Native Animals of the W&OD
We are very fortunate to have many animals who make their homes within the W&OD Railroad Regional Park. Many urban and suburban parks connect with the W&OD, giving animals corridors to travel and feed. Please give these natural residents of the park wide berth if you happen upon them.
Birds
There are hundreds of birds that frequent the W&OD. Some are seen as they pass through migrating. Others are here year-round. A partial list of birds that have been spotted on the trail includes various woodpeckers, chickadees, red shouldered hawks, barred owls, bald eagles, goldfinches, cardinals, mockingbirds, juncos, sparrows, bluebirds, blue jays, and many others. If you catch one in a particularly good photo and would like to share it with us, please send it to wod@nvrpa.org Here are a couple of our more unusual residents.
Eastern Wild Turkey (meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
Although not often seen, the eastern wild turkey is a resident of the W&OD Railroad Regional Park. Early settlers of Virginia were dependent upon wild game for sustenance, and wild turkeys became a staple food item. Over time, changes in habitat and over-hunting led to a serious population decline of the iconic birds. Fortunately, with the regulation of hunting, wild turkeys have rebounded, and we think ours are particularly grateful for their habitat corridor in which hunting is prohibited. If you’re lucky, you might see a few – sometimes between Vienna and Reston, and more often, out west in Loudoun County. They can be cranky, so give them plenty of room. They’ll move on soon enough.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Introducing … one of the most colorful animals on Earth! The Wood duck! You don’t have to go to Costa Rica or even the zoo to find it. A walk along the W&OD Trail in the Vienna area will afford a view of this gorgeous duck, sometimes called the “squealer” (because of its voice). The male Wood duck, with its crest, fiery red eyes, and dazzling greens, blacks, reds, brown-yellows, and whites, is truly a sight to see; in fact, the splendor of its plumage, suggestive of (certainly garish) formal wear, is reflected in its taxonomic name, for sponsa means “betrothed” in Latin. The female Wood duck is more drab, but attractive nonetheless.
The “woodie” is rather common in Virginia during all seasons except winter. Normally the duck is found in pairs or small groups, but may congregate in the fall before migration. “Woodies” live near still or slow-moving bodies of water that have suitable large trees — or man-made boxes — for nesting. Nesting season starts in late winter or early spring, and the female lays ten to fifteen eggs that hatch in about thirty days. Once out of the nest, the ducklings require another two months before they learn to fly.
Predators prevent slightly more than half of the ducklings from surviving to adulthood. Snapping turtles eat the eggs; minks, raccoons, etc. feed on unwary or unguarded nestlings and fledglings. During the first months of life, “woodies” eat insects and soft vegetation such as duckweed (which, incidentally, is the world’s smallest flowering plant). Adults, however, eat mostly nuts and seeds — acorns, beechnuts, etc.
The wood duck was one of the many varieties of waterfowl which was nearly driven to extinction in the early 1900’s. Because its flesh was particularly popular among consumers of that era, the bird was hunted ferociously; and, its nesting areas were ravaged by careless logging practices. Although the “woodie” is doing well today, it still faces many pressures, the most serious of which is the continued destruction of its habitat.
Mammals
There are a handful of mammals that frequently appear on the trail, some as residents and others passing through. As with all animals, please refrain from disturbing or distressing any you might encounter. Watch from a distance, and give them time to get off the main trail before proceeding.
Mouse Bear (Groundhog) (Marmota monax)
Mouse bear, weatherman, woodchuck or groundhog? While walking or riding along the W&OD Trail you may have seen a thick, squat, ten-to-fourteen pound animal with thick brown fur and a bushy six-inch tail. This is the groundhog (Marmota monax), popularly celebrated for its ability to predict the propinquity of spring.
The embankments that were created when the railroad bed was laid down make the W&OD Trail an ideal habitat for this mammal; the mounds of excavated soil piled around the entrance easily mark the location of a groundhog’s burrow. Also, since the power company trims all of the vegetation in the vicinity of the power lines every two years, the low grasses that the groundhog loves grow in abundance and thus provide an abundance of food.
A true hibernator, the groundhog retires in the fall and seldom emerges from its den before March. During the winter its body temperature drops from 99 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit and its heart rate falls from 80 to 5 beats per minute. The animal survives by drawing upon the great store of fat which it has laid up during the preceding summer and fall, when it will often eat as much as a pound of grass — nearly 10 percent of its body weight — at a single sitting.
You may have already noticed how, when it senses danger or an intruder, the groundhog lumbers off at top speed — six to eight miles per hour.
Black Bear (ursus americanus americanus)
Yes, Virginia, there are black bears around and on the W&OD Trail. They’ve been seen from Arlington to Purcellville, usually in the late summer and early fall. They’re often juvenile males whose mothers have told them to go out and find a job. Like most commuters, they find the trail to be an easy corridor to get where they’re going. They travel between neighborhood birdfeeders and blackberry bushes often using the greenspaces and parks connected to the W&OD for cover.
Adult black bears are approximately 4 to 7 feet from nose to tail, and two to three feet high at the withers. Males are larger than females. Black bears have small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, large non retractable claws, a large body, a short tail, and shaggy hair. In Virginia most black bears are true black in color unlike black bears found in more western states that can be shades of red, brown or blond.
The American black bear is found only in North America. Black bears historically ranged over most of the forested regions of North America, and significant portions of northern Mexico. There are approximately 900,000 black bears in North America. Black bears reside in every province in Canada except for Prince Edward Isle, and in at least 40 of the 50 states in the US. Black bears are typically crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn), but can be active any time of day, particularly if there are food resources nearby.
Female black bears have smaller home ranges (1 to 50 square miles) than males (10 to 290 square miles). A male’s home range may overlap several female home ranges. Bears may move further in times of less food like early spring or during poor mast crop years. Dispersing yearlings, especially males, looking for new home ranges may also travel a great distance. Adult bears have been known to travel over 95 miles in a year, and will occasionally mark trees with their claws, especially during the breeding season.
If you see one, give it plenty of room. It won’t stick around long.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
White-tailed deer are ubiquitous throughout the park, often occupying the paved part of the trail as if they own it. The youngsters move off the trail quickly, but the mature adults aren’t the least bit fazed by the approach of humans. Slow your roll or your stroll because they’re big and unpredictable.
White-tailed deer grow antlers in April or May, and shed them in the winter. At birth, fawns are spotted with white coloration and gradually lose the spots by their first winter. Fawns are able to walk at birth and nibble on vegetation only a few days later. White-tailed deer are important as disease vectors because they serve as hosts to the ticks which carry Lyme disease. They are overabundant in our area due to a lack of natural predators.
Reptiles & Amphibians
There are many lizards and other small creatures living in the park. While some flash across the trail in a second, others take their time, and still others are only heard, rarely seen. Regardless, please yield space to them, giving them time to move off the path.
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)
On cool, fall days the W&OD Trail asphalt is used by creatures other than those jogging or riding bicycles. Snakes of all kinds slither on to the dark, warm surface to absorb the heat. Sometimes, what appears to be a discarded inner tube is actually a black rat snake, the most frequently seen snake on the W&OD.
The adult snake is shiny black with white specks on the edges of some scales. The juvenile rat snake can have dark gray or brown blotches on a light gray background. About twelve inches long when hatched, the adult rat snake can reach a length of eight feet.
This nonpoisonous snake eats any warm-blooded prey, killing by constriction. Its primary victims are rats, mice, birds and the eggs of birds. Because of its value in rodent control, the rat snake is a bit more immune to man’s prejudices than most snakes. Natural predators include foxes, bobcats, opossums, raccoons, weasels, skunks and hawks.
The black rat snake is to be found mostly in forests, small wood lots, and around large buildings such as barns. It is also an excellent climber and spends much of the time in trees and vegetation above the ground. When frightened on the ground, the rat snake will shake its tail, which, in dry leaves, produces a credible imitation of a rattlesnake.
Although the black rat snake is non-poisonous and lacks the fangs that most poisonous snakes have, it does possess teeth. When disturbed, it will coil up and strike at intruders, and can inflict a painful bite. Thus, this snake — as well as all of the rest of the wildlife in the Park — should be observed from a discreet distance and be left to go about its business.
Box Turtle (Terapene terapene carolina)
Often spotted on the Trail as it plods along (stopping now and again to crane its neck), the eastern box turtle has been firmly established in our area for many millions of years. Although this fascinating reptile has not yet become an officially endangered species, it is most certainly at real, ever-increasing risk due to the ongoing (and accelerating) destruction of native habitat, climatological change, AND the well-meaning hikers and children who, when they take the turtle home, inevitably bring about its premature death. This final risk, of course, is one that is within everyone’s direct power to eliminate easily: if you should happen upon one of these grapefruit-sized, brown and yellow tanks, simply enjoy its company in the wild, but please DO NOT touch it or take it home.
An entertainingly reflective appreciation of the virtues of our regional testudinate was framed for the North Carolina Legislature when that body decided to adopt the turtle as the official state reptile in 1979:
H. B. 384 CHAPTER 154
AN ACT TO ADOPT THE TURTLE AS THE OFFICIAL STATE REPTILE FOR THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
WHEREAS, the turtle is a most useful creature who serves to control harmful and pestiferous insects, and acts as one of nature’s clean-up crew, helping to preserve the purity and beauty of our waters; and
WHEREAS, the turtle is derided by some who have missed the finer things of life, but in some species has provided food that is a gourmet’s delight; and
WHEREAS, the turtle, which at a superficial glance appears to be a mundane and uninteresting creature, is actually a most fascinating creature, ranging from species well adapted to modern conditions to species which have existed virtually unchanged since prehistoric times; and
WHEREAS, the turtle watches undisturbed as countless generations of faster hares run by to quick oblivion, and is thus a model of patience for mankind, and a symbol of this State’s unrelenting pursuit of great and lofty goals; and
WHEREAS, the woodlands, marshes, and inland and coastal waters of North Carolina are the abode of many species of turtles; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. Chapter 145 is amended by adding a new section as follows:
“§ 145-9. State reptile.— The turtle is adopted as the official State reptile of the State of North Carolina, and the eastern box turtle is designated as the emblem representing the turtles inhabiting North Carolina.”
Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentine serpentine)
From time to time, trail users come across what looks like a moving gray or slimy green disc. Upon further inspection (from a safe distance), they discover one of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s most widely distributed turtle, the Eastern Snapping Turtle.
They get pretty big — as much as 19 inches in length and up to 35lbs. The breeding season is from late April until November. The incubation period is from 80-90 days, and egg laying occurs usually in June. The hard-shelled, white eggs are spherical in shape, resembling ping-pong balls. The eggs are laid in a flask-shaped cavity that the females dig in many varieties of soils on dry land.
Classified as a “Species of Moderate Conservation Need”, the Eastern Snapping Turtle has suffered severe habitat loss throughout the state. We are happy that they feel comfortable joining us as Trail users. We’re less happy when human or canine trail users interact with them. The stories of snapping turtles being able to snap a broomstick or biting off children’s toes while they’re swimming in ponds are just that – stories. But it doesn’t mean they’re harmless. If you come across one, just give it time to get where it’s going, and consider yourself lucky to have seen it.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer)
The shrill, whistling chorus of the spring peepers, a brief recorded sample of which is provided above, normally begins to swell in marshy areas along the W&OD a week or so before the vernal equinox, and is one of our area’s earliest signs of the advent of the season. They are very loud in the area between Vienna and Reston, where Difficult Run winds through the floodplain of the W&OD and surrounding park land, much of which belongs to Fairfax County.
The Spring Peeper is a long noted resident of North America, admired and documented by earlier visitors. Once such visitor, naturalist and explorer Alexander Philipp Maximilian (1782-1867), prince of Wied-Neuwied, who undertook a journey of scientific investigation in North America from 1832 to 1834, contributed to the effort to assign to the frog a Linnaean binomial, whose purely morphological designation (the only scientific option available in that era) was subsequently refined by later researchers into a more precise, neo-Linnaean trinomial, viz., Pseudacris crucifer crucifer. Good collections of photographs of the spring peeper may be found on the web sites of the Virginia Herpetological Society and Berkeley.
These watercolor and pencil studies, drawn by Carl (also spelled “Karl”) Bodmer in 1833 during his travels in North America with the prince of Wied-Neuwied, almost certainly represent the first time in history that an effort was made to record the phenotype — that is, to image exactingly in the service of science the visible characteristics — of what is now commonly called the spring peeper.
Translation of Prince Maximilian’s scientific description of the spring peeper:
“Hyla crucifer [= spring peeper (see the explanation below)]: Eyes large; snout somewhat rounded; legs long and slim; large stomach covered with granules; forefoot Translation: with four fingers, of which the second (counting from the outside) is the longest; hind foot is five-toed, the second toe from the outside the longest, the inner and outer toes being shorter and of roughly the same length, the remainder are short, with gaps between them; coloration: basic color of the upper portion is yellowish-grey or brownish-grey, and the back is marked by a broad St. Andrew’s cross of a darker color. Frequently this marking consists of several angled stripes whose tips, pointed forwards, create an even broader St. Andrew’s cross on the back and neck; in other cases the lines are not solid and along their lengths run a couple of stripes which create pointed angles directed forward; the forward crossing frequently directs its branches toward the raised eyelids between which is located a bend the point of whose angle is directed backwards; a dark stroke that runs through the eyes continues through to the side of the stomach; throat dark grey-brown; skin of the throat beneath the edge of the lower jaw blackish brown; stomach soiled yellow; shank with obscure dark bends. Legs and shanks overflow on the underside a reddish-flesh brown.
A small, lively frog whose body from snout to rump’s end measures one inch. The cry is a clear whistle that rises somewhat at its finish. During mating season, the throat took on a spherical shape.”
For more information regarding Prince Maximilian, follow this link.
Native Plants of the W&OD
NOVA Parks is working very hard within the limits of the W&OD Railroad Regional Park to eradicate non-native invasive species and promote natives. Anyone interested in these types of efforts should use the contact form to get involved.
Butterfly Milkweed
Clustered blooms of one variety (Asclepias tuberosa) of the butterfly milkweed glow in the westering sun of early summer. The leaves of the plant are the sole source of nourishment for the Monarch caterpillar, and that diet preserves the distinctively marked creature against predation by rendering its flesh extremely unpalatable, even toxic. When it emerges metamorphosed from the chrysalis, the butterfly, also distinctively marked and unpalatable, possesses a proboscis instead of jaws so that it is able to feed only on fluids.
Because of the loss of much of the milkweed along the path of this butterfly’s lengthy annual migration through the United States from its hibernating grounds in the forests of Central Mexico to Canada, the World Wildlife Fund has instituted a volunteer program, the Monarch Squad, through participation in which citizens are encouraged to prevent a significant collapse of the population (sometimes termed a “quasi-extinction”) by planting milkweed along the migratory path of this species.