Late September brings a striking change to the meadows at Briarhopper Ranch. Even as the big and bold bloom of high summer fade, the late-season landscape lights up with vivid shades of blue and purple. Among the native flora stealing the show this time of year is the Blue Mist Flower, also widely known as […]
Call them rat snakes, chicken snakes, or black rats. No matter what the experts are naming them this week, these native reptiles are essential, non-venomous members of the Briarhopper Ranch ecosystem. Plentiful across the farm, they are very much friend, not foe. Growing typically between 3.5 to 6 feet long (with the largest exceptional individuals […]
Call them crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs, or crawfish: no matter which name you prefer, they all refer to the same resilient little freshwater crustacean. These creatures are standard inhabitants of clean, healthy ecosystems throughout North America. They thrive in freshwater habitats where they can find plenty of cover, feeding on a wide variety of organic material […]
Don’t let the name fool you; there is nothing delicate about the Spiny Softshell Turtle. Unlike most turtles with hard, bony shells, this ancient-looking reptile sports a flat, rubbery, leather-like shell that acts as the perfect camouflage at the bottom of the pond. Capable of growing up to 18 inches long, the large females are […]
