Holliston Conservation Commission
Town of Holliston
Holliston, MA 01746
Telephone: 508-429-0607
Fax: 508-429-0639

Assistant: email


 

 
 
    Critter Corner
     
    Holliston Beaver Management Plan

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, beaver were trapped to extinction in Massachusetts. It is only in recent years that this animal has begun to return. Because of the density of human development in lowlands and the propensity of beaver to flood these areas, it is inevitable that there will be conflicts between us. The Holliston Conservation Commission, working with the Board of Health, has already issued several emergency permits for beaver management due to threats to public health or safety. It is the purpose of this management plan to reduce or eliminate the need to deal with beaver conflicts on an emergency basis. >> read more

Holliston Sightings of Endangered Species
Taxonomic Group
Scientific Name
Common Name
State Rank
Most
Recent Observ.
Amphibian Ambystoma laterale Blue-Spotted Salamander SC 2001
Amphibian Ambystoma opacum Marbled Salamander T 2000
Amphibian Hemidactylium scutatum Four-Toed Salamander SC 2000
Reptile Clemmys guttata Spotted Turtle SC 2000
Reptile Clemmys insculpta Wood Turtle SC 1999
Reptile Emydoidea blandingii Blanding's Turtle T 1985
Reptile Terrapene carolina Eastern Box Turtle SC 1998
Mussel Ligumia nasuta Eastern Pondmussel SC 1999
Crustacean Crangonyx aberrans Mystic Valley Amphipod SC 1999
Dragonfly/Damselfly Aeshna mutata Spatterdock Darner E  
Dragonfly/Damselfly Enallagma laterale New England Bluet SC 1900
Dragonfly/Damselfly Somatochlora georgiana Coppery Emerald E 1997
Dragonfly/Damselfly Somatochlora linearis Mocha Emerald SC 1999
Beetle Cicindela purpurea Purple Tiger Beetle SC 1923
Butterfly/Moth Cingilia catenaria Chain Dot Geometer SC 1930
Butterfly/Moth Fixsenia favonius ontario Southern Hairstreak SC 1990
Butterfly/Moth Metarranthis apiciaria Barrens Metarranthis Moth E  

     
    What should I do if I find an Endangered Species?
    It is actually against the law to capture or "take" an endangered species, so if you happen to come across one of these "critters", run and grab your camera to document the creature that you have found. Documenting endangered species in Holliston, is critical in protecting the animals and their habitats. Go to the MNHESP's web site at http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhrprare.htm for more information on endangered species in Massachusetts and how to document your find. You can also call the Conservation Agent, who will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
     

    HUMMING BIRD NEST:
    This beautiful photo essay website shows the secret beginning of a humming bird's life. The photos were captured by "Verle 33" (aka Vel) at the Oso Flaco Dunes nature preserve, on the Central Coast of CA. The nest was built on very slim stems of brambles, about 30 inches off the ground.
     

     
    WHAT'S THIS? Something - small, old? rare? young?
     
    This is a picture of a hatchling spotted turtle that was found in a resident's back yard last summer. After submitting photos and details about where this turtle was found, its home, or "habitat", will be protected by the Mass. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. If you find one of the endangered species listed below, you can help to save its habitat! Just follow the instructions at the bottom of this page and help to protect the endangered animals in your own hometown! You CAN make a difference in the future of wildlife in Holliston!
     

     

     
    This page, called "critter corner", will soon have more photos of endangered species as more are found and documented in Holliston. If you have any digital photos of endangered "critters" that you have found in Holliston, please send a copy, by email, to the Conservation Agent; we would be very interested in posting your photo on this page.
     
    BIG BROWN BUGS RAISE CURIOSITY, CONCERN
    - by Linda Cocca, from Mass Audubon's Website
     
    The large, brown bug, currently entering homes and causing concern among Massachusetts residents is the Western Conifer Seed Bug (WCSB), Leptoglossus occidentalis. This species, first described in California in 1910, has quickly moved eastward. In 1956 the WCSB was reported in Iowa and in 1990 several were found in New York State.
     
    The WCSB is a true bug, (order Heteroptera) in the family Coreidae. They are known as leaf-footed bugs because of a flattened segment resembling a leaf on their hind legs. This dull brown bug is 3/4 inch in length and has long hind legs. They are good, but noisy flyers and closely resembling the sound of a bumblebee. As a defensive mechanism when alarmed or handled, the WCSB omits a pungent odor from glands between the second and third pair of legs.
     
    Life Cycle: In the fall, the Western Conifer Seed Bug enters homes through cracks and crevices searching for protection from cold temperatures. In the spring they return to the outdoors to feed on the developing seeds and flowers of coniferous trees, including: white pine, red pine, hemlock, and spruce. The female lays rows of eggs on the needles and the eggs hatch in about ten days. The nymphs, which feed on the scales of the cones and occasionally the needles, pass through five stages of development and reach adulthood by late August. It is around this time that WCSBs begin their search for over-wintering sites.
     
    Damage: Even though they are harmless to people and do not sting, bite, or eat wood, the Western Conifer Seed Bug causes concern among the occupants of the homes they invade. At this time, it does not appear that the WCSB is destructive to conifer trees found in Massachusetts.
     
    Control: Prevent the entry of these bugs in buildings by calking openings around windows, doors, and chimneys, repair damaged window screens, and screen attic and wall vents. The bugs can be easily captured and returned to the outdoors or vacuumed into a bag and disposed of. We do not recommend the use of pesticides.
     
    For more information, view the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station website fact-sheet: Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann by Gale E. Ridge, Department of Entomology at: http://www.caes.state.ct.us/FactSheetFiles/Entomology/fsen016f.htm.
     
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