Snakes Alive 2014!

"It's the end of a sunny autumn day in the forest. . . Every year at this time, snakes that live in cold climates travel to dens to spend the winter. They often return to the same den each year, and large groups of snakes may share the same den." ~ On the Move

Illustration copyright Susan Detwiler

Click HERE to read about the fall snake migration at Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois!

And here are some pictures I took of snakes at the Western North Carolina Nature Center:

Monarch Butterflies on the move!

"Up north, the autumn air is chilly. Monarch butterflies flutter their brilliant orange and gold wings. Soon they are on the move. More and more monarchs join the flight until tens of millions of monarchs are flying south together...

copyright Susan Detwiler

...These butterflies have not made this trip before. Somehow they know to take the same route as the monarchs who lived before them. They even stop to rest in the same places. Once they reach their southern home, the monarchs will sleep for much of the winter." (from On the Move by Scotti Cohn)

 To read more about monarch migration, check out these cool web sites!

Monarch Watch

Monarch Butterfly USA

Journey North