By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Eating habits of amphibians and reptiles were on display at the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center Saturday afternoon as part of the annual Mohican Wildlife Weekend.
Crawford Park District Director Bill Fisher hosted the Diverse Diets program in which he discussed eating habits of ring neck pheasants, turtles, toads, salamanders, and snakes.
“For turtles their pizza is a meal worm,” Fisher explained to the audience as he went over the different varieties of food that box turtles will eat which also included apple and kale.
Fisher displayed a toad which ate a meal worm as well.
“Your tongue is connected in the back of your mouth,” Fisher explained to the children in the crowd. “But the toad’s tongue is connected in the front of its mouth. So when it eats its tongue comes out from the back.”
Fisher finished the program by displaying three snake species: a corn snake, a fox snake, and a rat snake. After allowing those brave enough to hold the snakes, Fisher explained that snakes like to eat rodents such as mice. Fisher noted that the species were constrictor snakes that eat mice.
The Diverse Diets Program was just one out of many events taking place over the Mohican Wildlife Weekend at the Park District. Fisher explained that this was just one part of the weekend at Lowe-Volk Park.
“It was part of the Mohican Wildlife Weekend, which was our first year (as) a part of it, basically Josh (Dyer) put the programming together,” Fisher said. “They were out and about today, they had a general hike and birds here at Lowe-Volk, and we encourage people who were over at Mohican to come this way and see some different things.”
Fisher added that the programs are a continuing theme that the Crawford Park District tries to convey to its visitors.
“In addition to the theme of biodiversity showing different organisms of the Mohican area and of course Crawford County for sure. It is close to Earth Day, which was Friday, and the theme carries through everything we do at the park. Love nature, take care of the Earth, connect with it, get out of the office, get off of the computer, and get some rejuvenation like we know happens when you get out.”
Mohican Wildlife Weekend wrapped up Sunday with a morning hike along the banks of the Sandusky River at Lowe-Volk Park, a program exploring the wetlands of the park, and closed with a program on how reptiles and amphibians travel.