Observations by cooksterz

Devils Trumpet - White/Yellow Either: Datura metel or Datura innoxia - A night blooming Moonflower. Here found in a giant form along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. The center tube is over 12" long. Protected by thrashy weeds, and about 10 feet above the river bank. I wish i could of gotten closer here. Im sure the blooms are stunning and huge at night!
Datura contains several toxins that are lethally poisonous and cause severe delirium. Poisoned victims cannot differentiate the difference between hallucinations and reality. Scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine are the toxic agents throughout datura metel. There have been thousands of deaths worldwide attributed to intentional and unintentional consumption. Datura metel cannot be used as a recreational drug. Consumption is extremely dangerous both psychically and mentally. The dangers of consuming datura metel cannot be stressed enough.

Cottonwood Borer - Morning porch visit. No cottonwoods in the area. The cottonwood borer is a species of longhorn beetle found in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains that feeds on cottonwood trees. It is one of the largest insects in North America, with lengths reaching 40 millimetres and widths, 12 mm. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Plectrodera scalator
Phylum: Arthropoda
Higher classification: Plectrodera
Rank: Species
Order: Beetle
Family: Cerambycidae

Cottonwood Borer visitng the backporch plants.
The cottonwood borer is a species of longhorn beetle found in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains that feeds on cottonwood trees. It is one of the largest insects in North America, with lengths reaching 40 millimetres and widths, 12 mm. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Plectrodera scalator
Phylum: Arthropoda
Higher classification: Plectrodera
Rank: Species
Order: Beetle
Family: Cerambycidae

Carolina anole Anolis carolinensis Mating and color change. The male and female mating on a Guava Tree. San Antonio, TX. The green female turns to a dull gray when mounted. He bites her neck too. On release her green color returned, as she went up to the top of the tree, showing her red throat, to announce her Joy, Then promptly chased him back down the tree.