Gene's Notes: On March 8th, I awoke to high winds battering the house. The wind did some minor damage to the roof shingles and porch siding. Later, I learned that the same winds had lifted our small greenhouse and crashed it on the ground several hundred feet away. That evening, my wife and I traveled to North Charleston where I spoke at the monthly meeting of theCoastal Carolina Herpetocultural Society. At the meeting the Society approved a name change to the South Carolina Herpetocultural Society. The next day we got our first view of the new Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River. Back home, American Toads joined the auran sing-along at mid month, accompanying Upland Chorus Frogs, Spring Peepers, Southern Leopard Frogs, and Pickerel Frogs. I found my first snake of the year, a large, stout Eastern Worm Snake, on March 14th. In the morning on March 15, I found a female Five-lined Skink beneath a board. A couple of days earlier, I had found a small Eastern Narrowmouth Toad under the same board. In the late afternoon on the 15th, my wife, grandson Wolf, and I spent a couple of hours in the closet sheltered from potential tornadoes. At last count I believe it was determined that 15 tornadoes had touched down in SC. Win, upon seeing a funnel cloud while driving home from work, stopped at a stranger's home for shelter. The owners very graciously let him ride out the storm. Luckily, we did not suffer damage from the storm, but areas to the south suffered major damage. On March 16th, I found a small female Eastern Fence Lizard lying on a plow soaking up late afternoon rays. March 19th was a warm, overcast day. It rained for a couple hours at the end of the day. After dark, I drove local roads near the farm. I did not see as many frogs as I expected, but I did identify on the road Southern Leopard Frogs, Pickerel Frogs, American Toads, and Fowlers Toads. A few smaller species hopped away before I could get a good look. I also found a DOR baby Redbelly Watersnake. March 22th was a gorgeous, warm Spring day. The grandchildren and their parents came to the farm for an afternoon of play and Easter egg hunting. I rode the children around the farm in a small wagon pulled by the riding lawnmower. They were thrilled to see a large Slider basking on the rock in the middle of the farm pond. March 23th, Easter Sunday was a pleasantly cool. I found a large female Redbelly Water Snake under a cover board on the edge of the farm pond. I expect it was waiting to be found by some suitors. March 28th, was a warm but windy day. I found a large Black Racer Snake under a cover board on the farm beside a branch. ==================================================== March 31, 2008 Contact: South Carolina Reptiles and Amphibians Return to SC Reptiles and Amphibians Observations Page Return to SC Reptiles and Amphibians Home Page