Red-Spotted Newt (animal#5)

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Amphibia
ORDER: Caudata
FAMILY: Salamandridae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens
COMMON NAME: as above
NOTES OF INTEREST: Brightly colored Red Eft (land form of the Red-Spotted Newt) emits offensively tasting secretions which keep predators at bay.

Walking Stick (animal #6)

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Anthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Phasmatodea
FAMILY: Heteronemiidae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diapheromera femorata
COMMON NAME: Common stick insect, northern stick insect
NOTES OF INTEREST: Females scatter shiny black and gray striped eggs in leaf litter. Larvae feed on understory plants.

Redback Salamander (animal #4)

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Amphibia
ORDER: Plethodontoidea
FAMILY: Plethodontidae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Plethodon cinereus
COMMON NAME: as above
NOTES OF INTEREST: Widespread group throughout forested North America. They eat earthworms, beetles, ants, and tiny crickets.

Northern Leopard Frog (animal #1)

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Amphibia
ORDER: Anura
FAMILY: Ranidae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rana pipiens
COMMON NAME: as above
NOTES OF INTEREST: This frog was once the common frog dissected in high school and college biology classes, but is now scarce throughout much of its range.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar (animal #3)

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM:
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Lepidoptera
FAMILY: Papilionidae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Papilio troilus
COMMON NAME(S): Spicebush Swallowtail
NOTES OF INTEREST: All the photos of this creature I can find show a GREEN caterpillar...don't know why this one is orange...but the markings are identical to the spicebush...perhaps a sub-species? This caterpillar went into its chrysalis within a day or two of us finding it. We waited several weeks...it never emerged. Perhaps intended to winter-over?

Wintergreen (plant #1)

KINGDOM: Plantae
PHYLUM:
CLASS:
ORDER:
FAMILY:
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gaultheria procumbens
COMMON NAME: Wintergreen, checkerberry
NOTES OF INTEREST: Leaves can be harvested any time of the year...nibble on them as a trail snack, or brew into tea. Berries ripen in fall but flavor improves with freezing...so look for them in winter and spring for a trail nibble. Leaves and fruit contain an aspirin-like substance that effectively reduces fevers and minor aches and pains. NO POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES.
PHOTO TAKEN: Fall 2008

Unknown (animal #2)