Natural North Dakota

I received an inquiry a few weeks ago concerning the abundance of toads near Kramer, ND in southern Bottineau County. It seems that the toad population was experiencing some sort of an irruption, with the toads seemingly everywhere, including area highways. These toads were quite small, and had a long extension (like a very long toe) on the hind leg. That is indicative of the plains spadefoot toad.

Do you like hazelnuts? If so, you may be surprised to learn that regardless of where you are in North Dakota, there probably are some hazels growing near you. There are two species of hazels native to North Dakota, the American hazelnut ( Corylus americana ) and beaked hazel ( Corylus cornuta ). Both species produce edible and tasty hazelnuts. The two species are quite similar vegetatively. Both are shrubs that grow to six feet or so, with the American hazelnut being generally a little shorter.

It is about this time of year that I occasionally get a question about a plant with a tight cluster of dark blue berries in Turtle Mountain. Although there are a few options, it is often carrion flower or Smilax herbacea . The plant is in the Smilacaceae or Catbrier Family.

It has been a while since I last visited the Burning Coal Vein and columnar junipers, but I recently had the opportunity to get reacquainted with them. They didn’t disappoint! Bands of lignite coal occasionally catch fire and burn for a time, but this burning coal vein, located some 15 miles north and west of Amidon, or around 30 miles south of Medora on East River Road is a landmark. Ignited by lightning or perhaps a prairie fire, this burning coal vein, several feet below the ground, was first

Have you ever noticed a trunk of a tree with several horizontal rows of rather small and shallow oval shaped holes in the bark? I suspect that many among us have, but probably do not know the cause. It’s the work of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, a type of woodpecker.

Most everyone is familiar with the larger fish in our lakes and rivers. Northern pike, walleye, perch, bluegill, to name a few. But what about the smaller fish? Our lakes, rivers, and streams have an abundance of smaller fish such as chubs, shiners, and my favorite the johnny darter.

The Pembina Escarpment came up in a conversation recently. Most people have heard of the Pembina River, Pembina Gorge, and Pembina Hills, but I doubt many among us have heard much about the Pembina Escarpment.

I have been seeing a red-tailed hawk quite frequently this summer. They are certainly one of the most commonly observed hawks across the state. Their broad wings and rounded tail easily identifies them as a type of hawk called a buteo. Then of course the red tail (actually more of a rusty color) and light-colored underbelly with a dark band, seals the identification as a red-tailed hawk.

I have been noticing a lot of water parsnip and poison hemlock flowering in wetlands over the past few weeks. These large clusters of small white flowers in a candelabra-like arrangement are easily identified as members of the Apiaceae or carrot family, sometimes also known as the parsley family.

I recently received a call about a clam at Lake Metigoshe. The caller had found one in the sediment along his shoreline and was wondering about it. I have never seen any clam shells around the lake, much less a live one. But with a little help from a colleague at Valley City State University I have tentatively identified it as a Giant floater ( Pygandon grandis ).