reptiles
-
Everywhere You Look
Found in the salad spinner after washing some organic lettuce. A Histeridae family beetle, also known as hisser or clown beetles, even though they don’t wear much makeup. They eat the larvae of flies.A late-blooming Prickly Pear (Opuntia), one of my favorite local flowers. A very beat-up Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), a new species…
-
Snout’s Up
Small-to-medium-sized Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) peeking from the Duckweed and algae atop the perhaps deceptively named Lullwater in Prospect today. Update: On second thought, and thoughtful suggestion, this is probably just another Red-eared Slider. All that yellow in the chin wouldn’t be on a Snapping T.
-
Turtlenecks
The all too-common Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta). Note those neck line patterns. On the same day, close by, was this specimen. This one differs by having the yellow line go up past its eye.And by having an oval shape on the neck. Missing, too, is the red stripe behind the eyes which give Red-eareds their…
-
Two Turtles
How wonderful to be away from the tyranny of the Eastern Red-eared-slider! Great Swamp NWR management in fact urges you to report sightings of these invasive creatures. Meanwhile, the Swamp offers up several native species of turtles. On our recent trip, we saw a lot of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta).Not unknown in NYC waters, the…
-
Snakes on Monday
Two variations on Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon). The first was warming up ashore on a cool spring morning. The second was swimming between the sedge tussocks.New Jersey has 22 species of snakes, according to a NJ Fish & Wildlife pamphlet we picked up at Great Swamp NWR. Historically, there was at least one more,…
-
More Snakes in the Garden Please
A young Common Garter (Thamnophis sirtalis) riding over the duff of Black Rock Forest.This one was about 7″.At a stream, I saw four mature Garters drift by on the other side; these were over 2′ long. My friends called my attention to the one on my side of the stream. Perhaps a wintering ball of…
-
Young Snap
Four, count ’em four, Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta) were basking in the tiny, northernmost pond on Pier One at Brooklyn Bridge Park the other day. Fools keep releasing these invasive, potentially disease-carrying pet-trade animals. Some do it for religious (!) reasons! The effects of all this can be seen in the water course in Prospect…
-
Snouty
A young Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) tests the air. Neither a wizened old warrior the size of a European subcompact nor a silver dollar-sized baby, this one was about 4″ long.
-
Morning Stretch
Upward-facing turtle, with a keen eye on the photographer.
-
Frog, Turtle, ‘Gator
Big Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus).Bigger, much bigger: Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Possible looking for a place to exit the water and lay eggs (you need another reason to enforce the leash law in our parks?). Judging by the shell, I’d say I’ve seen this giant before. Also, even enormous Snappers start small; here’s a baby I…
Backyard and Beyond 