ecoEXPLORE

05/30/2026

Our Observation Highlight is brought to you by ecoEXPLORER, zmss56. We are loving this adorable photo of an Eastern Newt taking a rainy stroll.
Eastern newts are a kind of salamander who have a very unique life cycle. Most salamanders start their lives in water and go through a dramatic metamorphosis as they move onto land. But, newts experience metamorphosis twice! They are born in the water, then during their juvenile stage they move onto land. During this red eft stage (pictured below) the newts travel far distances searching for a new pond. After two-three years the newts return back to water and go through metamorphosis the second time where they live for the rest of their lives.

05/27/2026

Test your reptile knowledge with our virtual pop quiz! Find more information and registration at our website. Hope to see you there!

05/26/2026

Check out our newest h**petology video staring frogs, salamanders, and toads. That's right-all things amphibians! Learn more about the characteristics of amphibians and join real ecoEXPLORERS on an amphibian search!

Learn more about the characteristics of amphibians and join real ec...

05/23/2026

Check out this awesome snake challenge submitted by ecoEXPLORER, laena_loves_bird_lemon. We love how this user helps to disprove a harmful myth about snakes. Keep up the great work!

05/20/2026

Let's celebrate our scaly, slithery friends! If you submit one snake observation during our Herpetology Field Season you'll have one year to finish your Snake Badge!

05/18/2026

Take a ride with ecoEXPLORE and h**petologist Paul Hillbrand to discover how scientists and students help conserve North Carolina’s treasured coastal sea turtles. Brought to you with generous support from the Bald Head Island Conservancy!

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Where the waves crash at the very bottom on North Carolina's coast,...

05/16/2026

We want to take a moment to recognize the amazing work of an ecoEXPLORER. ecoEXPLORER, Sam, recently reached 1,200 points and traded in his points for our highest ranking prize, a GoPro camera! This achievement signifies hours of submitting nature photos and helping to contribute to real science.
To celebrate his achievement we wanted to learn a little more about him and what motivates him to explore and make so many scientific observations. When asked about ecoEXPLORE Sam said, "I learned about the program from my cousins who do it too. I really like going outside to take pictures of the things I see. It helps me notice plants and animals I normally would have walked right by! Earning the salamander badge was my favorite season because they are my favorite animals. I mostly love exploring at the beach because I’m not in that habitat often. In my free time I also like to play soccer and sail."
To date Sam has earned 13 badges and submitted over 500 observations!! Let's hear it for Sam! 🎉🎉 Thank you for all of your hard work and keep exploring!

05/13/2026

Get ready to discover the world of h**ptiles (reptiles and amphibians) and kick off your Herpetology Badge!! Watch this video to learn all about what makes a "h**p" a h**p and meet some slimy, scaly, cold-blooded friends along the way!

**petology **plites

Let's hear it for the h**ps! Wait a second- what is a h**p? Watch this video with Ana, an educator from the North Carolina Arboretum, to learn more. Meet som...

05/11/2026

Want to brush up on your h**p knowledge? Join a virtual program that hops into reptile and amphibian adaptions this Wednesday May 13th at 4:00. See our website for more information and registration. Hope to see you there!

05/09/2026

To help us kick off our Herpetology Field Season we are sharing this amazing observation of the week! This photo of a rough greensnake was submitted to us by ecoEXPLORER emilialovesnature.
Rough greensnakes are the master of camouflage and are highly arboreal (meaning they spend most of their lives in the trees.) This makes them a very hard snake to observe even though they are fairly common across North Carolina. While slithering in the trees theses snakes eat mostly insects and other arthropods but will also eat an occasional snail or frog.
What a great observation! If you snap a photo of a snake don't forget to submit it towards your Snake Field Focus Badge and you'll have one year to complete your badge. Happy exploring!