Monday, November 9, 2009

Small and Smelly Wins the Race: Life as a Stinkpot

By Heather Lunn, Senior Interpreter
(Photo by Simon Lunn)

Murphys Point has five species of turtles that call the park home. The smallest of the five, and most elusive, is the stinkpot turtle (also known as musk turtle or Sternotherus odoratus). Unless you are in a canoe and looking very carefully at the muddy bottom or amongst the aquatic vegetation, you are very unlikely to ever see a stinkpot turtle. These turtles are mainly nocturnal and rarely come out of water to bask like other turtles. Basking is usually done while partially submerged in shallow water. The only time you may find a stinkpot on land is when females come out to lay eggs in the spring. Even then, however, female stinkpots tend to lay their 3 to 6 eggs close to the water’s edge in debris or in a shallowly excavated nest.

Stinkpots are aptly named because when agitated they do, in fact, stink. They have four glands underneath their shell that will emit a fluid that smells vaguely similar to the spray of a skunk. Comparable to a snapping turtle, stinkpots have a very small plastron and are not able to pull their legs or head inside their shell. Therefore they have developed their stinky defence to deter predators from eating them. Like a snapping turtle, these small turtles can stretch out their long necks and bite if not handled with care.

Although they are highly aquatic turtles, stinkpots are not very fast swimmers. Instead, they are often found walking along the muddy bottoms of lakes and marshes. One must look carefully when searching for this tiny turtle because when holding still they appear very similar to an algae covered rock. They are also often confused with young snapping turtles, but are distinguishable by their pointy snout and yellow lines running from the tip of their nose to behind their eye.

As an aquatic turtle, the stinkpot’s source of food lies mainly in the water. The stinkpot feeds on a range of invertebrates and other things, including leeches, aquatic insects, crustaceans, molluscs, small fish, tadpoles, aquatic plants, and even carrion if it is not overly decayed.

Stinkpots can live a long life of up to 50 years if they are in a productive environment. However, many stinkpot turtles are in trouble. Listed as a threatened species both provincially and federally, the main factors leading to their population decline are shoreline development and drainage of wetland habitats. Stinkpots use shoreline vegetation and adjacent aquatic plants for shelter, food, and nesting habitat. When plant life is removed, or the shoreline is “cleaned up,” there is less habitat to support stinkpot populations. If wetlands that contain stinkpot turtles are drained, the majority of the stinkpots will perish. This is because unlike other turtles, stinkpots lose the water in their body quickly if they are on dry land for too long. Therefore, if the wetland they live in is drained, they are not able to travel great distances over land to find a new one.

At Murphys Point it is our responsibility to protect our stinkpot turtles to ensure their place in the park’s fragile ecosystems. At home you too can help stinkpots by conserving wetlands on your property or maintaining natural shorelines. These secretive little turtles will thank you!

References
Harding, James H. (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press: United States of America.

MacCulloch, Ross D. (2002). The ROM Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum: Toronto.

Martin, A. Stinkpot Turtle. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.nipissing-naturalist.com/SAR/stinkpot.htm

Parks Canada. (2009). Stinkpot Turtle. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/nature/eep-sar/itm3/eep-sar3z.aspx

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Three Lives of the Eastern Newt

By Heather Lunn, Senior Interpreter
(Photo by Simon Lunn )

Like many other species of salamanders, eastern newts begin their lives as eggs laid in springtime in small forest ponds. They hatch in late spring and spend the first two or three months of their lives in the water as a larval newt with finned tails and gills. Around August and September, however, many of these baby newts have developed lungs, lost their gills, their tails have become rounded, and they have had their slimy brown skin change to rough, bright red or orange in colouration! They emerge from the water onto land into their next stage of life where they are known as a “red eft.” The eft stage for a newt makes them unique among salamanders. For other salamanders, once they emerge onto land from their pool of origin they are ready to begin their adult lives. However, for the eastern newt, their land-loving, red-eft stage is their time to be a teenager, and they will eventually return to the water permanently as an adult newt.

As a prepubescent newt, the terrestrial red eft will wander around in daylight, in rainy weather, more often than other salamanders. This may seem unwise given the eft’s bright red- and orange-coloured skin, which stands out against the brown of the forest floor. Their colouration is an advertisement, however, to any would-be predators that the eft is to some degree toxic and would not be very palatable to eat. At 3 to 10 cm in length, red efts often evade our eyes, even with their bright colouration. They spend much of their time under rotting logs during the day and wander around mainly at night hunting for insects, larvae, snails, and worms.

Newts will stay in their red-eft stage from two to seven years. While in this form, they over-winter in similar haunts as other salamanders, such as under rocks, logs, and banks below the frost line. Finally one spring the red eft will receive the calling to go back to the water. As they become a sexually mature adult eastern newt, their skin loses its rough feeling and becomes soft and moist again. The bright orange and red colouration changes to a more easily camouflaged olive green. Lastly, as they head back to the water, their tails become keeled again. Unlike frogs, toads, and some other salamanders, newts are not drawn back to their ancestral pond to mate. The efts will travel overland to new ponds, which promotes cross-breeding between different populations. Their entire lifespan, from egg to larva to eft to newt, can take up to 15 years. After changing into their final adult newt form, they rarely ever set foot on land again, except occasionally to hibernate. If their water pool dries up, newts will sometimes change colour to brown, loose their keeling on their tail and go in search of a new watery home.

References
Harding, James H. (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press: United States of America.

MacCulloch, Ross D. (2002). The ROM Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum: Toronto.

Shedd, Warner (2000). Owls Aren’t Wise and Bats Aren’t Blind. Three Rivers Press: New York.

Bennet, Doug; Tiner, Tim (1993). Up North. Reed Books Canada: Toronto.

Monday, October 12, 2009

A Prospector’s Story: Rinaldo McConnell (1852-1931)

By NHE student Tessa Inwood

The name Rinaldo McConnell may be familiar to local history buffs as well as those who have taken part in the guided Silver Queen Mine hike at Murphys Point Provincial Park. To others, he is just another name along the timeline of history. However, he played an integral part in Ontario mining history.

Rinaldo McConnell was born to a family of lumbermen in the Ottawa-Hull region and continued this career path as a young man, travelling throughout Ontario. While cruising for lumber through Vankleek Hill, Rinaldo met his future wife Emma Vogen, who he married in 1878. He and his wife Emma had ten children together. The McConnell family lived in Ottawa for fourteen years and later relocated to Toronto around 1914.

McConnell’s years spent in the lumber industry led him to a natural fascination with the art of prospecting Canadian minerals. D.M. LeBourdais, author of The Story of Nickel, had this to say about Rinaldo: “Every mining camp seems to produce at least one colourful figure and in Sudbury that was undoubtedly Rinaldo McConnell. Formerly a timber cruiser, the stained rocks of the Sudbury basin so stained his imagination that prospecting came to occupy more and more of his time and his attention” (1). This passion for mineral prospecting eventually led to a full-time occupation and a determined faith in the rocks he scoured. In the 79 years McConnell lived, he discovered, operated, and sold numerous mining sites from Sudbury to Port Elmsley where minerals such as mica and nickel were mined.

The following timeline illustrates the contribution Rinaldo McConnell made to both small-scale and large-scale mining in Ontario:

1884: Rinaldo discovered “The Lady McDonald” nickel deposit –the second nickel property to be purchased by prospectors in Snider Township.
Circa 1884-1900: Rinaldo and prospecting partners discovered 12 or more nickel-rich sites in the Sudbury region.
1902: Rinaldo opened the Globe Refining Co. in Port Elmsley, Ontario. This company mined and refined graphite and feldspar minerals.
1903: Rinaldo opened the Silver Queen Mine in North Burgess Township near Perth, Ontario which mined mica, feldspar, and apatite.
1905: Rinaldo purchased the recently closed Black Donald Graphite Mine in Calabogie, which he operated successfully for several years.
1908: Rinaldo McConnell purchased several Iron Ore properties in the Port Arthur region (present-day Thunder Bay).

Rinaldo McConnell did much throughout his lifetime as a father, a husband, and a mineral prospector in Ontario. At his time of retirement he still exemplified his enthusiasm for finding “rocks” in these words: “It has not been an easy life, but like all prospectors I had to be an optimist. The prospector must wait throughout the long winters for the vanishing of the snow to continue his search in the wilderness where he knows full well a famous gold mine awaits his coming just over the crest of the next hill. If it is not on the first, it must certainly be on the next, and soon throughout the years with his faith unshaken he goes down the long pathway of life.(2)

References:
1. Rinaldo McConnell Biography by Malcolm Rinaldo Sabiston: sent to Murphy’s Point Provincial Park in January 1996.
2. Friends of Murphys Point, Silver Queen Mine Trail Guide: Published by Lithosphere Press.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Raffle Winners!

The prizes have been collected by our 2009 raffle winners! Congratulations to all and thanks to everyone for their support of the raffle. Stay tuned for info about the 2010 raffle!
The grand prize (MEC Prospector Canoe, two paddles, two PFDs), from left: Assistant Park Superintendent Lynette Whan, Friends Secretary Cathy Lamport, Grand Prize Winner Florence McGuire of Westport, Friends Vice-President Judy Fletcher and Park Superintendent Dean Noonan.
Second prize (SuperCycle 1800 18-speed mountain bike from Canadian Tire): Friends Vice-President Judy Fletcher, Winner John Stacey of Carleton Place and Friends Secretary Cathy Lamport.

Third prize (Camping package: Coleman Propane Fold N Go 2-burner stove, MEC carry-all day pack, Tilley Endurables hemp hat, Eureka sleeping bag, 2 SC Johnson Deep Woods Off mosquito lanterns): Winner Amy Patterson of Perth, seated. From left: Park Warden Chad Stein, Friends Volunteer Beth Peterkin, Park Superintendent Dean Noonan, Friends President Stephanie Gray, Friends Secretary Cathy Lamport.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Beaver: An elusive figure, a Canadian symbol


By NHE student Tessa Inwood
(Photo by Simon Lunn)

The North American beaver is a familiar animal to most Canadian families as it can be seen anywhere from on T-shirts to hats to even on the five cent nickel! But have Canadians really seen the living, breathing, lodge building beaver? Chances are many have not as beavers are primarily nocturnal and most often observed in the evening repairing dams, gathering food or splashing around in the water.

Beavers are a member of the rodent family and are the largest found in Murphys Point Provincial Park. The beaver is covered in dark brown fur with a paddle-shaped, scaly tail. The beaver possesses two long orange front teeth that allow for cutting and carrying large pieces of wood. Fact: beavers have rust-coloured teeth because of high concentrations of iron, which allow their teeth to withstand constant gnawing and eating of wood. Wood is important as it provides both diet and dwelling for this aquatic creature.

Beavers inhabit any small body of water and are well adapted to do so. Their tail is used as a rudder while valvular flaps close off the ears, nose and mouth when submerged. Interestingly their front incisors do remain exposed to carry wood. Even the beaver’s eyes are protected by a thin layer of clear skin membrane!

Though the beaver may remain out of sight his home is certainly visible along river and stream banks. The home of a beaver is constructed from sticks, reeds, branches, saplings, and mud. This dome-shaped habitat is equipped with underwater entrances offering further escape from human notice. A beaver lodge can accommodate a whole clan of beavers and provides a safe haven from predators such as the coyote, red fox, black bear and river otter. Though the beaver is preyed upon by a variety of mammals his acute sense of hearing and strong sense of smell provide a warning if danger approaches. Furthermore beavers will loudly slap their tails against the water to alert others of potential danger.

Beavers form a hierarchical society based on the family unit with the female or mother beaver at the head. Beavers are believed to be monogamous, pairing for life. The family functions as a cooperative group in performing daily activities and chores (not so different from most Canadian families)! The beaver may be an oversized rodent but he will remain an integral symbol to the Canadian past, present and future.

References
Novak, Milan. The Beaver in Ontario. Published: Ministry of Natural Resources, 1972, revised 1976

Burt, William and Grossenheider, Richard. A Field Guide to the Mammals. Published: Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 1976

Banfield, A.W.F. The Mammals of Canada. Published: University of Toronto Press, 1974

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fall Programs!


Click here to discover what's happening at Murphys Point up to Thanksgiving! There is still lots to do (such as an interpretive hike to the Silver Queen Mine)!





2009 Raffle Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2009 RAFFLE WINNERS!

GRAND PRIZE: MEC Prospector Canoe (16', 69 lbs., fibreglass), two paddles, two PFDs WON BY FLORENCE McGUIRE OF WESTPORT, ONTARIO

2nd PRIZE: SuperCycle 1800 18-speed mountain bike from Canadian Tire WON BY JOHN STACEY OF CARLETON PLACE, ONTARIO

3rd PRIZE: Camping package (Coleman Propane Fold N Go 2-burner stove, MEC carry-all day pack, Tilley Endurables hemp hat, Eureka sleeping bag, 2 SC Johnson Deep Woods Off mosquito lanterns) WON BY AMY PATTERSON OF PERTH, ONTARIO

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE RAFFLE. PROCEEDS GO TO NATURAL HERITAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE PARK.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Message from the President

Hello Friends!

Welcome to our new adventure in cyberspace! In our continuing (paperless) effort to keep our members and others up to speed on the latest happenings with the Friends, we are taking our annual journal, Among Friends, live and online! Now you will get the news as it happens.

Visit this space often, become a "Follower" (see the tab on the right) or add this blog to your Google Reader so you can find out quickly when something new has been posted. Instead of issuing one large journal each year that is filled with articles about Friends' activities, park happenings and our popular natural and cultural history features, we'll be posting them here year round. Our 2009 summer students and the senior park naturalists have been busy writing informative articles to share with you about the fascinating resources at Murphys Point Provincial Park - and you can read them here!

Occasionally we will open an "Ask a Park Naturalist" forum to give people a chance to ask questions about the park's natural and cultural history, too. Stay tuned!

We hope you enjoy Among Friends online and thank you for your support!
Stephanie Gray
President