Coloring & Camouflage in Ancient Sea Creatures

Above: The famous Mansi Photograph captured in 1977 by Sandra Mansi showing the dark coloring of a Champ animal. 

In eyewitness descriptions of Champ as well as other lake creatures around the globe, coloration has varied. From brown to Olive green to black. Some reports have also been of a lighter underside. This feature is called Countershading, or Thayer's law, a method of camouflage in which an animal's coloration is darker on the upper side and lighter on the underside of the body. This pattern is found in many species of reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, and insects, both predators and prey, and has occurred since at least the Cretaceous period. Many turtles, frogs, and salamanders that live in the water have light colors on their bellies and dark colors on their backs. This color pattern makes them less visible to aquatic predators that see them against a light sky.

Circled above: Christine Hebert's brother Chamlie Auer during a personal interview in front of the light pole where she had her sighting. (2013)

The Hebert sighting

Twenty years ago, dogs barking wildly woke Christine Hebert's Marina on a foggy night. A new dock had recently been built at the Auer Family Boathouse, with a light that extended out into the water. Christine looked out to see what was alarming the dogs, thought someone might be taking a boat, and to her surprise, she saw a large creature rise out of the water right under the light. A couple of weeks later, a similar incident occurred, a smaller creature appeared under the light. "We just put the walk out, and you'll see the lamp, now the lamp is right where he came out to light, and he stopped, where the new cement ramp is. He looked all around, and even though I looked at him, I couldn't even see him moving then, he finally turned around and went out into the Lake. He wasn't laying down in the water, his head stuck up he looked like a dinosaur".

"His head was up, maybe the head and the body, and it went into the water, and then there was a hump." He was pea green he looked all Moldy to me, that's all I could think of, but I was so tired I didn't realize what I saw and about maybe a week or two later, my mother was with me in that window up on the right, and the same thing happened again only this one that came out of the woods was smaller. It was brown; it was not pea-green". Christine admitted to me that the second sighting was of two creatures together. She was very hesitant to tell the media about seeing the two together. One large and Pea Green and the smaller creature was brown. 

What could the color differences signify? Could this be something that indicates age, sex, or just individuality? Most reports describe a brown, blackish coloring. Since these animals have been seen in many of the surrounding marshlands, I believe the green coloring could be a covering on the animal's skin of Spirodela polyrhiza, a species of duckweed known by the common names common duckmeat, greater duckweed, common duckweed, and duckmeat. It can be found nearly worldwide in many types of freshwater habitats. It is a perennial aquatic plant usually growing in dense colonies, forming a mat on the water surface. On further investigation by drone and kayak excursions in the area, the animals were directly coming out of a major marsh system, across a strip of land up to the light pole at the boat ramp. 

A covering of Spirodela polyrhiza on the skin of the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).

During my studies, I later discovered that for the first time, scientists have direct evidence of skin color in marine creatures that lived many millions of years ago matching the coloration of the Champ animals and other lake creatures worldwide. Published in the journal Nature on January 8, 2014, describe pigment unearthed in the fossilized skin of a 196-million-year-old ichthyosaur, an 85-million-year-old mosasaur, and a 55-million-year-old leatherback turtle. The evidence suggests that some ancient sea creatures had dark skin, which might have provided UV protection, helped regulate body temperature, and perhaps served as camouflage.

Johan Lindgren at Lund University in Sweden heads the international team that made the discovery.

This is fantastic! When I started studying at Lund University in 1993, the film Jurassic Park had just been released, and that was one of the main reasons why I got interested in biology and paleontology. Then, 20 years ago, it was unthinkable that we would ever find biological remains from animals that have been extinct for many millions of years, but now we are there and I am proud to be a part of it.

Per Uvdal, a member of the research team at MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden, said:

Our results are amazing … Our discovery enables us to make a journey through time and to revisit these ancient reptiles using their own biomolecules. Now, we can finally use sophisticated molecular and imaging techniques to learn what these animals looked like and how they lived.

An artist’s depiction of what the fossil reptiles studied by Lindgren’s team might have looked like in life. The preserved skin pigment studied by the team indicates they had some amount of dark coloring. Illustration by Stefan Sølberg.

Ichthyosaurs, marine reptiles with a dolphin-like bodies, lived between 245 to 90 million years ago. Paleontologists believe that these extinct ocean predators fed on fish, shellfish, cephalopods, and perhaps smaller marine reptiles. Mosasaurs were giant marine lizards, likely the apex predators of their day, that thrived during the Late Cretaceous, about 85 to 65 million years ago. The scientists also studied leatherback turtles, whose ancestry dates back to the first sea turtles that emerged 110 million years ago. Leatherbacks are still on Earth today, found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

In the fossils of each animal, scientists found dark patches of fossil skin that bore many micron-sized flat roundish features (one micron is about 0.000039 inches). Previously, these features were thought to be fossilized bacteria in the decomposing carcass. However, further analysis by the research team revealed it to be fossilized melanosomes, specialized structures in animal cells that make, store, and transport the pigment that determines skin color, melanin.

Left: an image of fossilized skin from a 55-million-year-old leatherback turtle (scale bar, 10 cm). Center: scales from an 85-million-year-old mosasaur (scale bar, 10 mm). Right: the tail fin from a 196-million-year-old ichthyosaur (scale bar, 5 cm). Image credit: Bo Pagh Schultz, Johan Lindgren and Johan A. Gren.

The modern leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) has a black-colored back. It’s one of several adaptations for survival in temperate waters since dark colors do not reflect much light, but instead, absorb light and convert it to heat. This helps the turtle stay warm as it floats on the ocean surface, basking in the sun. Lindgren commented:

The fossil leatherback turtle probably had a similar color scheme and lifestyle as does Dermochelys. Similarly, mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs, which also had worldwide distributions, may have used their darkly colored skin to heat up quickly between dives.

In his press release, Lindgren speculates that some ichthyosaurus species may have had a similar way of life as modern-day sperm whales. They may have also evolved similar dark colors to sperm whales, adaptations for camouflage during dives to the dark deep ocean depths, and for UV protection at the ocean surface.

Scientists have discovered pigment in the fossilized skin of a 196-million-year-old ichthyosaur, a 55-million-year-old leatherback turtle, and an 85-million-year-old mosasaur. It’s the first direct evidence of skin color for these ancient sea creatures. Dark-colored skin might have provided UV protection, helped regulate body temperature, and perhaps served as camouflage. The journal Nature reported on these discoveries on January 8, 2014.

 The presence of the dark coloring fits hundreds of eyewitness descriptions of Champ over the years, as well as the relation with the sunbathing reports onshore and my belief we are dealing with an ectothermic species yet to be classified by the scientific community. 

With the presence of natural debris in Champlain that could easily be mistaken for a Champ animal, being of dark color with an elongate body these animals could easily look like a log on the surface or a log laying on the shoreline. Nature has a way to camouflage with its environment. 

Above: A Crocodile stealth and camouflaging in the mud with just it's eyes visible . Nature is amazing! 

Sources 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a9921/the-true-colors-of-ancient-reptiles-revealed-16357903/ 

Invasive Species on the doorstep of Lake Champlain

 Several aquatic invasive species are “on the doorstep” of Lake Champlain. Waterways in the regions around the Lake contain significant numbers of invasive species. Round goby, Asian clam, hydrilla, and others are poised to enter from the Great Lakes, Hudson River, and St. Lawrence River via canals and tributaries. Invasive species could be introduced easily by the release of live bait, aquarium dumping, hitchhiking on boats and trailers, or intentional stocking.

Round Goby

Native to Europe, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) was first found in the St. Clair River in 1990 and has expanded its distribution to many areas of the Great Lakes, Erie Canal, the interior of New York, as well as St. Lawrence and Richelieu Rivers in Quebec. The goby is gray, four to ten inches in length, and is physically similar to other species native to US waters.

The round goby out-competes native species for food and habitat by feeding at night, thriving in poor water conditions, spawning multiple times a season, and preying on native eggs and young. It has already affected recreational and commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes, resulting in seasonal restrictions on certain types of fish whose populations have been reduced by goby. While the round goby is known to eat zebra mussels(an invasive species that entered Lake Champlain in 1993), they do not eat them in great enough numbers to affect the population. The introduction of the round goby to Lake Champlain could dramatically impact the Lake’s game fish.

Environmentalists and politicians in Vermont are urging New York officials to close a lock in the Champlain Canal to prevent the round goby, an aggressive invasive fish, from entering Lake Champlain.

If the small green fish, which is native to the Caspian and the Black Sea regions, makes its way into the lake, it could have a devastating impact on the local ecosystem. A prolific breeder, the fish spawns more than once per season, and it eats the eggs of other fish and their young.

The species is resilient — it can survive in poor water quality — and it would likely bring a pathogen called viral hemorrhagic septicemia that could affect other aquatic species. 

“Once it gets into Lake Champlain, there’s no controlling it,” said Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator for the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “Game over.”

The round goby has traveled through the manmade canal system that stretches from the Great Lakes, where its population has run rampant, through New York. 

If the fish were to enter Lake Champlain, it would need to travel up the Hudson River and the Champlain Canal. Locks currently create physical barriers between the river and the lake, but they typically reopen in the summer. 

The Nature Conservancy is calling for New York officials to keep closed Lake Champlain Canal Lock C7 — used by boaters to traverse the waterway — until a long-term solution can address the problem. As of now, it’s scheduled to open on May 20, according to the staff at the New York State Canal Corporation.

For the last 50 years, Vermont has worked to rebuild its lake trout population, which has recently made a significant comeback, said Lauren Oates, policy director at the Vermont chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Lake Champlain is the source lake for several inland water bodies in Vermont and the Adirondacks, she said, so if the fish spreads to Lake Champlain, it’s likely to travel elsewhere. 

“The round goby will be a direct competitor to lake trout and significantly impede, if not reverse, that recovery that we’ve worked so hard for,” Oates said. 

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., issued a joint statement to VTDigger Friday afternoon, urging immediate action to mitigate the spread of the species. 

“The round goby is a clear and present threat to Lake Champlain’s fisheries and ecosystem. Not only is it a voracious predator, but the round goby also carries botulism, which can spread easily to the area’s water birds,” the statement said. 

The congressional delegation has been pushing for a permanent barrier to prevent invasive species from entering Lake Champlain from the canal system. 

“Until that work is completed, immediate emergency measures must be taken to stop the advance of the round goby, possibly including restricting the use of the canal,” the statement said.

While historically the canal was used for industry and commerce, recreational boating is now its main purpose. Oates said last year, boaters passed through the C7 lock about 100 times. The canal would be open north and south of the lock, but boaters looking to traverse it entirely would need to find another method, such as using a trailer. 

“It would be an inconvenience, but it would be a temporary measure that would be protecting against a much, much, much greater harm if the round goby got into Lake Champlain,” said Gruskin, with The Nature Conservancy’s New York chapter. 

So far, New York officials haven’t committed to closing the lock. 

In a joint statement, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Canal Corporation said they’re “assessing the potential spread of the round goby” and developing actions to mitigate its spread. 

“Before advancing any actions, DEC and the Canal Corporation will undertake public outreach to educate and engage stakeholders on any measures identified to limit the spread of round goby, including actions individuals can take to reduce the spread of the invasive fish,” the statement said. 

A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the governor “is aware of the threats posed by aquatic invasive species and the role the canal system can play in their movement and has directed DEC and NYPA/Canal Corporation to evaluate options necessary to address this issue and will coordinate with partners, including Quebec and Vermont, on issues that impact our shared waterways.”

Gruskin said the situation requires more urgent action. 

“I do have a concern that, while they continue to study it, the fish aren’t going to be studying, they’re going to be moving,” he said. “There really does need to be this temporary protection.

Modley, with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, said the round goby has long been on the organization’s invasive species watch list and said its spread throughout the canal system happened much more quickly than expected. 

The organization has had an ongoing discussion about “recognizing that the Champlain Canal is the pathway by which the greatest number of harmful non-native species have entered Lake Champlain,” Modley said. 

“If today, we’re dealing with round goby, we may in the future deal with quagga mussel, hydrilla, snakehead or Asian carp,” she said. 

“An ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure,” said Eric Howe, program director at the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “If it gets into Lake Champlain, there’s nothing that we can do about it. And we’ll be looking at, probably, significant ecological changes to the lake, at least at the fishery level.”

What can people do to prevent invasive species from getting into Champlain? Why wash your boat?

Whenever you transport your boat, jet ski, kayak, canoe, fishing gear, or other recreational equipment from one waterbody to another, you risk accidentally spreading invasive species like zebra mussels or Eurasian watermilfoil to a new waterbody. Pressure washing your boat, equipment, and trailer helps remove aquatic plant fragments, zebra mussels, and other unseen “hitchhikers.” By always washing your boat and equipment between launches, you can help protect the waterbodies you enjoy from harmful infestations.

Rollers
Axle
Lower Unit/Propeller
unless they came out of that body of water.

What are aquatic invasive species?

Aquatic invasive species are non-native plants and animals, introduced into our waters, that outcompete native plants and animals for food and habitat. They can obstruct waterways, clog recreational areas and greatly reduce biodiversity. For example, water chestnut and Eurasian watermilfoil can grow to extremely high densities, hampering boating, fishing, and swimming. Zebra mussels can clog water intake pipes, clutter beaches, encrust docks and equipment, and harm native mussels. There are now 49 non-native species occupying Lake Champlain, and many more threaten to invade in the near future. Many inland lakes in the region remain uninfested but are threatened due to their proximity to Lake Champlain. Once an invasive species is established it can be difficult to manage and impossible to eradicate. Preventing new introductions is the key to protecting our waters from these harmful invasive species.

Spring has sprung on Lake Champlain!

                                                 

                  The first sounds of spring 2022 from the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) occurred on April 1, 2022.

Spring has sprung on Lake Champlain, well almost! Mud up to your ankles, the usual "Mud Season" has been in effect for the last couple of weeks in the Champlain Valley. Robin's hopping across the front lawn and much to my surprise the faint chirping sound of frogs emerging from their winter slumber. What does this mean as far as Champ research? Due to my theory of the Champ animals being an ectothermic species yet to be classified by science, there seems to be a constant pattern over the years of Champ sightings occurring from April-October. July, August, and September are the prime season for these animals to be most active. 

What is an Ectotherm?

 Reptiles and Amphibians are ectothermic, they have to regulate their body temperature by moving between warmer and cooler environments. Because metabolic activity and energy levels are dependent on temperature, amphibians and reptiles are relatively slow and inactive when they are cold and more active when they are warm. Terrestrial activity tends to be highest during rainy weather, allowing amphibians to remain moist while they forage or migrate across the landscape. Terrestrial amphibians avoid desiccation during periods of hot, dry weather by seeking shelter undercover, underground, or in other moist micro-environments. By not expending metabolic energy to maintain a particular body temperature, ectotherms have much lower energy requirements and require much less food than similarly sized endotherms (warm-blooded animals).

Sunbathing Reports 

1980-Frank Horton of Port Henry, New York, had a unique sighting of a Champ animal laying on the beach in broad daylight. "My friend and I were coming down Whitney street, which overlooks the beach. It was a sunny fall afternoon. I saw this black thing up on the beach. I turned to him and said, "Do you see what I see?" He said, "I absolutely see what you're seeing." We drove quickly down the edge of the beach, and when we approached, we got a better view. "It was a huge animal. Black in color, about 20 ft long, long neck, and a small head. When we got down there, she turned her head slowly and looked right at us. I couldn't believe it. There was Champ. She slowly pushed off in the sand right off into the water. I noticed on her sides there were white marks very close to what you see of scars on a manatee, like either she had been scarred from a boat or scraped her sides coming out of a tight place.”

 

With this sighting on the beach occurring on a sunny early afternoon when the sun is at its peak, it leads to a supportive factor to the ectothermic theory.

Water Temperatures

People have often theorized that sightings do not mainly occur during the winter months due to there being fewer people on the Lake. Still, with my theory of these animals being an ectothermic species, there seems to be a time frame that these animals are most active, and when most sightings occur, I refer to this as "Champ Season." During my field studies on Lake Champlain, I have taken temperature readings at prime sighting locations. It has supported the idea of these animals being ectothermic therefore being active or torpid during certain times of the year. 

Average Lake Champlain Water Temperatures in Fahrenheit F °

Apr 38.2 , May 47.0 , June 59.8 , July 67.8 , Aug 70.8 , Sept 66.2 , Oct 55.2 F, Nov 47.4 , Dec 41.0 , Jan 32.2 , Feb 32.4 , March 34.6.

Winter Survival 

Considering the harsh New England winters on Lake Champlain, when the lake freezes completely over, I have been asked how the Champ animals would survive in such frigid conditions. Sightings of the Champ animals decrease from October and entirely by December until the Lake reaches 50º F when sightings start to occur.

Dee Carroll had a sighting of Champ quite late in the season. "We were driving along in the mid-'80s, the first weekend in December, and I was looking out the window of the car and said to my husband, 'What's that post-like thing out there? And turned my head back, and here were concentric circles on the water moving out, and the post was gone. Now, posts don't just disappear. They float or stick up or do something. They don't just go down."

Winters on Lake Champlain vary year by year with temperature changes. Some years, the Lake can be frozen until the end of April or till the end of March. In the case of the Carroll sighting in December, perhaps the Lake temperature was warmer than usual for that time of year. On April 15th, 1993, a very peculiar sighting occurred. Irvin Laing and Bill Wykes, from Port Henry Pier, observed a creature break through the ice and then proceeded to slide on top of the ice. The creature was around 3 1/2 ft high and 12 to 16 feet long; it was blunt on one end and pale green in color. The sighting occurred around 3 p.m.

My personal belief of these animals have reptilian and amphibious traits due to observation and the extensive amount of compiled eyewitness reports and water temperature data indicates Ectothermic behavior. Since we cannot look back at ancient reptiles or amphibians or a possible specialized hybrid that is not in our current fossil record, we have to look at winter survival of modern-day reptiles and amphibians in the Champlain region. 

With the idea of a Mammalian species, these animals would have to come up to the surface to breathe oxygen regularly, and unless ice pockets were abundant underneath the ice that could supply enough oxygen for a population of these animals, this possibility is unlikely. Another theory that some have suggested is that there could be caves with open areas where these animals can stay in seclusion during the winter and breathe plenty of oxygen. I am open to many theories of what these animals may be. Still, going by hundreds of compiled eyewitness reports in combination with my data that I have obtained, it seems that these animals are most likely breathing and receiving oxygen in the following ways. Using known Amphibians as an example, Aquatic frogs such as the Leopard frog (Rana pipiens) and American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) typically hibernate underwater. A common misconception is that they spend the winter the way aquatic turtles do, dug into the mud at the bottom of a pond or stream. Hibernating frogs would suffocate if they dug into the mud for an extended period of time. A hibernating turtle's metabolism slows down so drastically that it can get by on the mud's meager oxygen supply. Hibernating aquatic frogs, however, must be near oxygen-rich water and spend a good portion of the winter just lying on top of the mud or only partially buried. 

They may even slowly swim around from time to time. Ice crystals form in such places as the body cavity and bladder and under the skin, but a high concentration of glucose in the frog's vital organs prevents freezing. A partially frozen frog will stop breathing, and its heart will stop beating. It will appear quite dead. But when the hibernaculum warms up above freezing, the frog's frozen portions will thaw, and its heart and lungs resume activity. 

Other aquatic species may stay relatively active all winter long (as long as a pond doesn't freeze completely solid). Because of the unusual thermodynamics of water, ponds, and lakes are coldest at the surface and warmest on the bottom. The surface of the pond or Lake, if frozen over, will be 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but the majority of the Lake will be 38-39 degrees and the bottom at 40 degrees. The aquatic stages of the red-spotted newt (larvae and adults) may stay active even under ice. They can ingest and slowly digest food. Other aquatic amphibians like the pickerel frog and northern red salamander are active at running, ice-free springs throughout the winter.

In the case of a Reptile, using the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) as an example, Snapping Turtles enter a state of brumation. In cold temperatures, turtles can lower their heart rate and metabolism, thereby conserving energy and warmth. Aquatic turtles will brumate in deeper parts of ponds where the water will not freeze. Under the ice, turtles slow their metabolisms, diffuse all required oxygen through their skin and other mucus membranes, or hold their breath if in an anoxic (without oxygen) environment. 

While researching turtle behavior under the ice, I unearthed an article by Jacqueline Litzgus, a Professor in the Department of Biology at Laurentian University, where she discusses her research and behavior of aquatic turtles during the winter months. “My research group has monitored several species of freshwater turtles during their hibernation,” said Litgus. “We attach tiny devices to the turtles’ shells that measure temperature and allow us to follow them under the ice.”We’ve found that all species choose to hibernate in wetland locations that hover just above freezing, that they move around under the ice, hibernate in groups and return to the same places winter after winter.” Could the Champ animals be doing the same?

During my fieldwork on Lake Champlain during the cold and frigid months, I have cataloged water temperatures, performed Hydrophone recordings, and used my underwater camera system to see if I could catch a glimpse of a Champ animal in this hibernation-like state under the ice. I have not had any success with obtaining Hydrophone recordings of Echolocation or vocalizations, nor have I captured a visual of a Champ animal under the ice, which is a possible indication that these animals are actually in a partial torpor-like state.

A Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) on the ice, is an example of an ectotherm braving the frigid temperatures. This is certainly a very rare and unusual occurrence. 

It would be remarkable to determine where these animals reside during these extreme conditions. Could these animals also be venturing into the marshlands before the Lake starts to freeze while their body is in full mobility, then venturing into deep ponds in the marsh, much like turtles where they reside till the spring thaw? Are they in specific areas of the Lake in a torpor-like state until the Lake temperature reaches around 50 ° F. when sightings start to occur? Is it possible that they congregate around springs where the water could be warmer and where supplemental oxygen is continuously available? My research on the frozen waters of the lake and marsh systems in search of answers is always an ongoing venture.

Listening with a Hydrophone system, using an underwater camera as a visual, and taking water temperature readings underneath the ice. 

Starting this week I will be setting up Game Cameras in the nearby marsh as well as major river systems. Perhaps, we will get the first glimpse of a Champ animal coming out of torpor for the 2022 season.