Pam Otto began her Rotary talk by saying she is a “nature nerd.” Otto is the Naturalist and Outreach Coordinator for the Saint Charles Park District. Among her duties is presenting a weekly program called “The Good Natured Hour” where she talks about the latest happenings involving animals and nature settings found in the St. Charles area.
Just recently there was a social media frenzy around “Tom Charles,” a turkey who wandered into St. Charles searching for a mate. “Tom” showed up at a number of unexpected locations but never found the spouse he sought and has since moved on to other pastures. Otto also related a recent investigation into someone finding an unusual snakeskin from a clearly non-native Illinois species. The skin was over seven feet long meaning it came from one big snake. No actual snake sighting has been made indicating it probably involves a snake from someone’s personal collection. Otto also spoke about someone thinking they saw a cobra snake; it actually was the much more timid “hognose” snake. When threatened, this snake will initially hiss and raise its head like a cobra, but if its enemy is not deterred, the snake will likely roll onto its back and play dead. They can even get small droplets of blood to come from their mouth. The snake watches its predator and will leave the area when the threat is clear.
Otto said one of the animals making their seasonal birthing appearances is the mink. Although quite common, the mink is rarely seen. Mink living in the wild are commonly found along riverbanks, lakes, and marshes. However, they can also populate a storm water system in order to move unobserved throughout a town. Other species returning at this time of year includes the tree swallow. The migratory bird winters along the southern Gulf Coast. Otto also gave a word of warning about ticks. With their ability to cling to clothing and a beak-like mouth to penetrate skin to find blood, they are prime parasites for carrying infectious diseases. Otto uses Sawyer Insect Repellent which is safe on clothing as a way to protect against illness.
Further information about Otto’s weekly “Good Natured Hour” may be found at the Saint Charles Park District website www.stcparks.org under the “Activities” section.