In the fall and winter we sometimes see strange clumps of rose colored berries on bushes throughout east central georgia. These berries are an excellent source of nutrition for any number of our native animals, notably deer and a wide variety of birds. Its highly astringent quality means it is not generally consumed, however it has been used in the production of jellies and wine. It’s juices have the property of being a natural insect repellent.
Generally this is a good species for wildlife and has no real drawbacks. You can buy seeds to encourage its growth.
The names “Water Moccasin” and “Cottonmouth” both refer to the same snake. Cottonmouth derives from the fact that a Water Moccasin has a distinctive and almost white interior of the mouth. As I was walking near the Savannah River in Aiken County, South Carolina, I heard a distinctive hissing. As I looked towards the ground I could see the wide open mouth of a Water Moccasin within a foot of where I was standing. Needless to say I quickly backed up. This is quite characteristic of the Water Moccasin and the snakes way of warning me away. If I had stayed a second longer I might have been the victim of its poisonous bite. Snakes don’t really want to bite anything they can’t eat, but will strike to protect themselves. They will also contract their body to allow for maximum spring when they strike. The snake above is in a dangerous posture and approaching too close can be hazardous.
If you can imagine being lost or misdirected in the woods without a compass, here it an easy way to get reoriented. Find a location that is in the open and where you are exposed to full sun. Find a stick that is reasonably straight and push it into the earth so that it remains vertical. The longer the stick the shorter the waiting time to get a complete solution. Find a small pebble and place it at the point where the shadow cast by the stick extends to its farthest point as in the diagram below. If you have an earth surface you may want to etch the letter W beside the rock. A diagram of the initial setup is below.
Wait 15 minutes or time enough to get a reasonable seperation from the tip of the shadow to a new point. Place a pebble at the tip of the shadow that has moved. If you like you can etch the letter E beside the rock.
Draw a straight line from one rock to the other. Now draw a perpendicular line from the approximate midpoint of the previous line. With the west on your left and east on your right the upper part of the line is North and the remaining direction is South. You now are properly oriented to grid north. If you check yourself with a compass, remember that grid north and magnetic north can be different by a few degrees in some areas of the United States.
This technique of orienteering is not 100% accurate but should be accurate enough for most navigation needs. The accuracy is best around the noon hour. Remember this trick and you can always orient yourself except on overcast days.
Most poisonous species of snakes in our area of Georgia fall into the category of Pit Vipers. This category includes Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths (Moccasins), and Copperheads. The only poisonous snake in our area that does not fall into this list is the Coral Snake, which is extremely rare here, but found more often in Georgia’s coastal plain.
Many non venomous snakes fall victim to misidentification with poisonous species, or worse, they fall prey to the attitude that, being difficult to identify, the only good snake is a dead snake.
All Pit Vipers can be identified by two characteristic features. They have eye slits rather than round eyes. Like humans almost all non-poisonous snakes have round irises. Like cats, Pit Vipers have vertically slit eyes. Pit Vipers also have a pit which is used as a heat sensing organ for hunting prey at night. This is in addition to its nostrils as depicted in the picture above.
Pit Vipers can also be identified by their characteristicly arrow shaped head, however, there are some species of non venomous snakes that have somewhat arrow shaped heads, such as the brown water snake.
Remember that all snakes that have not been positively identified should be regarded as poisonous before handling.
(Plant Vogtle Burke County Georgia)
Plant Vogtle has passed most of its state regulatory hurdles needed to begin construction of two new reactors in Burke County, Georgia. The state utility regulators have already passed their blessing on the project. In addition, the Georgia Public Service Commission has approved an increase in of 9% in billing to current Georgia Power customers.
It’s not a done deal yet as the federal regulators will still have their say in the process, and some environmental groups are still fighting the approval, but its looking more and more like Vogtle will be getting to build the two new reactors.
So what does this mean for wildlife enthusiasts and land owners in Burke County?
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