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Previous Critters of the Season... Common Five-lined Skink (click to enlarge image) Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) These two lizards are a male and female five-lined skink. They are common here at ECLP. They eat spiders and other insects. The females lay eggs and will guard them. In July the eggs will hatch and the park comes to life with beautiful blue tailed lizards every where. It is very important that these reptiles are not touched. Five-lined skinks can break their own tail off when threatened. Please observe these awesome animals but do not touch them. Turkey Vulture (click to enlarge image) The Turkey Vulture Turkey vultures are a common bird here at the park. They get their name because their featherless head looks like a turkey's head. There is an important purpose to the vulture's bald head. When the vulture is eating carrion, it must often stick its head inside the carcass to reach the meat. A feathery head would capture unwanted pieces of the vulture's meal, along with all the bacteria it hosts. The Turkey Vulture, contrary to popular belief, does not feed strictly on carrion. This bird enjoys plant matter as well, including shoreline vegetation, pumpkin, and bits of other crops.The turkey vulture has few natural predators. Its primary form of defense is vomiting. The birds do not "projectile vomit," as many would claim. They simply cough up a lump of semi-digested meat. This foul smelling substance deters most creatures intent on raiding a vulture nest. It will also sting if the offending animal is close enough to get the vomit in its face or eyes. Look in the sky for this large bird circling for its next meal. Eastern Red Bat (click to enlarge image) The Eastern Red Bat Eastern Red Bats are found throughout Virginia. They get their name by their beautiful color. Male red bats are bright red but females are dull chestnut color. Red bats roost in trees, hanging like this one, trying to mimic a dead leaf. You may find them dozing in piles of leaves on the ground. They will fly any time of the year as long it is 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Beetles, leaf hoppers and moths are their primary food. During our warmer winter nights watch for this beautiful flying mammal around street lights. Barred Owl Chick (click to enlarge image) The Barred Owl This barred owl chick was fledged right here in our park! Despite the fact that barred owls appear to be large, they weigh only about one pound. The live in bottomland forests, parks, and suburban areas. They lay 2-3 eggs and the young can be heard making a hissing sound as they beg for food. Sign up and learn more about this nocturnal hunter on January 6 from 9-10:30am. Marble Salamander Ambystoma opacum Marble salamanders are amphibians that get their name from the beautiful marbled pattern on their back and tail. They breed in the fall. The females lay their eggs in depressions which will eventually fill up with water. The eggs hatch when the rain comes and their larvae live all winter long in vernal pools. Bullfrogs, Rana castesbeiana, are our largest frog. They live at Walney pond and call all summer long. Their call sounds like JUGARUUUMMM...JUGARUUUMMM. Bullfrogs eat anything that is smaller than them. They can stay in the tadpole state for up to 3 years! The Eastern Snapping Turtle is Virginia's largest fresh water turtle. It can grow up to 19 inches and weigh up to 35lbs! This turtle prefers dead, but not rotting, fish. It will also eat crayfish, toads, frogs, fish, aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, muskrats, aquatic plants, and algae. Adult snappers have few predators; humans are the primary ones.