Frogs, Turtles and a singing bass. Plus, news from across the state.

Our Water Animals

Today we are going to learn who our state water animals are. No, not him

but one of his cousins, the Channel Bass, is our state saltwater fish. The channel bass has been our official saltwater fish since 1971.

“Channelbass” by Hines, Robert W. – http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/natdiglib&CISOPTR=5395&CISOBOX=1&REC=1. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Meanwhile, we have a state frog, reptile, shell, salamander, and a freshwater trout. Let’s meet those guys next.

Our frog is the Pine Barens Tree Frog. He’s probably one of newest state symbols, becoming the state frog on June 26, 2013, along with the marbled salamander, who you’ll meet in a minute. He and the salamander were chosen by a contest put on by the North Carolina Herpetological Society to find the amphibians that represented our state. They are known as one of the most beautiful frogs in the Southeast and their name represents one of our major state ecosystems, the pine forests.

“Pine Barrens Tree Frog” by R. Tuck – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Our reptile is the turtle, specifically the Eastern Box Turtle. He’s been our turtle since 1979.

“EasternBoxTurtleMale“. Via Wikipedia.

Our shell is the scotch bonnet, named in 1965, after a bit of a battle. The house member who suggested the shell promised shells to his colleagues, but could not find enough to hand out. However, the bill passed the house and made it to the senate, where a senator produced a full box of them for his colleagues. The shell isn’t rare and can be found from North Carolina to Brazil. Inisde, a helmet snail lives.

“Semicassis granulata granulata 01” by H. Zell – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Our salamander is the marbled salamander, chosen along with the Pine Barens Tree Frog as the state salamander on June 26, 2013. He’s found throughout the state and has a very unique color pattern, as seen below. He is also a priority species, not endangered, but not as numerous as he could be either.

“Ambystoma opacumPCSLXYB” by Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) – Photograph taken by Patrick Coin. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.

And finally, because we couldn’t just pick one fish, our freshwater trout is the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. This is what they look like.

“Native brook trout” by Zach Matthews – http://www.itinerantangler.com/blog/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

They were named as the official freshwater trout in 2005. They only hang out in the mountains and they are very tiny.

To find out more about each species, click on the links below their photos.

And now your news.

 

Tear downs are rising in Charlotte and also raising gentrification concerns.

What’s an appropriate level of communication between city council members and city staff? Charlotte’s exploring that mix in the light of their recent ethics scandal.

Cleveland County may merge some precincts.

The governor wants to change Medicaid, but really doesn’t know what to do with it.

Cumberland County commissioners are expected to approve a loan for a new fire station in Beaver Dam.

Dogwood statutes in Downtown Fayetteville pay tribute to military service.

The Lumbee homecoming was held this weekend in Robeson County.

How often does Asheville actually suffer water breaks?

Some western North Carolina schools up until recently allowed corporal punishment.

Western North Carolina apple farmers are benefiting from the demand for more cider.

Asheville area social media has been concerned with AirBnB rentals and a controversial mural on the side of a DVD store.

Several residents in the town of Bent Creek are concerned with major water bill increases.

Parents statewide may have to foot the bill for drivers education.

Critics are lining up against the City of Charlotte’s proposal to create a city ID card.

What Art Pope has done as state budget director for the past 18 months.

UNCC’s gym is closed for renovations.

Early voting has started for May primary runoff elections.

A series of railroad safety summits are being held in Greensboro.

The Durham school board has new members and several personnel changes among school faculty and staff.

North Carolina’s new voting laws have caught the attention of The Guardian, a major newspaper in the UK.

Relay Foods, an online grocery delivery service, is expanding into Chapel Hill.

Durham’s South Court building has a new owner after having been foreclosed on.

Commissioner seats on the state’s Industrial Commission are still not safe.

Neither is teacher tenure.

New Hanover County has the highest number of property crimes in an 18-county area.

And finally, what you will find by exploring the country roads around the Research Triangle Park area.