From My Perch: Reptiles

Showing posts with label Reptiles. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Reptiles - Snakes & Gator

My first encounter with a venomous snake was at Corpus Christi's Botanical Gardens. We were walking the back trails looking for birds. Suddenly this snake moved into the center of the path and we both stopped dead in our tracks. It was a rattlesnake for sure and this was his path! He would not move away and it took several short sticks (there were no dead trees here) thrown at him to disturb him enough that he left the path. Of course, we were determined not to turn around but could not go past him either.

Generally, I hear and see snakes as the slither away from the trail. That is how I saw my Texas Coral Snake. It was on or near the path but we had not seen him. Only when he was moving away in the grass, did I see him and managed only one picture.

The Western Ribbon Snake was very small, less than a foot is my guess. It was hiding or whatever snakes do in a small hole in the log. I think it came out of its hole to check me out. I was moving around this area, photographing butterflies and dragonflies. As soon as I got the camera focused on him, he slipped back into his hole but only after I captured him with the camera.

The only other reptile that we see all over the southern US, is the American Alligator. I remember our first trip to Louisiana in 2002 and we started to see alligators along side of the road in the ditches. We stopped counting when we reach 100 in 25 miles or so. Big ones and little ones.

In that same trip, we were in Sabine NWR and a 15+ foot gator was sunning himself in the path. He also would not move but he was less threatening than the rattlesnake and we managed to skirt around him to continue on the trail.

Photo taken at Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, TX on 4/5/2006

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox

Texas Coral Snake - Crotalus atrox

Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus

American Alligator - Alligator mississippiensis

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Camera: Canon EOS 10D
Lens: Canon EF28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 II USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars

All images © MSCI

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Reptiles - Turtles

For years, I have been taking pictures of turtles that come up out of the lake onto the lawn and garden to lay their eggs. I have not done anything with the identification of these images. Most of these images were clicks in passing, where I did not put much effort in getting a good image of the turtle.

But now I have this field guide from the library with Frogs, Turtles, Lizards, Snakes, etc. It really is quite good. The pictures do not show all the species or sub-species but the text is excellent. I will have to try to find a copy to add to my own reference library.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

I also found this website that helps you with identifying your turtle with key criteria and pictures.
Turtle Identification

All of my good images are from Michigan but we see turtles everywhere we travel. I will have to pay more attention to them now.

Photo taken at Murray Lake, MI on 6/16/2002

Blanding's Turtle - Emydoidea blandingi

Spiny Softshell Turtle - Trionyx spiniferus

Common Map Turtle - Graptemys geographica

Painted Turtle - Chrysemys picta

All images © MSCI

Monday, August 29, 2011

Reptiles - Lizards

I took my first lizard photo in 2005 in New Mexico and then a couple more in 2008. However, this year in Texas, it was hot and I saw many lizards. The lizard that started me on the hunt was the Texas Horned Lizard. My husband saw it in the middle of the park road in Seminole Canyon SP and came to get me - with my camera. This lizard and some of the others stayed perfectly still while I took their picture. Others are gone in a flash. I know several of them did not get their picture taken.

When I reviewed my photos at home, I knew I had to get some reference guides. I searched the library databases and put out hold requests for all the guides I could find. They came from all over Michigan. One book from CMU was placed in the library in 2002 and I am the first person to check it out of the library. However, the guides were not comprehensive enough, so I found 2 websites where people were willing to help me with the ID.

These were the books and websites that I found:
Lizards of the American Southwest
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians
Handbook of Lizards: Lizards of the United States and of Canada
Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas
Austin Reptile Service
Ribbit Photography and Wild Herps

Why lizards? Whatever is in my camera view finder, is a "clicking" moment. There are over 100 different species of lizards in North America, plus many sub-species. Texas has quite a number of lizards or their sub-species. Now I have captured 9 different species and sub-species in images.

See the clicks below.