Natural Lands - The Magazine of Natural Lands Fall/Winter 2018, Issue 153 | Page 6

4
N ATUR A L L A NDS
news
. WI NT ER 2 018 –2 019
5
, continued
developmental temperatures of the
young. The mothers emerge from
shelter to bask in the sun and warm
the developing embryos within
them as frequently as possible
during the summer. They also have
a strong tendency to mingle with
other pregnant snakes while doing
this so it is not unusual to encoun-
ter a group of five or six female
rattlesnakes basking together in a
pile, literally on top of one another
in a tangled mass similar to a plate
of spaghetti noodles. This gives the
mothers-to-be the ability to achieve
higher body temperatures when the
ambient temperature is not quite
A pregnant timber rattlesnake basking in the sun at Bear Creek Preserve.
warm enough to suit them. It is
thought that it also provides added
protection to the snakes, which are
vulnerable to attack by predators,
such as Red-shouldered Hawks,
when they bask alone.
These gestation areas—some-
times called rookeries—are useful
to scientists studying timber rat-
tlesnakes. Dr. LaDuke has visited
a rookery at Bear Creek Preserve ex-
tensively over the past three years
to establish the timing of events
in the life of pregnant females
as well as other members of the
population.
“The existence of nature pre-
serves like Bear Creek is extremely
valuable to wildlife species such
as the timber rattlesnake,” said Dr.
LaDuke. “Natural Lands’ willingness
to make the preserve available for
study is also essential for scientists
like me who need such places to
conduct our investigations unfet-
tered by the many layers of permit-
ting that are required on federal
and state-owned lands. Our studies
will benefit all Pennsylvanians who
hope to see their state maintained
in a way that promotes the contin-
ued well-being of its native flora
and fauna.” W
Stoneleigh : a natural garden
After years of planning and planting, we opened the gates
to Stoneleigh last May. This magical, bloom-filled place
has quickly captured the hearts of everyone who visits.
VISITORS NUMBER OF PEOPLE
who signed the
SINCE OPENING: SAV E S TO N E L E I G H P E T I T I O N :
(estimated)
14,000
more than
100 volunteers
who provided
1,400 hours
of service
T H A N K YO U
HARE SCULPTURE
costume changes
P E R Y E A R :
12
SAV E S TO N E L E I G H
T- S H I RT S A N D YA R D S I G N S
P L ANTS
P L A N T E D:
20,500
39,000
distributed:
3,000
rattlesnakes at Natural Lands’ Bear
Creek Preserve since 2015. “For
this reason, it remains one of the
most closely studied and heavily
protected species of reptiles within
the state.”
Timber rattlesnakes give birth to
live young, rather than laying eggs.
The babies grow within their moth-
er’s reproductive tract, provisioned
with a placenta-like organ that al-
lows them to receive oxygen, water,
and some other nutrients from their
mother’s bloodstream.
Keeping their offspring within
their bodies gives the mothers
a great deal of control over the