-Funding for "Coastal Kingdom" is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, which proudly supports this program.

Through the generosity of our members and donors, the ETV Endowment has funded educational and entertaining programming like "Coastal" Kingdom" for more than 40 years.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -I love walking in the woods after a prescribed burn 'cause it gives me an opportunity to look for one of my favorite animals, and we found one right here.

This is a corn snake in this sort of charred stump.

And you gotta admit that is a beautiful snake.

It's one of the prettiest snakes in the world and one of the most common snakes in the Lowcountry.

But you know what?

Just because it's common, it doesn't mean it's not special.

Of course it's pretty.

It's ecologically really, really important.

And, you know, it provides food for other animals, as well as eating rats and mice and things like that.

And in this episode, we're gonna look at animals like this corn snake, a signature species, some of those animals that may be fairly common, but you still look forward to seeing them every year.

♪♪ So, look at that little guy.

Okay, we got something big on.

There we go.

We've got the bird.

And there's already a chick in there.

♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ So, I think small mammals get kind of a bad rap.

Now, sure, there are some invasive species that really cause some problems, but our native species of small mammals, especially mice and rats, are really, really important.

Now, we're in some great habitat for small mammals, and what we're gonna do is get out and try and catch some.

And we're gonna use a Sherman trap.

So, the way these work is you open them up and then you throw birdseed in there.

I like to use pumpkin seed sometimes.

And then the animal goes in, hits the little door, and it shuts.

And so what we're gonna do is walk around and check these traps and see what species of small mammals live in this habitat.

♪♪ So, when we catch these small mammals, we want to put them in something so that we can see them.

So, a cheese balls container works particularly well for this.

So, let's check a trap.

There's a couple of them right over here.

Okay, so, this one's still open.

Obviously, there's nothing in there.

Looks like it ate all the sunflower seeds but didn't get it caught.

So I think this one was kind of jammed.

Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and close it up.

♪♪ Okay, here's one that's closed.

And I see some seeds around the front of it.

Yeah.

You can tell.

You can tell the weight and feel if something's in there.

And sure enough, there is.

And there it is.

So, this is a cotton rat.

This is a hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus.

I really like that bristly fur.

They have really bristly fur, and I kind of like the look of that.

They also have a really short tail, too.

And this is one that you see in fields.

It's really common in broomsedge and, you know, in vegetation kind of like this.

We're on the edge of the marsh here.

But cotton rats can be really abundant.

I mean, when you're trapping, you catch a lot of these.

Now, mammals like this are critically important because they're good food for all kinds of things.

And generally, if you have a lot of mammals, that means you have other things, as well.

You know, carnivorous mammals, things like foxes and other species, will eat these.

Of course, raptors will.

Snakes love cotton rats.

So they're really important in some of our local food chains.

And the fact that they're here means that things are working properly.

So, we use sunflower seeds to catch this guy.

But you know what?

There's a lot of seeds in this field right here, so there are a lot of things to eat.

Now, these eat -- They're primarily vegetarian, so they're gonna eat seeds and grasses and things like that.

And so there has to be sufficient habitat and food for these guys.

Cotton rats have a lot of young.

I mean -- And a lot of rodents do.

So, they may have, you know, six litters a year or something like that, so they're really, really abundant, especially in good habitat like this.

So, this style of trap doesn't hurt the rat.

And what I'm gonna do is just open this container and let it go.

But it's really important to realize that when you set these traps, it's a lot of responsibility.

So, you don't set them unless you're gonna check them regularly.

And, you know, you want to be as careful as you can with the animals.

That's for sure.

So, I've got the top off, and I'm gonna put it right... See if he'll run out.

♪♪ Another closed one.

Boy, this is good trapping success.

♪♪ Whoa.

And we're not gonna -- So, this is another cotton rat.

Wow.

Okay, I'm gonna put a glove on.

Let me get this one by the tail.

And then I think what I what I can do is just -- yeah, get him to hold on to that.

He's kind of -- kind of chewing on the stick a little bit, it looks like.

But, boy, you can really get a good look at that.

Short tail, bristly fur, eyes kind of close together.

♪♪ ♪♪ So, another cotton rat.

Boy, cotton rats are really common in here.

Check this one out.

And, boy, they are -- they are really cool-looking.

Now, one of the things about these rats is they really have a lot of adaptations that help them to live where they live.

First of all, they have a fur that blends in really well with the surroundings.

So, this is great camouflage.

They also have a tail that probably helps with balance.

Now, they're superior athletes.

I mean, they can jump very high.

They can run fast.

And of course that protects them from the things that want to eat them.

♪♪ Look at that.

This is a good, safe way to hold him, I think.

Him or her.

You can't really tell.

But really interesting-looking creature, isn't it?

And of course, the teeth on these are -- They have rodent teeth, so they can really chew things up.

And sometimes this causes a problem with even these native species 'cause they'll get into a house or maybe into a, you know, even an automobile sometimes, and they can chew things up, which is really -- really can be a problem in certain situations.

♪♪ There he goes.

♪♪ ♪♪ So, this is -- this is a cool one.

This is a marsh rice rat.

So, this is a different species.

♪♪ And, boy, this is an appropriate place for this species.

This one looks like it's in really good shape.

And I think I can just kind of hold it like this.

So -- [ Chuckles ] He just flew right out of my hand.

Well, that's -- that's what happens.

So, we didn't get a very good look at that one, so maybe we'll find another one.

♪♪ So, another cotton rat.

And I think we'll just let this one go.

♪♪ Man, it's amazing how quick they disappear.

And they just blend into the landscape perfectly.

♪♪ So, this is kind of medium weight.

And -- So, it's a marsh rice rat.

So, the other one jumped out of my hands, but here's another one.

So, I'm gonna put this one in the container, and we'll have a look at it.

There he goes.

So, man, this is a -- This is a handsome mouse for sure.

Oh, you know what's cool about this one?

It looks like it has a short tail, and that's because it's missing the tip of the tail.

Now, this isn't like lizards.

You know, they can regenerate and grow a new tail.

But sometimes if a predator grabs the tip of the tail, it'll break off, which is a -- you know, it's a pretty neat way to protect yourself.

So, you can see this has a short little tail.

Now, marsh rice rats live right in the marsh.

In fact, we're in an area that sometimes gets wet on big tides.

And I've actually seen marsh rice rats out in the marsh on just mats of floating wrack and vegetation.

So, sometimes they get stranded out in the marsh, and I've seen them even floating around in the sound.

The cotton rat, for instance, is gonna be more in fields, and sometimes it's around the marsh, but more often associated with, you know, broomsedge and open fields like that.

♪♪ I think I can reach in and just kind of carefully pick this one up.

There we go.

So, yeah, I think I can do it just kind of like that.

[ Chuckling ] This one has a pretty good grip on my thumb.

But, you know, I think what we need to realize is, yes, these animals can be a little bit pesky sometimes, but these guys are important.

They're essential in local food chains, and we still really do want to have them around.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ March rice rat.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ So, another marsh rice rat.

So we are up to 14 cotton rats and marsh rice rats.

So, that is incredible trapping numbers for sure.

So, obviously this is really good habitat, at least for these guys.

You know, there's certain animals that you see all the time.

In fact, there's an animal that sits in the same place every time.

And I'm hoping it might be here, so -- And sure enough, if you look right here, there's a belted kingfisher.

Looks like a little female.

She just flew.

But I think she might be back.

But she sits in the same place every time, and I know why.

This is a bridge over the salt marsh.

It's a great place, great vantage point to just kind of sit up and look for fish.

So I think what's happening is she's sitting up, and if she sees a fish, she dives down off the bridge, dives into the water, and then catches a little fish, something like a bay anchovy or something like that.

Now, this is one of my absolute favorite birds, but a lot of people feel this way.

People love kingfishers.

They're really cute.

They have disproportionately huge heads and a long bill, which just makes them cute.

But those things really help a kingfisher to catch food.

You know, they have that wonderful tuft that sticks up, and that's another thing that makes them really cute.

Same place almost every day.

You can see it.

Now, it may be on either side of the bridge.

I imagine the fishing's just as good over here as it is there.

But, oh, man, so neat to see.

Okay, we're going to give it just a second, but I'm gonna turn around, and we'll do another drive-by and see if we can see that bird again.

I think it may come right back up.

♪♪ Okay, so, I know that's a female because it has kind of a rusty -- rusty band around the belly.

And males -- it's interesting 'cause most of the time the males have more color.

In this species, the females have more color than the male does.

This is a year-round bird for us, except they disappear part of the year in warmer weather to go find a breeding -- nesting site.

And they like sort of bluffs and sort of ledges and things like that, earthen banks that they can nest in and dig a hole and lay their eggs in.

But sometimes they're gone for a couple of months, really just late spring entering the summer.

So, we've walked out on the bridge, and if you look just over on this side, you can see the bird sitting on the rail right there.

Now, this bird is used to cars coming by, but when you get out and try and sneak up on it, it knows something's up.

So, one of the neatest things that kingfishers can do, one of the neatest adaptations they have, is their ability to hover.

Not all birds can do that.

So, they hang up in the air and kind of flutter in the air.

And then once they get the shot they want, they dive and zip down and catch the fish.

It's just really neat to see this bird.

And again, it's sort of like, good morning.

Every morning when I come to work, I see the bird sitting on this rail.

♪♪ I come through this spot a lot, and I've been noticing a lot of ruckus on the far side of the pond.

Also, I got a report that an alligator's been hanging around underneath the wax myrtles over here.

I think I know what's going on, but let's sneak over there and take a look.

[ Bird crying ] [ Birds chirping ] So, just like I thought, there's a great rookery here.

I see tricolors.

I see black-crowned night herons.

I see little blues.

I see great egrets and probably some other species, as well.

And there's a reason they're here.

This is a good spot for them.

And one of the things you'll notice is that all those nests are kind of out over the water.

That way, they're better protected.

And a predator like a raccoon or something big like that would have to crawl way out on the end of those limbs, which would probably weigh the nest down, and raccoon might fall off and end up in the water, where -- I mean, there's a reason that alligator's hanging around here, too -- because not only could it catch a predator that fell in, but also it might catch birds that fall in.

See, these are primarily wading birds, and they have asynchronous hatching, which means the eggs don't hatch all at the same time.

Bluebirds, for instance -- With the bluebird, they all hatch about the same time.

With these, one hatches and starts to grow and then everybody hatches and eventually you have some chicks that are much bigger than the others.

Some of them, the eyes are barely open and they're just sitting there with down on them, can't even hardly move.

But as they get bigger, they move around the nest.

And then they start to climb out on branches.

And sometimes those bigger chicks will out-compete the smaller ones and sometimes even push them in the water, which is kind of rough, especially if you're that small chick, but it's just what happens.

♪♪ I'll tell you what's really tough about heron and egret eggs.

They all look basically the same.

They may be slightly different sizes.

Clutches are often very close, four to five in a clutch.

The other thing is, they all seem to be kind of a pale greenish-blue.

And that's really tough.

I guess if you're a real wading bird egg expert, you can do it, but I'm just not that talented at it.

So, what I'm trying to do is rely on what adult is hanging around the nest, and that'll tell us a lot more about what of type of bird it is.

Even the chicks can be very difficult to identify, especially when they're very young.

As they start to get bigger, they start to look like the adults.

♪♪ Okay, we're gonna be careful.

We don't want to disrupt these birds.

We don't want to scare anybody in the water or anything.

But we do want to get a close look.

And there's something really, really neat right here.

First of all, there's some slightly bigger tricolors that are standing just on a branch, and they're in that phase where they're starting to be mobile.

They're walking around the edge of the branches, but they're not ready to fledge.

So it's gonna be a while before these birds can fly off and start catching their own food.

So they're just kind of waiting on mom and dad.

And actually, mom and dad, in most cases, will be taking care of these birds.

But if you look right over here, there's something really neat.

There's some little babies.

And I think they're little blues 'cause I saw a little blue adult on this nest.

And, man, these are really, really cute.

In fact, it looks like there's a little blue squawking and making some noise right here.

So, again, I don't think we'll get any closer than right here, but, oh, man that's neat.

♪♪ Now, if you look over my shoulder right here, you see some kind of pale greenish or bluish eggs, which, again, they all look like.

But that's what's so cool about this.

I mean, we're able to see eggs and then downy little chicks and then slightly bigger chicks and then ones that are almost adult size that are getting ready to fledge.

It's neat to see them all in one place.

So, guys, this has been absolutely amazing.

I mean, we're seeing a lot in one place.

But I think it's time for us to get out of here and leave these birds alone.

♪♪ The animal we're after today has been a bit of a white whale for the "Coastal Kingdom" team.

We've spent a lot of time trying to catch one, but we haven't managed to get one on film.

But today we have a secret weapon.

We have charter captain Kai Williams, and Kai is gonna take us out to try and catch an Atlantic tarpon, one of the most exciting animals in the ocean.

-They're the best.

-So, Kai, how we gonna do this today?

-Well, we've got a perfect day for it.

It's hot and sticky.

-Oh, it is, isn't it?

It is slick, calm.

So we're gonna get out there.

We have live bait, and we have big artificials we're gonna throw.

And we've got some spots around the corner in the marsh, and they're waiting on us right now.

-Well, I am psyched.

It's gonna be great.

-Let's do it.

-Let's go.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Indistinct speaking ] ♪♪ So, Kai, we've got four lines out?

-Four lines?

-Any more than that, it gets really, really exciting.

-It gets very exciting.

It's kind of driving me crazy.

I'm looking for a bite on every single one of them.

God, this is so cool.

Kai, we got something.

-Here we go!

Let me go ahead and clear this line.

-I don't know how big this is.

I just stopped it.

A bonnethead, a nice bonnethead.

See if we can get it in with that.

Oh, wow.

A nice female, it looks like.

So, guys, nice bonnethead shark.

A female -- you can tell 'cause it doesn't have claspers.

You can see this animal's in really good shape, so we'll get it back in.

Not a tarpon, but really cool.

♪♪ What do you think, Kai?

-It's a big one.

-[ Laughs ] Big stingray.

So, Kai has a really big stingray on, and I'm gonna see if I can get it up close to the surface.

But what's cool about this is not only is this an enormous stingray, but also look at the cobia that's on it.

So, cobia, like remoras, will hang around bigger animals, like this big stingray, sharks sometimes, too.

And they of course get protection and cover from this big stingray, but also they probably get a free meal occasionally.

So, if the stingray eats something big and has some little pieces break off and stuff, the cobia or remora can get something to eat.

Anyway, fabulous.

This is a little cobia, obviously.

These get enormous, I mean 40, 50 pounds.

But this one's a lot smaller than that.

But this stingray is 40 or 50 pounds.

It may be bigger than that.

Enormous.

Problem with stingrays is, boy, they're a lot of work.

So Kai got this most of the way in and then handed me the rod.

[ Chuckling ] And I'm exhausted for sure.

Anyway, big animal, but we got to get the hook out.

Would you look at that?

So, you can see, hook out, and that's definitely what you want to do.

You don't want to leave hooks in these if you can possibly help it because, you know, they -- they can't handle this stuck in them for very long, and if they swallow it, it's really bad.

♪♪ -I think it's a big shark.

-Wow!

-Oh, I almost got you in the head.

♪♪ -So, this is...

Okay, guys, what we're looking for is this inner dorsal ridge right here.

So that means it's either a sandbar -- I think that's what it is.

It's a sandbar shark.

♪♪ It is a big red, boy, a nice one.

♪♪ Boy, that's a -- Look at the -- boy, big old bulldog head on this one.

I love to see that.

Love to see that hook right in the corner of the mouth.

That's the best feeling, isn't it?

♪♪ Yeah, I think that's what it is.

I think that's an adult finetooth.

Boy, hooked perfectly.

-These circle hooks are great for that.

Look at the teeth on that.

-[ Chuckles ] They're impressive, but look how big.

So, it's got those big gill slits.

Yeah, that's what I think it is, is a finetooth.

♪♪ So, guys, Kai has sort of a lip grip that he's using to handle this fish.

So, he can pull it out and just get a quick look at it.

But this is a crevalle jack or jack crevalle.

And, man, look at this beautiful fish.

The first thing you look at is the tail.

This has one of those rapid beat tales.

And this is a fast fish, tremendous musculature and sort of minimized finnage on the body here, but fast and powerful.

And like I said, one of the things I love to do is look at form and function.

And you look at how a fish is built and the adaptations it has for what it does.

They have a big mouth, too, and kind of a terminal mouth that comes to the end.

Anyway, neat fish.

♪♪ There we go.

♪♪ Can't tell what this is doing.

Baby shark.

And it is -- a bonnethead.

Good call, Kai.

[ Laughs ] That was a gut punch.

Beautiful bonnethead shark.

I'll bet you this is a pregnant female, so we're gonna get her right back in.

But you can tell it's a female 'cause it's missing the claspers and also it's really thick through the body.

So, bonnetheads are in the hammerhead family, but as you can see, really different sort of look to the head, not that much wider head that the great hammerhead and the scalloped hammerheads have.

So, let's get it back in -- beautiful fish -- and let it go.

♪♪ So, Kai, I see you're bringing in the last line of the day.

-Last line of the day, unfortunately.

-Well, we didn't get our tarpon, but we caught a lot of fish.

-Sure did have a good time fishing for everything else too.

-Yeah, and one of the reasons I really like to fish with you, Kai, is you've got such a great -- just excellent conservation ethic.

And you want to catch fish, but you respect the fishery and excited about what's here and want to take care of it.

-Absolutely.

Well, I appreciate you having me on.

I really had a great time.

-Thank you.

Kai.

This was great.

♪♪ ♪♪ So, it looks like we finally got our tarpon.

I guess this isn't exactly what we were looking for.

But you know what it does?

It reminds us that this's just where these little guys grow up.

They start in the marsh like this, and it's not until they get quite a bit bigger that they can move offshore into deeper water.

So maybe we'll get a chance to see this one one day out in the sound.

Thanks for joining us on "Coastal Kingdom."

♪♪ ♪♪ -Funding for "Coastal Kingdom" is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, which proudly supports this program.

Through the generosity of our members and donors, the ETV Endowment has funded educational and entertaining programming like "Coastal Kingdom" for more than 40 years.