The Tables

At the reception, each table was named for an animal that resides at Hidden Pond Nature Center, where Paige volunteers. Didn't get a chance to see and read about them all? Here's what you missed:

Terry

Terry is a diamondback terrapin. He is the only animal at Hidden Pond Nature Center that is not native to the immediate area, but terrapins do live in Virginia’s salt water areas. Terry does a dance we call the Terry Dance when you scratch his butt.

Oreo

Oreo is a black rat snake. Oreo and Stinky (another black rat snake) were the first animals Paige met from Hidden Pond Nature Center, when she was five years old. Stinky got his name because he can sure stink up the place when he is nervous. Oreo is all black on the top and white underneath (like an Oreo!).

Fluffy

Fluffy, a snapping turtle, is the most famous animal at Hidden Pond Nature Center. He will eat about anything you give him. He is super sweet and acts like a puppy when we let him out of his tank for a daily walk around the center.

Box Turtle

Box turtles can hide in their shell like a “box” when they are in danger. You can tell the males from the females by their eye color. Males’ eyes turn red when they are a few years old, while females’ eyes are brown. Hidden Pond Nature Center has several box turtles, including some babies.

King Arthur

King Arthur is a king snake. They are called king snakes because they will sometimes be seen eating other snakes. At Hidden Pond, there is a place called Snake Island because there was supposedly a 6 foot long king snake living there.

Spotted Salamander

The big yellow-orange spots on spotted salamanders’ backs give them their name. They like to hide and don’t need a lot of space to live in. When in danger, they release a toxin from their backs to warn off predators. Hidden Pond Nature Center has several salamanders.

Gray Tree Frog

Gray tree frogs are just as they sound – they are gray with light yellow bellies and they live in trees. The males make a chirping sound almost like a bird when they are scared or trying to get a mate. They are popular animals at Hidden Pond Nature Center.

River Cooter

River cooters live in rivers, big ponds, or lakes. They can grow to be 12-16 inches, so they need a lot of space, so only one juvenile lives at Hidden Pond Nature Center. They are freshwater turtles that are found from Virginia to northern Florida.

Garter Snake

The garter snake is the state snake of Virginia. They are one of the only poisonous snakes in Virginia. They are not harmful to humans, but they are poisonous to predators trying to eat them. Hidden Pond Nature Center is currently home to one garter snake.

Water Snake

Water snakes can live on the land and in water. They can eat fish ten times bigger than their face because they can unhinge their jaws. The females can be up to 5 feet long, twice as big as the males. You can often see water snakes basking in Hidden Pond.

Millipede

Fossils show that the millipede, or Diplopoda, may have been the first animal to live on land. They don’t actually have 1,000 legs, but more like 40-200 pairs. They are mostly nocturnal and live under leaves, logs, and rocks. Millipedes are a favorite snack of Hidden Pond Nature Center’s snapping turtle, Fluffy.

Baby Box Turtle

Baby box turtles hatch with a chip on top of their tooth. This “egg tooth” helps them break out of their egg. They are about the size of a quarter when they hatch. Hatching may take a few days. The seven baby box turtles at Hidden Pond Nature Center love to eat fruit, bugs, and mealworms.