This is a rambunctious and moderately young gray rat snake observed at Grand Bay in south Georgia. Definitely not a kid, but also not a fully grown adult. Dude had some temper! (But not too manic...)
From what I've gathered so far, gray rats are pretty common in south Georgia.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This yellowbelly slider was busy coming back from who-knows-where. Probably moving from a water pocket back to the main canal line at Grand Bay. Seems a bit early to lay eggs (?), so I'm just not sure why it was so far from water.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This is another Eastern ribbon snake at Grand Bay WMA in south Georgia. A younger individual, though certainly not a kid. The ribbon snakes appear to be quite common in this area of Grand Bay.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This is an adult southern banded watersnake, Nerodia fasciata fasciata, found in the waters of the "canal line" at Grand Bay WMA just east of Valdosta, Georgia. It should be noted that I believe this snake was a hybridized decedent of both N. f. fasciata (the southern banded watersnake) and N. f. pictiventris (the Florida banded watersnake). I counted 126 ventral scales on this individual and that falls in line with N. f. pictiventris; however, this area is in the formal range of N. f. fasciata. Hybridization is common between these two subspecies. Because of range and the dominance of the southern banded subspecies in the area, I'm tagging it N. f. fasciata. Just recognize that there's likely some pictiventris DNA thrown into the mix!
For info on differentiating the subspecies, see Clay 1938: http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/1021.pdf. An old document, but it does provide scale-count methods for distinguishing the subspecies. I'm counting Nerodia ventral scales (when I'm able) to "test" Clay's identification results.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com.
This is a young southern banded watersnake, Nerodia fasciata fasciata, basking in Grand Bay WMA just east of Valdosta, Georgia. Having said that, there's a good chance this snake (and all the other bandeds at Grand Bay) have hybridized with the Florida banded watersnake, Nerodia fasciata pictiventris. According to range maps, this is the domain of the southern subspecies; however, on at least one individual, I counted ventral scales that parred with the pictiventris subspecies and not the fasciata subspecies. In other words, they "look" like southern bandeds to me, but I suspect if one were to genetically comb this population they'd find a mix of the two subspecies (along with some individuals from each).
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
The Eastern ribbon snakes are officially out and about at Grand Bay. One stretch of the elevated boardwalk-tower trail seems to be the dominion of young ribbon snakes and Nerodia watersnakes (with a few young cottonmouths thrown into the mix). A fantastic area and its nice to finally see the formal Eastern ribbon snake subspecies (in my home-region of Florida we have the Peninsula ribbon snake subspecies).
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This is a southeastern five-lined skink observed and photographed in my father's Lake county garden. I was surprised to see it bunkered down under a board. In early April, they're usually out and about in the morning, skulking about the garden.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This is a redbelly watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster, observed on the Valdosta State University campus in south Georgia. A small creek runs westward through campus. This creak has a decent population of Nerodias (mainly N. e. erythrogaster and N. f. fasciata, from what I've seen), frogs (mainly bronze frogs and perhaps bullfrogs), some turtles (red bellies and yellow bellies), and little fishies/crayfish. It's a fantastic little creek!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This is (another) wheel bug nymph spotted in my parents' backyard/garden. The little ones were on the move!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
Sarracenia flava is the second of two carnivorous pitcher plant species I've observed in the (managed) wet savanna area of Grand Bay WMA. The other species is Sarracenia minor, the hooded pitcher plant.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
There's a really cool pitcher plant bog at Grand Bay WMA just east of Valdosta, Georgia. A clearly of wet savannah (managed and not entirely natural) supports at least two species of pitcher plants: Sarracenia minor (featured here) and Sarracenia flava, the yellow pitcher plant.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
A lovely green tree frog biding its time on the edge of a small pond in Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area. I must confess, the frog was asleep when I first fount it. Yeah, that didn't last long. (Fortunately for the frog, neither did our little photo session...)
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
Southern toads are still nocturnally romping my parents' backyard in Mt. Dora, Florida -- despite the best efforts of their two dogs to erratic all amphibian lifeforms.
Anaxyrus Survivor.
NOTE: Two individuals are represented here.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
Yet another species of spider hunting and devouring a sample of aquatic midges infesting Lake county in late March and early April 2012. With the ridiculous number of midges, the spiders are out in force right now!
I've seen this species a number of times, but can't identify it. Any ideas? I'd sure love some help with this one...!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
First up, I'd love confirmation of the identification. I've seen these tiny spiders my entire life in central Florida. We always generically called them "wolf spiders" -- tiny, nocturnal, easily spotted trekking through grassy lawns at night. I believe this is Hogna antelucana, but would like some feedback.
This spider was enjoying a tasty aquatic midge.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
I'm noticing an increase in easily-spotted long-jawed spiders this week in Mt. Dora. They are out and in force, taking advantage of the aquatic midge infestation happening right now.
After doing some research online, this looks like it should be Tetragnatha laboriosa, the silver long jawed orbweaver. They fall within this range and are reportedly very common -- which vibes with how many I've seen. These spiders are incredibly common (though not always openly visible).
Confirmation or correction, as always, would be appreciated.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
Though people may be grumbling about the current and epic scourge of midges in Lake county, Florida, you'll hear no such complaints from our resident gecko neighbors. They are loving it.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
The aquatic midges are out in force right now -- in Lake county, Florida. I've rarely seen them this bad. Layers of them covered parts of my parents' home, especially around the windows.
The morning after, we had to hose the carcasses off. Quite horrific.
Fortunately, though they're often called "blind mosquitos" by locals, these aren't biting mosquitos. Just a nuisance.
After doing some research online, I've figured out this was Glyptotendipes paripes. Turns out there's been a bit of research regarding this bug; one specific project in 2002 actually using Lake Dora (right next to my parents' home) as one of the three sample pools. In that 2002 study, the authors noted that Lake Dora populations had diminished. Well, they're baaaaaaack! http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/ali/aali_117.pdf
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
Time to formally figure this out. This is a nightmarish horde of ants found under a board in my dad's backyard. They were fairly large ants and what we generically called fire ants when I was growing up. Fairly ferocious little buggers. Now: what species?
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
I found one stretch of canal-side foliage dominated by Carolina green anoles. The rest of the area? Cuban brown anoles all the way. Heh. At least the Carolina greens have been allotted their one little swatch of Clark Slough.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
I need to be more proactively assertive in posting Cuban brown anole observations in Florida (and in Georgia). A non-native species to the United States, Anolis sagrei sagrei has made an impressive march up the Floridian peninsula.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
I was momentarily distracted in tracking a southern black racer by this Cuban brown anole. The photograph doesn't do it justice. This was one big and beautiful Cuban brown anole!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
On the snake front, my little Merritt Island / Cape Canaveral excursion on 31 March 2012 was almost a bust. I'd missed a dusky pigmy rattler earlier in the day and nearly missed this southern black racer entirely. I couldn't get decent photographs of the dude, much less get my hands on it. Still, I was happy to have at least gotten these. This snake was *active*!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
A mid-sized American alligator patiently water-basking in a canal off of Marsh Bay Creek in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Anyone know what that aquatic growth is called?
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This little skipper was fluttering about the southern end of L. Pond road near Marsh Bay Creek at Merritt Island. I've seen many over the years, but rarely get decent photographs for one reason or another.
Thanks to cyric for helping tag the formal identification!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This little crab actually hung back long enough for me to snag a quick photo -- and then promptly disappeared into its burrow.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
This little gastropods were swarming the drying mudflats at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Hundreds of them... crawling around each little pool of water.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
I almost feel foolish posting observations of american alligators because they're as ubiquitous in central Florida as spanish moss and tacky flamingo lawn ornaments. Still, this was a cool individual and it deserves representation!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
A slightly cleaner shot than the early-morning shot, but this still quite shabby a composition. So it goes. Regardless of photographic integrity and bedazzlement, let it be known that I witnessed this red-winged blackbird screaming in Cape Canaveral National Seashore!
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
These three photographs represent two individuals observed along the same stretch just south of Clark Slough and west of Mosquito Lagoon in Cape Canaveral National Seashore.
~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com
