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Marbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum
Description: The marbled salamander is a stocky, medium sized salamander. Marbled salamanders reach an adult size of 3.5 to 5 inches in length. They are gray to black in color with silvery white cross bands on males and grayish cross bands on females. The cross bands can vary dramatically between individuals with some individuals being striped or uniformly black. All marbled salamanders have black undersides. Recently metamorphosed individuals are brown or gray with light speckles. The larvae are dark brown or black with bushy gills and light spots the form a line on each side. They have a long dorsal fin from the tail to just behind the front arms.
Habitat/Range: Marbled salamanders range from the northeast United States down through Georgia and across the Gulf states to Texas. They are also found northward in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. They live in woodlands near vernal pools where larvae develop. They may be inactive and underground during the hot summer months.
Diet: The marbled salamander feeds primarily on terrestrial invertebrates such as worms, spiders, snails, centipedes, and a variety of insects.
Reproduction: Mating takes place on land, and then the females will move to dried vernal pools or other soon-to-be flooded areas to lay eggs. The females guards the eggs in a nest under a log, leaf litter or other debris until the area fills with water and the larvae emerge from their eggs.
Photo by JD Willson
Back to Salamanders of North
Carolina Back to Herps of North
Carolina
The shaded region represents the range of the marbled salamander in North Carolina.
Photo by Jeff Hall Like many other salamander species, large numbers of marbled salamanders may be captured if sampled during the breeding season. Photo by JD Willson
Photo by D Stevenson
Photo D Stevenson A marbled salamander larvae. Photo by JD Willson
This website created by: J. Willson, Y. Kornilev, W. Anderson, G. Connette and E. Eskew. For comments or questions contact M. Dorcas: [email protected].
M. Dorcas homepage: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/dorcasDavidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118.
Partial Funding for this website provided by a Associate Colleges of the South, National Science Foundation, and Duke Energy.
72
Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
Most people know the Northern bobwhite by the name bobwhite quail, or justquail for short. Partridge is the old fashion name. The males whistle a clear, loudmating call in late spring and summer. The calls, as frequent as 2–3 per minute,sound like the bird is whistling “bob-white.”
DescriptionQuail are related to turkeys and chickens, and to some people, they look likea small, plump chicken. They walk upright on short legs, with a pushed outchest. Males and females can be distinguished by the feather coloration on thehead. The male has a white patch under his neck and a white line that runsabove his eye. On the female, those feathers are light brown. The body feath-ers of both sexes are a beautiful but subtle combination of brown and blackand buff and white. Their coloring provides effective camouflage.
History and StatusBefore the arrival of Europeans in this country, bobwhites were probably mostnumerous in fields and woods burned frequently by Native Americans. Euro -peans cleared additional forests for fields and pastures. Quail thrived on NorthCarolina farms through the 1950s and 1960s. However, by the mid 1980s, biol-ogists recognized the birds were declining as former fields reverted to forests,and urban development converted old farms to new subdivisions. Quail remaincommon in portions of North Carolina, but not at their former numbers.
Habitat and HabitsQuail live on the ground, both day and night. At night, they hide under weedsand bushes. By day, they walk about, pecking for seeds and fruit and insects.When danger approaches, such as a fox or snake, they freeze in place and letthe predator pass, or they try to out-run it; but if need be, they leap into flight.Wing beats are fast, furious, and loud—a quail unexpectedly taking flight fromunder foot is startling. An average flight lasts 5 seconds and covers 150 feet,after which the bird returns to ground.
Bobwhites do best in weedy fields and meadows, clear cuts and open woodsdense with native grasses. They do poorly in towns, in dense forests, and in cattlepastures planted with fescue, Bermuda, or bahia grass.
Quail nest 1-3 times per summer, laying on average 12-14 eggs per clutch.Nests are hidden under weeds or grass clumps. The hen may incubate theeggs herself and raise the young, but this job may also be done by the male; in
Northern BobwhiteNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles
Range Map
In the South, “bobwhite” is a comforting sound
and reminiscentof home and tradition.
Range and DistributionBobwhites occur in eastern North America,
from southern Canada to Mexico. In North
Carolina, they are most plentiful in the east-
ern portion of the state and spotty but wide-
spread in the Piedmont (found commonly
near clear cuts and farm fields.) But anywhere
suitable habitat exists, quail are abundant—
even in the mountains.
Northern bobwhites are found statewide.
Northern bobwhite male
73
whi
ch c
ase,
the
fem
ale
is fr
ee to
find
ano
ther
mal
e fo
r a
new
nes
t. In
cuba
tion
last
s 23
day
s. H
atch
lings
wei
gh ¼
oun
ce, y
et t
hey
are
able
to
wal
k an
d fo
llow
thei
r pa
rent
wit
hin
an h
our
of h
atch
ing.
The
y lo
ok li
ke w
alki
ng, d
owny
fuz
zba
lls. T
hey
first
fly
whe
n 2
wee
ks o
ld a
nd r
each
adu
lt si
ze in
3–4
mon
ths.
Dur
ing
the
bree
ding
sea
son,
qua
il liv
e al
one
or w
ith
thei
r ch
icks
. But
onc
e br
eedi
ngis
ove
r, g
ener
ally
by
Sept
embe
r, q
uail
unit
e in
to s
mal
l floc
ks w
ith
3-20
mem
-be
rs. W
e ca
ll th
e flo
cks
“cov
eys”
. Mem
ber -
ship
in t
he c
ovey
is n
ot fi
xed
and
som
ein
divi
dual
s m
ove
from
cov
ey t
o co
vey.
A c
ovey
roo
sts
at n
ight
wit
h m
embe
rsin
a c
ircl
e, s
houl
der
to s
houl
der,
faci
ngou
twar
ds t
owar
ds d
ange
r. C
ovey
s co
m-
mun
icat
e w
ith
othe
r co
veys
usi
ng a
spe
-ci
al w
hist
le c
all.
The
cov
ey c
all i
s gi
ven
at a
bout
15
min
utes
bef
ore
dayl
ight
. Gre
atha
bita
t su
ppor
ts a
bout
one
bir
d/ac
re,
and
from
a w
ell-
posi
tion
ed li
sten
ing
spot
, a p
erso
n ca
n so
met
imes
dis
ting
uish
10 c
ovey
s sp
eaki
ng t
o ea
ch o
ther
in t
he p
reda
wn
hour
. Qua
il liv
e sh
ort
lives
:fe
wer
tha
n 20
per
cent
live
to
be a
yea
r ol
d. A
thr
ee y
ear
old
quai
l is
wel
l pas
tm
iddl
e ag
e, a
nd a
5-y
ear-
old
quai
l is
tru
ly a
ncie
nt. P
reda
tion
is
the
lead
ing
caus
e of
dea
th. C
oope
r’s h
awks
rel
ish
the
big
brea
sted
adu
lts.
Eve
n th
e eg
gsar
e so
ught
aft
er b
y pr
edat
ors.
Lar
ge r
at s
nake
s ca
n sw
allo
w e
very
egg
in a
nes
t,an
d th
e pa
rent
qua
il to
o, if
cau
ght
by t
he s
nake
. Qua
il ar
e hi
ghly
pro
duct
ive
bree
ders
, whi
ch is
nat
ure’s
way
of
hand
ling
the
high
pre
dati
on.
Peop
le In
tera
ctio
nsBo
bwhi
tes
are
clas
sifie
d as
a g
ame
bird
in N
orth
Car
olin
a. C
ooke
d qu
ail
have
exc
elle
nt fl
avor
, and
are
del
icac
ies
at t
he d
inne
r ta
ble.
The
hun
t-in
g se
ason
beg
ins
in O
ctob
er a
nd e
nds
in F
ebru
ary.
A ty
pica
l hun
t las
tsab
out 4
hou
rs, d
urin
g w
hich
2 c
ovey
s ar
e fo
und,
and
2 q
uail
are
bagg
ed.
Qua
il ar
e hu
nted
wit
h a
bird
dog
. The
dog
tra
vels
ahe
ad o
f the
hun
ter,
and
upon
find
ing
a co
vey,
it f
reez
es in
pla
ce, t
ellin
g th
e hu
nter
, “H
ere
they
are
!” W
hen
the
hunt
er a
ppro
ache
s, t
he b
irds
exp
lode
into
flig
ht,
and
the
hunt
er s
hoot
s w
ith
a sh
otgu
n. L
ando
wne
rs c
an m
anag
e th
eir
prop
erty
to
incr
ease
qua
il po
pula
tion
s, if
not
for
hun
ting
, the
n ju
stfo
r th
e pl
easu
re o
f se
eing
the
bir
ds, a
nd e
spec
ially
, hea
ring
the
mal
ew
hist
le “
bobw
hite
.” T
he c
all m
eans
tha
t su
mm
er is
her
e an
d al
l tha
tco
mes
wit
h it
—to
mat
o sa
ndw
iche
s, b
lack
berr
y co
bble
r, w
ater
mel
on.
The
cal
l pro
mis
es q
uail
hunt
ers
mem
orab
le d
ays
a fie
ld in
the
com
-pa
ny o
f ha
rd w
orki
ng b
ird
dogs
. To
man
y So
uthe
rner
s, q
uail
are
the
sout
h’s
grea
test
bir
d, a
nd h
eari
ng “
bobw
hite
” is
a c
omfo
rtin
g so
und
rem
inis
cent
of
hom
e an
d tr
adit
ion.
Wild
Fac
tsCl
assifi
catio
nCl
ass:
Bir
d
Ord
er: G
allif
orm
es
Aver
age
Size
Leng
th: 1
0 in
.
Win
gspa
n: 9
-11
in.
Wei
ght:
5-8
oz.
Food
Smal
l see
ds, f
ruit
, ten
der
leav
es
and
inse
cts.
Bree
ding
1-3
clut
ches
per
yea
r w
ith
12-1
4 eg
gs
per
clut
ch. P
reda
tors
des
troy
abo
ut ½
of
the
nest
s.
Beha
vior
Do
not
mig
rate
. Liv
e in
sm
all ±RFNV
calle
d co
veys
.
Life
Exp
ecta
ncy
Max
imum
of
5 ye
ars;
80
% d
ie b
efor
e
they
are
12-
mon
ths
old;
mos
t de
aths
due
to p
reda
tion
.
Nor
ther
n Bo
bwhi
te
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
This
hen
prot
ects
her
hat
chlin
gs u
nder
her
win
gs.
Ref
eren
ces
Mea
dow
s, A
. R. a
nd T
. Sha
rpe.
199
2 Bo
bwhi
te Q
uail
Profi
le.
Bren
nan,
L.A
. 199
9. N
orth
ern
bobw
hite
(C
olin
us v
irgi
nian
us).
The
Bir
ds o
f Nor
th A
mer
ican
Onl
ine
(A. P
oole
, Ed.
). I
thac
a: C
orne
ll La
b of
Orn
itho
logy
.D
imm
ick,
R.W
. 199
2. N
orth
ern
bobw
hite
(C
olin
us v
irgi
nian
us).
U.S
. Arm
y C
orps
of
Eng
inee
rs, T
echn
ical
Rep
ort
EL-
92-1
8, W
ashi
ngto
n, D
.C.
Cre
dits
Wri
tten
by
John
Woo
ding
, Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Res
ourc
es C
omm
issi
on J
une
2009
. Pr
oduc
ed b
y th
e D
ivis
ion
of C
onse
rvat
ion
Edu
cati
on, C
ay C
ross
–Edi
tor,
Car
la O
sbor
ne–D
esig
ner.
Illu
stra
tion
by
J. T
. New
man
. Pho
tos
by D
EN
R, G
eorg
ia a
nd D
EN
R, O
hio.
Phot
os: M
othe
r an
d pe
epin
g ch
icks
–NC
WR
C; Q
uail
cove
ring
chi
cks–
Ran
dy C
ass
at T
all T
imbe
rs R
esea
rch
Stat
ion,
Flo
rida
; Qua
il lo
okin
g at
you
–Ohi
o D
NR
. T
he N
.C. W
ildlif
e R
esou
rces
Com
mis
sion
is a
n Eq
ual O
ppor
tuni
ty E
mpl
oyer
, and
all
wild
life
prog
ram
s ar
e ad
min
iste
red
for
the
bene
fit o
f all
Nor
th C
arol
ina
citiz
ens
with
out p
reju
dice
tow
ard
age,
sex
, rac
e, r
elig
ion
or n
atio
nal o
rigi
n. V
iola
tion
s of
thi
s pl
edge
may
be
repo
rted
to
the
Equ
al E
mpl
oym
ent
Offi
cer,
N.C
. Wild
life
Res
ourc
es C
omm
issi
on, 1
751
Vars
ity
Dr.,
Ral
eigh
, N.C
. 276
06. (
919)
707
-010
1.
Nor
ther
n Bo
bwhi
te
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
Q&A 1.
Why
hav
e N
orth
ern
bobw
hite
qua
il po
pula
tions
dec
lined
in N
orth
Car
olin
a?Q
uail
wer
e ex
trem
ely
com
mon
in N
orth
Car
olin
a th
roug
h th
e 19
50s
and
1960
s. H
owev
er, b
y th
e m
id-1
980s
, the
bird
s be
gan
to d
eclin
e as
form
er fi
elds
(ha
bita
t) r
ever
ted
to fo
rest
s an
d ur
ban
deve
lopm
ent c
onve
rted
old
farm
s to
new
sub
divi
sion
s. Q
uail
rem
ain
com
mon
in p
ortio
ns o
f Nor
th C
arol
ina,
but
not
at t
heir
form
er n
umbe
rs.
2.W
here
do
bobw
hite
s liv
e?M
any
bird
s liv
e in
tree
s, b
ut n
ot q
uail.
The
y liv
e on
the
grou
nd. A
t nig
ht, t
hey
roos
t on
the
grou
nd, h
idde
n in
ash
rub
thic
ket.
The
y w
alk
abou
t dur
ing
the
day,
peck
ing
for
seed
s, fr
uit a
nd in
sect
s. W
hen
pred
ator
s ap
proa
ch,
they
may
free
ze in
pla
ce, o
utru
n th
e pr
edat
or, o
r ex
plod
e in
flig
ht. F
light
s ar
e sh
ort,
both
in ti
me
(abo
ut fi
ve s
ec-
onds
) an
d di
stan
ce (
150
feet
).
3.W
hat k
ind
of h
abita
t is b
est f
or b
obw
hite
?Bo
bwhi
te d
o be
st in
wee
dy fi
elds
and
mea
dow
s. T
hey
also
thri
ve in
cle
ar c
uts
and
open
woo
ds w
here
ple
nty
ofsu
nlig
ht h
its
the
grou
nd a
nd lu
sh s
tand
s of
wild
flow
ers,
nat
ive
gras
ses
and
shru
bs g
row
. The
pla
nts
offe
r pr
o-te
ctio
n fr
om p
reda
tors
. The
bes
t qu
ail h
abit
at is
ric
h w
ith
food
sou
rces
, thi
ck e
noug
h to
hid
e th
e bi
rds,
yet
easy
for
the
m t
o tr
avel
und
er.
Link
sC
heck
out
Nor
ther
n bo
bwhi
te q
uail
calls
at h
ttp:
//ww
w.e
natu
re.c
om/b
irdi
ng/a
udio
.asp
.
NCW
RC In
tera
ctio
nTh
e N
orth
Car
olin
a W
ildlif
e Re
sour
ces
Com
mis
sion
has
sev
eral
pro
ject
sin
volv
ing
Nor
ther
n bo
bwhi
te. W
e m
easu
re h
unti
ng e
ffor
t an
d ha
rves
t on
ceev
ery
thre
e ye
ars
at t
he s
tate
wid
e le
vel.
NC
Stat
e U
nive
rsit
y pe
rfor
med
thi
sZRUN
for
the
Com
mis
sion
in 2
008.
The
Com
mis
sion
ZRUNV
wit
h th
eU
nive
rsit
y on
sev
eral
qua
il re
sear
ch p
roje
cts.
We
colle
ct s
imila
r da
ta a
nnua
lly, u
sing
a s
elec
t gr
oup
of h
unte
rs w
ho
part
icip
ate
in o
ur A
vid
Qua
il-hu
nter
Sur
vey.
We
mea
sure
bre
edin
g qu
ail
abun
danc
e an
nual
ly, b
y lis
teni
ng f
or c
alls
at
sele
cted
list
enin
g st
atio
ns.
One
suc
h st
atio
n is
loca
ted
in t
he g
rass
land
pro
ject
in
the
wes
tern
Pied
mon
t. B
obw
hite
are
just
one
of
seve
ral g
rass
land
bird
spe
cies
und
er s
tudy
.
74
Eastern Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
Wild turkeys were important both to American Indians and early Europeansin America. For Plains and Eastern Indians, turkeys were an important foodsource and provided feathers for head dressings and arrows. Indians also usedturkey spurs to make arrow points and other sharp utensils. Early Europeansused wild turkeys as a food source. However, believe it or not, historians areunsure if wild turkeys were served to the Pilgrims on our country’s firstThanks giving. Ben Franklin considered the wild turkey a better symbol forthe United States than the bald eagle because he felt the wild turkey was amore respectable bird.
Two species of wild turkeys are found in North America: Meleagris gallopavoand Meleagris ocellata (the ocellated turkey). Only Meleagris gallopavo is foundin the United States. The Osceola, Gould’s, Rio Grande, Merriam’s and easternwild turkeys are all subspecies of this species. The eastern wild turkey is theonly subspecies found in North Carolina.
History and Status When early European settlers arrived in America turkeys were plentiful inNorth Carolina and were probably found throughout the entire state. By theturn of the century, however, few turkeys remained.
The decline was primarily due to unregulated and heavy market hunting,rapid deforestation and habitat destruction throughout the state. This declinecontinued into the 1960s. Turkeys are once again common in North Carolina,thanks to a restoration program implemented by the N.C. Wildlife ResourcesCommission that involved live-trapping and relocating wild turkeys from sitesin North Carolina and other states to areas in the state where the bird hadpreviously disappeared. From the 1950s through 2005, over 6,000 wild turkeyswere trapped and relocated to 358 release sites across the state. Since restorationefforts have begun, North Carolina’s population has jumped from 2,000 birdsin 1970 to over 150,000 in 2009. Wild turkey populations are still growingin many portions of the state.
Description The wild turkey is omnivorous, feeding primarily on nuts, berries, acorns,grasses, seeds and insects. The turkey will also eat almost any small creatureit encounters, such as lizards or grubs.
The male eastern wild turkey has dark plumage with striking bronze, copperand green iridescent colors. On the inside of their legs, males have pointedgrowths known as spurs that they use when battling other males for mates.
Eastern Wild TurkeyNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles
Range Map
Flies at speeds up to 55 mph.
Range and DistributionThe wild turkey is found in 49 of the United
States, in Mexico, and in parts of Canada.
Only Alaska has no wild turkeys. North
Carolina’s turkey restoration program was a
monumental success, and turkeys are now
found throughout North Carolina from the
mountains to the coast. The range of the
wild turkey continues to expand as remaining
areas with suitable habitat are occupied by
dispersing turkey populations. Note that it is
illegal to release pen-raised turkeys in the
wild because of the danger of introducing
diseases to healthy wild birds.
>2516-256-151-5unoccupied
2005 Wild Turkey Density (turkeys per square mile)
75
Wild
Fac
tsCl
assifi
catio
nCl
ass:
Ave
sO
rder
: Gal
lifor
mes
Aver
age
Size
Hei
ght:
3-4
ft.
Win
gspr
ead:
4-5
ft.
Wei
ght:
Fem
ale
10.0
lbs;
mal
e 17
.5 lb
s.
Food
Seed
s, g
rass
es, a
corn
s, n
uts,
be
rrie
s, in
sect
s.
Bree
ding
Mal
es a
re c
alle
d go
bble
rs o
r to
ms;
fem
ales
are
cal
led
hens
. Mal
es a
ttra
ctfe
mal
es b
y go
bblin
g an
d st
rutt
ing.
Youn
gVe
ry y
oung
tur
keys
are
cal
led
poul
ts.
Juve
nile
fem
ales
are
cal
led
jenn
ies;
juv
e-ni
le m
ales
are
jak
es.
Wild
tur
keys
lay
eggs
beg
inni
ng in
Apr
il.Av
erag
e cl
utch
siz
e is
abo
ut 8
–15
eggs
.Av
erag
e of
one
clu
tch
per
year
, but
fem
ales
will
ren
est
if t
he °UVW
clut
chfa
ils. Y
oung
are
sex
ually
mat
ure
in o
neye
ar.
Life
Exp
ecta
ncy
Two
year
s, a
ltho
ugh
som
e bi
rds
have
lived
up
to 1
0 ye
ars.
Mal
es a
lso
have
a g
row
th o
f br
istl
e-lik
e fe
athe
rs k
now
n as
the
“be
ard”
tha
tex
tend
s fr
om t
he c
hest
. It
is n
ot u
ncom
mon
, how
ever
, to
find
fem
ales
wit
h a
bear
d. T
he h
ead
and
neck
of
adul
t m
ales
is la
rgel
y ba
re a
nd v
arie
s in
col
orfr
om r
ed t
o bl
ue t
o w
hite
, dep
endi
ng o
n th
e bi
rd’s
moo
d. F
emal
es a
re u
sual
lydu
ller
in c
olor
tha
n m
ales
, whi
ch h
elp
cam
oufla
ge t
hem
whi
le t
hey
are
nest
-in
g. T
urke
ys p
rim
arily
rel
y on
the
ir e
yesi
ght
and
hear
ing
for
prot
ecti
on f
rom
pred
ator
s. T
heir
exc
elle
nt e
yesi
ght
is t
heir
bes
t de
fens
e du
ring
the
day
tim
e,bu
t th
ey d
on’t
see
wel
l at
nigh
t. A
s w
ith
mos
t bi
rds,
tur
keys
hav
e lit
tle
or n
ose
nse
of s
mel
l. Tu
rkey
s ar
e hi
ghly
mob
ile a
nd c
an r
un u
p to
25
mph
and
fly
up t
o 55
mph
.
Hab
itat a
nd H
abits
T
he e
aste
rn w
ild t
urke
y th
rive
s be
st in
are
as w
ith
a m
ix o
f for
este
d an
d op
enla
nd h
abit
ats.
For
este
d ar
eas
are
used
for
cov
er, f
orag
ing,
and
for
roo
stin
g in
tree
s at
nig
ht. O
pen
land
are
as a
re u
sed
for
fora
ging
, mat
ing,
and
bro
od r
ear-
ing.
Turk
eys
nest
on
the
grou
nd w
ith
clut
ches
of 1
0-14
egg
s be
ing
laid
from
mid
-Apr
il th
roug
h m
id-M
ay in
Nor
th C
arol
ina.
Tur
keys
are
ver
y vo
cal b
irds
,an
d th
ey c
omm
unic
ate
by m
eans
of a
var
iety
of c
alls
. Dur
ing
the
spri
ng m
atin
gse
ason
, gob
bler
s us
e th
eir
boom
ing
gobb
le t
o at
trac
t he
ns.
Peop
le In
tera
ctio
nsT
he w
ild t
urke
y re
mai
ns a
fav
orit
e ga
me
anim
al f
or r
ecre
atio
nal h
unte
rs. I
tsm
eat
is q
uite
lea
n an
d de
licio
us, t
houg
h so
met
imes
tou
gh i
n ol
der
bird
s.A
ltho
ugh
com
mer
cial
and
unr
egul
ated
hun
ting
wer
e pr
oble
ms
in t
he p
ast,
hunt
ers
wer
e th
e m
ain
grou
p th
at h
elpe
d re
stor
e tu
rkey
pop
ulat
ions
by
fund
-in
g re
stoc
king
and
rel
ocat
ing
prog
ram
s an
d by
con
trib
utin
g to
gro
ups
that
cons
erve
hab
itat
suc
h as
the
Nat
iona
l Wild
Tur
key
Fede
rati
on.
East
ern
Wild
Tur
key
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
3 1/2–4 1/2 inches
Ref
eren
ces
Hew
itt,
O.H
., ed
. The
Wild
Tur
key
and
its M
anag
emen
t(T
he W
ildlif
e So
ciet
y, 1
967)
Gui
de t
o th
e A
mer
ican
Wild
Tur
key
(The
Nat
iona
l Wild
Tur
key
Fede
rati
on, 1
986)
Seam
ster
, Mic
hael
H. T
he W
ild T
urke
y in
Nor
th C
arol
ina
N.C
. Wild
life
Res
ourc
es C
omm
issi
on, 1
989)
Cre
dits
W
ritt
en b
y Br
ad H
owar
d; U
pdat
ed b
y E
vin
Stan
ford
, Sur
veys
and
Res
earc
h Bi
olog
ist–
NC
WR
CPr
oduc
ed b
y th
e D
ivis
ion
of C
onse
rvat
ion
Edu
cati
on, C
ay C
ross
–Edi
tor,
Car
la O
sbor
ne–D
esig
ner
Illu
stra
ted
by C
indy
Bru
nner
. Pho
tos
by N
orth
Car
olin
a W
ildlif
e R
esou
rces
Com
mis
sion
The
N.C
. Wild
life
Res
ourc
es C
omm
issi
on is
an
Equa
l Opp
ortu
nity
Em
ploy
er, a
nd a
ll w
ildlif
e pr
ogra
ms
are
adm
inis
tere
d fo
r th
e be
nefit
of a
ll N
orth
Car
olin
a ci
tizen
s w
ithou
t pre
judi
ceto
war
d ag
e, s
ex, r
ace,
rel
igio
n or
nat
iona
l ori
gin.
Vio
lati
ons
of t
his
pled
ge m
ay b
e re
port
ed t
o th
e E
qual
Em
ploy
men
t O
ffice
r, N
.C. W
ildlif
e R
esou
rces
Com
mis
sion
, 175
1 Va
rsit
y D
r.,R
alei
gh, N
.C. 2
7606
. (91
9) 7
07-0
101.
East
ern
Wild
Tur
key
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
Q&A 1.
Why
did
Ben
Fra
nklin
thin
k th
e w
ild tu
rkey
shou
ld b
e th
e na
tiona
l bird
?H
e th
ough
t the
wild
turk
ey w
as a
mor
e re
spec
tabl
e bi
rd th
an th
e ba
ld e
agle
.
2.W
hat d
oes t
he w
ild tu
rkey
eat
?T
he w
ild tu
rkey
is o
mni
voro
us a
nd p
rim
arily
feed
s on
nut
s, b
erri
es, a
corn
s, g
rass
es, s
eeds
, ins
ects
, and
will
als
oea
t sm
all c
reat
ures
suc
h as
liza
rds
or g
rubs
.
3.W
here
are
wild
turk
eys f
ound
in N
orth
Car
olin
a?T
he w
ild tu
rkey
is fo
und
from
the
mou
ntai
ns to
the
coas
t.
Link
See
wild
turk
eys
in a
ctio
n at
: htt
p://w
ww
.vid
eo.n
atio
nalg
eogr
aphi
c.co
m/v
ideo
/inde
x.ht
ml
NCW
RC In
tera
ctio
n: H
ow Y
ou C
an H
elp
A w
ild t
urke
y br
ood
surv
ey is
con
duct
ed e
ach
sum
mer
to
gain
insi
ght
into
wild
tur
key
prod
ucti
vity
acr
oss
the
stat
e an
d to
eva
luat
e go
bble
r ha
rves
t le
vels
fro
m t
he p
revi
ous
spri
ng h
unti
ng s
easo
n. P
arti
cipa
nts
in t
he s
urve
ypr
imar
ily c
onsi
st o
f N
. C. W
ildlif
e Re
sour
ces
Com
mis
sion
em
ploy
ees
and
avid
hun
ters
. Par
tici
pati
on in
the
sur
-ve
y si
mpl
y in
volv
es k
eepi
ng t
rack
of
wild
tur
key
obse
rvat
ions
dur
ing
the
cour
se o
f ro
utin
e, d
aily
act
ivit
ies
from
July
1 t
hrou
gh A
ugus
t 31
. In
you
are
a lic
ense
d hu
nter
and
wou
ld li
ke t
o pa
rtic
ipat
e in
the
sum
mer
tur
key
broo
dsu
rvey
, sub
mit
the
WRC
# f
rom
you
r hu
ntin
g lic
ense
and
you
r na
me,
mai
ling
addr
ess
and
date
of
birt
h to
:
NCW
RCD
ivis
ion
of W
ildlif
e M
anag
emen
t17
22 M
ail S
ervi
ce C
ente
rRa
leig
h, N
C 27
699-
1722
.
76
1 ✦ sea tur t le NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
There are only seven species of sea turtlesworldwide, and six are listed as threat-
ened or endangered in the United States. Al-though the most common species in NorthCarolina is the loggerhead sea turtle, five seaturtle species regularly visit North Carolinawaters: the loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, leather-back, green and hawksbill. Only loggerhead,green and leatherback sea turtles lay their eggson North Carolina beaches.
Each species specializes according to its“ecological niche.” For instance, leatherbackshave long flippers to help travel great distancesacross oceans during feeding and reproductivemigrations. Loggerheads have big heads andjaws to help them crush whelks and other mol-lusks that they feed on. Green turtles have aserrated beak to help them cut seagrass andalgae, their principal food.
NEST ING ACT IV ITYWhen in reproductive condition, female seaturtles will migrate to beaches in the sameregion where they were born. In the oceanwaters close to nesting beaches, females matewith one or more males, and roughly onemonth later are ready to lay their eggs. Fe-males nest several times in a single season,but will nest only every second or third year.Sea turtles generally emerge from the oceanat night to lay their eggs as a way to avoiddaytime predators and the drying effect ofthe hot sun. Once on the beach, the femalemay take an hour or more to carefully dig her nest 18 inches deep in the sand. She will lay about 120 leathery eggs in this vase-shaped cavity, cover them with sand and then return to the ocean, leaving the eggs to incubate on the beach.
Following approximately 60 days of incu-bation, the hatchlings will emerge from thenest and immediately scramble to the oceanwhere they remain for 15 to 30 years before
they reach sexual maturity and are ready tomate. Although sea turtles can live to be over50 years old, they have a very low survival rate. Only about one in 1,000 hatchlings willlive to reproduce.
POPULAT ION DECL INEMany sea turtle populations worldwide are de-clining. The existing seven species face differ-ent dangers, both on nesting beaches and inthe ocean. Some of the threats that turtles facein North Carolina include
• development and heavy traffic onbeaches that can disrupt adults ordestroy incubating eggs;
• indirect capture by fishing nets,which can lead to injury or death;
• accidental collisions with boats;
• beach renourishment activities thatcan uncover or compact sea turtlenests; and
• general ocean pollution.
A HELP ING HANDThe N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission hasbeen lending a helping hand to the sea turtlesnesting in our state since 1983. The Commission
ECOLOGICAL NICHEThe concept of an ecologicalniche for each species helpsus to understand how differ-ent species of animals andplants interact with eachother. Each species requiresa different set of environmen-tal conditions under which itcan take in food, reproduceand avoid predators. Thoseconditions determine where itcan live and how abundantthe population can become.Likewise, during its life cycle,each species makes use ofthe resources within its envi-ronment in a particular waybased on its biological needsand characteristics.
SEA TURTLE
A rehabilitated sea turtle makes its
way back to the ocean.
NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION fac t shee t , 2005
77
2 ✦ sea tur t le NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
created the North Carolina Sea Turtle Protec-tion Program to monitor sea turtle nesting activity in North Carolina, document repro-ductive success and mortality, and protectbeach habitat along the North Carolina coastfor sea turtle nesting. Commission biologistscoordinate hundreds of volunteers who par-ticipate in the year-round monitoring of seaturtle activities in North Carolina. During the nesting season (May through September),biologists and volunteers mark and observenests during incubation and also document all cases of sea turtle mortality.
A COLLABORAT IVE EFFORT Sea turtle conservation in North Carolina in-volves collaborative effort. The Commissionworks with many different organizations tohelp protect sea turtles and their nesting habi-tat. Commission biologists work with the U. S.Army Corps of Engineers to coordinate dredg-ing efforts to prevent sea turtle nests frombeing destroyed. They also provide importantinformation to public and private propertyowners along the coast about sea turtle con-servation, which helps to minimize potentialnegative impacts to sea turtles. The Commis-sion heads up a “Stranding and Salvage” net-work that responds to all cases of injured orsick turtles. A collaborative effort among theCommission, the North Carolina Aquariums,and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue andRehabilitation Center on Topsail Island en-sures that dozens of turtles are rehabilitatedand released back to the wild each year.
Commission biologists are also involved inresearch projects that will help benefit futuremanagement. In collaboration with the NCSUSchool of Veterinary Medicine and the Na-tional Marine Fisheries Service, Commissionbiologists currently are conducting a “HealthAssessment” study that will characterize thephysiological state of juvenile loggerhead seaturtles inhabiting our inshore waters. The in-formation gained will be extremely useful inimproving rehabilitation techniques and serveas a baseline for future studies. By working to-gether, the Commission and other conservationorganizations can effectively protect sea turtlenesting habitat along the North Carolina coastand conserve the sea turtle populations thatnest on our beaches.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Use red filters on flashlights when walking on the beach at night.
2. Do not disturb nesting sea turtles.
3. Turn off all outside lights facing the beach front during the nesting season.
4. Keep dogs on a leash.
5. Reduce beach traffic around sea turtle nests to prevent nest compaction.
6. Dispose of trash in an appropriate manner.
7. Be careful when navigating watercraft to prevent turtle collisions and injuries.
8. Volunteer with the Commission, Topsail Island Sea Turtle Hospital or beach clean-up crews.
9. Join a conservation organization to remain updated on current sea turtle conservation efforts.
10. Donate to the N.C. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.
NORTH CAROLINAWILDLIFE RESOURCESCOMMISSION1722 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, N.C. 27699-1722
(919) 707-0050
www.ncwildlife.org
A researcher measures a turtle’s cara-
pace for the health assessment study.
Wildlife Commission biologists work
hands-on with the turtles.
78
Clapper RailRallus longirostris
A raucous chock-chock-chock… or a fleeting glimpse of a gray and brownbird slinking through marsh grass is sometimes all you will experience of thesecretive clapper rail. This bird is normally found in the coastal salt marshesof North Carolina’s easternmost counties. Hen-like in appearance, the clapperrail is locally known as the marsh hen. The saying “thin as a rail” comes fromthe bird’s lean body, a characteristic that enables it to slip easily through marshgrass when walking or trying to escape predators. The clapper rail is one ofsix rail species found in North Carolina. The others include the sora, Virginia,king, black and yellow rail. Even with this variety of rail species, the clapperrail is likely only to be confused with the king rail, a slightly larger bird thatprefers freshwater marshes. The clapper rail is listed as a game bird and canbe hunted in North Carolina.
DescriptionThe clapper rail is one of the largest rail species, 13 to 16 inches in length. Theycan be distinguished by their chicken-like appearance, long unwebbed toes,long decurved bill and frequent upturned tail with white under tail covertfeathers. Clapper rails are olive-brown or gray-brown, with vertical gray-whitebarred flanks and buff or rust-colored breasts. The subspecies found along theAtlantic Coast generally has a paler appearance than other populations. Malesare slightly larger than females but similar in coloration. Juveniles are gener-ally more uniformly colored than adults. Clapper rails produce an astoundingvariety of calls, the most notable being kek-kek-kek or chock-chock-chock.Regardless of the interpretation, the primary call is loud and clattering in aseries of 20 to 25 notes, lowering in pitch and increasing in tempo. Femaleshave been heard to give a “purr” call.
History and StatusClapper rails were once abundant; however, egg collecting and market huntingin the 1800s and early 1900s reduced rail populations significantly. There areaccounts of more than 120 eggs being collected in a day by a single person. Now,thanks to modern game laws, eggs cannot be collected and light hunting pres-sure appears to have no permanent effect on rail populations. Instead, popula-tion size is most affected on a year-to-year basis by the flooding of nests fromhigh tides in spring. The long-term population trend of the bird will be mostseverely affected by water pollution and the destruction of coastal marsh habi-tat. Due to the rail’s secretive nature, the difficulty of working in marsh envi-ronments, and a lack of funding for rail research, basic information regardinglife history and yearly population status is still somewhat limited.
Clapper RailNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles
Range Map
The saying “thin as a rail” comes from the bird’s lean body.
Range and DistributionThe range of the clapper rail includes the
Atlantic, Gulf and California coasts, Central
America, the Caribbean, and coastal South
America. In North Carolina, clapper rails are
found exclusively in coastal salt marshes.
In winter, North Carolina has both a year-round
resident population and a migrant population
made up of birds from northern locations. Rails
usually migrate at night, flying south along
the coast. Recent analysis of observations
indicate that highest densities occur from
Florida to southern North Carolina.
Occupied
79
Wild
Fac
tsCl
assi
ficat
ion
Clas
s: A
ves
Ord
er: G
ruif
orm
es
Aver
age
Leng
th13
in.–
16 in
.
Food
Cray°s
h, s
mal
l cra
bs, s
mal
l °sh
, fro
gs,
slug
s, s
nails
, aq
uati
c in
sect
s, g
rass
hop-
pers
and
see
ds o
f w
eeds
and
woo
dy
plan
ts. A
t le
ast
79%
of
the
year
-rou
nd
diet
is a
nim
al-b
ased
.
Bree
ding
Mon
ogam
ous:
Pai
rs a
re e
stab
lishe
d or
rees
tabl
ishe
d ea
ch y
ear.
Nes
ting
sea
son
runs
fro
m A
pril
to J
une.
Inc
ubat
ion
peri
od is
20
days
wit
h a
pos s
ibili
ty o
f
2 cl
utch
es in
a n
esti
ng s
easo
n.
Youn
gFr
om 6
–14
you
ng,
usua
lly 9
–12
. Ch
icks
are
prec
ocia
l; fe
d re
gurg
itat
ed p
elle
ts
shor
tly
afte
r ha
tchi
ng, l
ater
col
lect
ing
own
food
. Adu
lt p
lum
age
acqu
ired
in
Oct
ober
of °r
st y
ear.
Life
Exp
ecta
ncy
Not
wel
l doc
umen
ted.
Habi
tat a
ndHa
bits
Cla
pper
rai
ls a
re fo
und
alm
ost e
xclu
sive
ly in
coa
stal
sal
twat
er m
arsh
es. O
bser
ving
clap
per
rails
can
be
diffi
cult
beca
use
the
bird
s pr
efer
to r
un th
roug
h th
ick
mar
shgr
ass
rath
er t
han
fly. W
hen
they
do
take
to
the
air,
clap
per
rails
are
con
side
red
wea
k fly
ers
and
gene
rally
set
tle
dow
n sh
ortl
y af
ter
taki
ng fl
ight
. The
nes
ting
seas
on o
ccur
s fr
om A
pril
to J
une.
Nes
ts, b
uilt
mos
tly
by m
ales
, are
clu
mps
of
vege
tati
on a
nd a
re o
ften
fou
nd w
here
dit
ches
or
cree
ks c
ause
the
occ
urre
nce
of t
all
and
shor
t gr
asse
s. C
omm
on n
esti
ng m
ater
ials
are
ru
shes
, sed
ges
and
cord
gras
s. G
ener
ally
, nin
e to
12
eggs
are
laid
. Som
e ra
ils m
ay p
rodu
ce s
econ
dcl
utch
es. I
ncub
atio
n av
erag
es 2
0 da
ys, a
nd i
t’s p
roba
bly
perf
orm
ed b
y bo
thse
xes.
The
you
ng a
re s
emi-
prec
ocia
l and
are
abl
e to
feed
inde
pend
entl
y sh
ortl
yaf
ter
leav
ing
the
nest
. You
ng r
ails
are
abl
e to
fly
in n
ine
to 1
0 w
eeks
. Cla
pper
rails
pre
fer
mor
e of
an
anim
al-b
ased
die
t th
an o
ther
rai
l spe
cies
.
Peop
le In
tera
ctio
nsT
houg
h th
eir
chat
teri
ng c
all i
s of
ten
hear
d, r
ails
are
not
oft
en s
een
exce
pt b
yav
id b
ird-
wat
cher
s or
hun
ters
. Bes
t vi
ewin
g op
port
unit
ies
occu
r at
daw
n an
ddu
sk a
s th
e bi
rds
leav
e th
e th
ick
mar
sh g
rass
and
fee
d on
ope
n m
ud fl
ats.
Rai
lse
ason
ope
ns in
ear
ly S
epte
mbe
r bu
t hu
ntin
g pr
essu
re a
nd h
arve
st is
min
imal
.H
uman
-rel
ated
act
iviti
es th
at h
ave
the
mos
t neg
ativ
e im
pact
on
rail
popu
latio
nsar
e d e
velo
pmen
t an
d po
lluti
on o
f co
asta
l mar
sh h
abit
ats.
Cla
pper
rai
l pop
ula-
tion
s ca
n be
st b
e pr
otec
ted
by p
rese
rvin
g th
ese
key
area
s.
Clap
per R
ail
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
Cla
pper
rai
l with
chi
cks.
Ref
eren
ces
Bent
, Art
hur
C. L
ife H
isto
ries
of N
orth
Am
eric
an M
arsh
Bir
ds(D
over
Pub
., In
c., 1
963)
Farr
and,
J. T
he A
udub
on S
ocie
ty M
aste
r G
uide
to B
irdi
ng—
I. Lo
ons
to S
andp
iper
s(A
lfred
A. K
nopf
, Inc
., 19
83)
John
sgar
d, P
. A. N
orth
Am
eric
an G
ame
Bird
s of
Upl
and
and
Shor
elin
e(U
niv.
of
Neb
rask
a Pr
ess,
197
5)R
iple
y, D
illon
. Rai
ls o
f the
Wor
ld(D
avid
God
ine,
197
7)Ta
cha.
T.C
. and
C.E
. Bra
un. M
igra
tory
Sho
re a
nd U
plan
d G
ame
Bird
Man
agem
ent i
n N
orth
Am
eric
a(I
nter
nati
onal
Ass
ocia
tion
of
Fish
& W
ildlif
e A
genc
ies,
199
4)
Cre
dits
Wri
tten
and
upd
ated
by
Joe
Fulle
r N
CW
RC
.Ph
otos
by
Mas
low
ski P
hoto
grap
hy a
nd L
arry
Hit
chen
s Ph
otog
raph
y. I
llust
rati
ons
by J
.T. N
ewm
an.
Prod
uced
201
1 by
the
Div
isio
n of
Con
serv
atio
n E
duca
tion
; Cay
Cro
ss–E
dito
r, C
arla
Osb
orne
–Des
igne
r.T
he N
.C. W
ildlif
e R
esou
rces
Com
mis
sion
is a
n E
qual
Opp
ortu
nity
Em
ploy
er a
nd a
ll w
ildlif
e pr
ogra
ms
are
adm
inis
tere
d fo
r th
e be
nefit
of a
ll N
orth
Car
olin
a ci
tizen
s w
ithou
t pre
judi
ceto
war
d ag
e, s
ex, r
ace,
rel
igio
n or
nat
iona
l ori
gin.
Vio
lati
ons
of t
his
pled
ge m
ay b
e re
port
ed t
o th
e E
qual
Opp
ortu
nity
Em
ploy
men
t O
ffice
r, N
.C. W
ildlif
e R
esou
rces
Com
mis
sion
,17
51 V
arsi
ty D
rive
, Ral
eigh
NC
276
06. T
elep
hone
919
-707
-010
1.
Clap
per R
ail
Wild
life
Profi
les—
Nor
th C
arol
ina
Wild
life
Reso
urce
s C
omm
issi
on
Q&A—
Reso
urce
s fo
r Tea
cher
s1.
Wha
t doe
s “se
mi-p
reco
cial
” mea
n?T
his
term
ref
ers
to c
hick
s th
at a
re w
ell d
evel
oped
whe
n th
ey h
atch
. The
ir e
yes
are
open
and
they
are
cov
ered
with
dow
n. T
hey
are
capa
ble
of le
avin
g th
e ne
st s
hort
ly a
fter
hatc
hing
, but
sta
y w
ith a
dults
who
feed
and
car
e fo
r th
emun
til th
ey c
an fl
y.
2.W
hat a
re th
e pr
imar
y th
reat
s ove
r the
long
-term
to p
opul
atio
ns o
f cla
pper
rails
?Lo
ng-t
erm
thre
ats
are
dest
ruct
ion
of c
oast
al m
arsh
hab
itat a
nd p
ollu
tion.
3.W
hat i
s a c
lapp
er ra
il’s f
avor
ite fo
od?
Cru
stac
eans
suc
h as
cra
bs a
nd c
rayfi
sh a
re a
mon
g th
e ra
il’s
favo
rite
s.
4.W
hat a
re th
e th
ree
dist
ingu
ishin
g ch
arac
teris
tics o
f a c
lapp
er ra
il?R
ails
are
cry
ptic
ally
col
ored
with
long
dec
urve
d bi
lls, s
hort
tails
and
whi
te u
nder
tail
cove
rts.
NCW
RC In
tera
ctio
nAl
thou
gh d
e°ni
tive
pop
ulat
ion
data
for
cla
pper
rai
ls is
lim
ited
, pop
-ul
atio
ns a
long
the
eas
t co
ast
appe
ar s
tabl
e. H
owev
er, d
evel
opm
ent
of c
oast
al h
abit
ats
and
resu
ltin
g po
lluti
on p
rese
nts
the
grea
test
long
-ter
m t
hrea
t fa
cing
thi
s se
cret
ive
spec
ies.
The
key
to
the
long
-ter
m c
onse
rvat
ion
of c
lapp
er r
ails
(an
d ot
her
rail
spec
ies)
ispr
otec
tion
of
coas
tal m
arsh
hab
itat
thr
ough
the
str
ong
supp
ort
of e
ffec
tive
wet
land
pro
tect
ion
law
s. C
urre
ntly
, res
earc
hers
are
test
ing
the
abili
ty t
o m
onit
or r
ail p
opul
atio
ns w
ith
call-
back
sur
-ve
ys. T
he s
urve
y in
volv
es p
layi
ng a
pre
-rec
orde
d ca
ll of
a p
arti
cu-
lar
rail
spec
ies
and
then
list
enin
g fo
r “c
all-b
acks
.” Th
e su
rvey
has
prom
ise
to d
eter
min
e pr
esen
ce/a
bsen
ce o
f th
e sp
ecie
s an
d lo
ng-
term
pop
ulat
ion
tren
ds.
80
