Description
The Great Plains skink recently was discovered on the Folsom Point Preserve and is thought to be one of the few remaining homes for this species in Iowa. Prior to 2002, this rare lizard last had been observed in Iowa in 1984, 40 miles to the south. This unique site also is home to other unusual species. Folsom Point is one of the only areas where the northern subspecies and southern subspecies of the Leonard’s skipper butterfly meet and hybridize.
Folsom Point Prairie features spectacular landscapes, with open prairie ridges rising dramatically out of the Missouri River floodplain. This preserve not only has high-quality prairie on the ridges; it also has a rare example of mesic prairie in one of the valleys. These high-quality habitats support a high diversity of prairie plants, birds and butterflies.
The terrain is quite rugged with steep slopes. The preserve is used for research by local students, visitors should avoid flags and other markers.
Folsom Point Prairie protects one of the largest remaining contiguous prairie remnants in the southern Loess Hills. Purchased in 1999, the prairie provides a valuable habitat for grassland animals, particularly in an area where the prairie community has largely disappeared.