A $200 bounty on hellbenders? Say it’s not so.

“That is a rumor and absolutely untrue,” said Lori Williams, a Wildlife Diversity biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “Furthermore, the Eastern hellbender is listed as a species of special concern in North Carolina. Harming, harassing, collecting or killing one is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which can result in a fine and up to 120 days in jail.”

Hellbenders are one of the largest salamanders found in North Carolina, averaging 16-17 inches long but can grow up to 24 inches long.

Also called the “water dog,” “snot otter,” “Alleghany alligator,” among other names, the hellbender is a harmless, giant aquatic salamander found in fast-moving, clean mountain streams in . . .
 

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Would you know what to do if you find an injured wild animal? Do you know who to call for wildlife problems or concerns? The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission receives thousands of calls each year on these kinds of issues, so we thought we’d share a few frequently asked questions that come up in the spring and our best advice for each scenario. I found a fawn! Female deer hide their fawns while they feed, returning several times a day to care for them. People find these fawns and worry that they have been orphaned, but most of the time, they’re not. Unless the fawn is in distress (calling incessantly, visibly injured, or found next to a dead doe), we advise people to leave it in place and check back in 24 hours. If it’s still in the same spot the next day, call a licensed fawn rehabilitator for guidance. I found a bird that can’t fly! In the spring, people often call to report a bird fluttering... (click blog title to read more)

It is going to be a hopping, slithering, slinking kind of day this Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh when the 23^rd Annual Reptile and Amphibian Day kicks off at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. The free event, which draws thousands of people each year, highlights the biology, ecology and conservation needs of reptiles and amphibians around the world. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with the North Carolina chapter of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NCPARC), will have a booth on the third floor of the museum (just as you come off the escalator) with live reptiles and amphibians — collectively known as “herps.” READ MORE

 

There are many rites of spring that we witness and look forward to each year. Some are of the natural world, such as turkey gobbles, buds cracking or the return of neo-tropical migrants. Others are of our own doing. One such rite will happen for the 40th year this March and April. Every Saturday in March will see what will amount to thousands of middle and high schoolers competing in what has become a showcase of outdoor skill. The Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament (YHEST) series begins in March with nine district competitions that play the role of proving ground. The best of each district qualify to attend the state competition, which is held on the last Saturday in April. The morning of the state competition, more than 600 participants from every corner of North Carolina will arrive at the John Lentz Hunter Education Complex in Ellerbe to display the skills they have honed from countless hours of practice over the years of their young lives. READ MORE

Most likely, yes. We’re now in the “prescribed burn” season—late winter and spring.  The Commission uses controlled, low-level flames to restore and maintain wildlife habitat on most of the 2 million acres of state game lands used by hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers.

In North Carolina, prescribed burning is commonly conducted between January and March, when most trees are less active metabolically. Repeated burns conducted during the spring growing season eventually kill hardwood sprouts, allowing a diversity of native grasses, herbs and wildflowers to develop. These herbaceous plants are typically more valuable than hardwood sprouts for food and cover for wildlife. Without prescribed burns, wildlife in some habitats may experience low reproduction and eventual displacement. READ MORE