sweet auburn | 2023 volume i
Hammerhead exotic land planarian ( Bipalium adventitium ), at Consecration Dell
One memorable experience was being allowed into the Cemetery during a rainy night in April 2022 for one of the Spotted Salamander trips led by my then-colleague at Harvard ’ s Museum of Comparative Zoology ( MCZ ), Joe Martinez . When humidity reaches a high point in the spring , the salamanders emerge from their burrows to reach water , either ponds or ephemeral pools , where they mate and lay eggs . For decades , Joe has been coordinating a conservation effort for these iconic salamanders and he often invites his fellow zoologists and conservationists to help him count eggs and salamanders , or simply to enjoy the sight of these beautiful amphibians . He spent almost his entire career taking care of the MCZ ’ s herpetological collections as well as making sure there is a future for our amphibian fauna . This he continues to do after retiring from his curatorial job at the Museum . Being at the Cemetery with Joe at night was magical , as it is then that many of the other “ night owls ” come out , including the Cemetery ’ s Raccoons ( the only one I have been able to photograph there ). That night , I also discovered an exotic yellow land planarian ( flatworm ) living next to the Spotted Salamanders . It may not look that exciting to many people , but being an invertebrate zoologist myself , it certainly caught my lens .
Raccoon ( Procyon lotor )
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