Science Crafts for Kids: 50 Fantastic Things To Invent and Create. By Gwen Diehn and Terry Krautwurst.

After you enjoy eating a bag of cherries this year, amuse yourself and your family too with these Cherry faces. Save the cherry pits and stems to create some amusing faces. My kids and I “painted” these faces using the computer after I took the pictures but all you will need is a marker to draw on the details.

Wouldn’t these be fun to make into cards? Ideas: Birthday card (smile), encouragement card for a friend dealing with stress (stresses out), sympathy card (sad face), Happy you are my teacher card (happy face)…

Glue the pits (eyes) and the stems (mouth) down on a piece of paper if you want to use it as part of your canvas. Alternatively, don’t glue them down. That way you can rearrange them as much as you want as an amusing way to spend some of you summer vacation time. (Eyes can be reversible: draw on both sides.) Here are a bunch of ideas to get you started.

The recent rain here in Southern Maryland had spurred tree frog activity. I’ve discovered tree frog eggs in a large metal bucket that I use to collect rainwater to water my plants with.

If you live locally and would like to raise tree frog tadpoles for education and fun, contact me hesterjane@funinthemaking.net to arrange a pick up time.

This is a broad-headed skink that I found recently. Time to look for lizards!

The female broad-headed skink (Plestiodon laticeps) looks similar to the five-lined skink (Plestidon fasciatus). Both have a blue tail when young; the adult females might have a blue tail as well. To distinguish the two species apart, you must look closely at the scales on the upper lip.

A broad-headed skink (Plestiodon laticeps) has 5 scales on its upper lip from the nostril to the corner of its eye. The five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) had four scales.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

I’m participating in a program called Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas (MARA). MARA is a project run by the Natural History Society of Maryland (NHSM) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR); it is a five-year (January 2010 -2014) atlas of the amphibians and reptiles of Maryland. Amphibians and reptiles are collectively known as “herpetofauna” or “herps.”

I’ve been learning my local herps in the last few years and I’ll share some pictures of herps that I find on my property or in my neighborhood.

Green frogs are sometimes confused with bull frogs. You can’t go by color because their color varies. Look for the prominent dorsolateral ridges that go down the back but not all the way.

Note the large external eardrum called a tympanum (the circle behind the eye).

This picture illustrates relative size.

I love its eyes!

P.S. I believe this is a female because she lacks a yellow throat and her tympanum is not larger than her eye.