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.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox

Texas Coral Snake - Crotalus atrox

Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus

American Alligator - Alligator mississippiensis

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

Amphibians - Frogs

Herpetology - the branch of zoology dealing the study of reptiles and amphibians or creeping animals. This word derives from Greek herpeton = creeping animal or from herpein = to creep. Interesting, all the different things we can study.

The California Red-legged Frog is an endangered species. In 2004, we met 2 zoologists or rather herpetologists who were also birding (ornithologists) at Point Reyes National Seashore. Today, they were birding on their day off but they were also checking on the frogs at Abbott's Lagoon and we saw several of these endangered frogs. Since the camera was in my hands, I took a few pictures.

This frog species was once very abundant in California and was a favored amphibian in Mark Twain's short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County written in 1865.

But my interest in frogs starts with Blanchard's Cricket Frog which I saw this spring in Texas. I was impressed with the emerald green stripe on its back. This is a subspecies of the Northern Cricket Frog.

I have seen other frogs, including the Rio Grande Leopard Frog, but did not get good pictures.

Blanchard's Cricket Frog - Acrins crepanis blanchari

American Toad - Bufo americanus

California Red-legged Frog - Rana aurora draytoni

Green Frog - Rana clamitans

Bull Frog - Rana catesbeiana

Back in 2007, I wrote a blog about the next frog, a Gray Tree Frog.

Gray Tree Frog - Hyla versicolor

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
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

All images © MSCI

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.

Green Anole - Anolis carolinensis

Texas Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma cornutum

Greater Earless Lizard - Cophosaurus texanus

Texas Greater Earless Lizard (sub-species) - Cophosaurus texanus texanus

Texas Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus olivaceus

Texas Rose-bellied Lizard (sub-species) - Sceloporus variabilis marmoratus

Southwestern Fence Lizard - Sceloporus cowlesi

Big Bend Tree Lizard - Urosaurus ornatus schmidti

Common Spotted Whiptail - Aspidoscelis gularis

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

Butterflies - Blues

Another family of butterflies is called Gossamer-winged because of the sheer appearance of the wings. In this group, there are sub-families of hairstreaks, blues, coppers, and more.

Have you ever noticed while walking or hiking, a very tiny bright blue flash out of the corner of your eye. You stop to look for it and can't find it. Well, it is probably a little blue butterfly, that flashes its blue when the wings are open. When it is sitting at rest, there is no blue color to be seen because they usually sit with their wings closed. Also, these little blue butterflies are so fast and soooo... small. Most are no bigger than 1/2" - 1" when sitting.

Now, try taking a picture of them! I creep as close as I can and then it darts away before I can focus the camera. I have to look again for this little blue, that really is only displaying its pale gray wings. But when I have a photo, it is so much fun to magnify this image and see the beautiful details of orange and black spots and little threadlike tails or hairstreaks. And it is the spots (color, shape, position and number) and tails that you need to see to identify them.

All of these images are larger than life size so imagine trying to find them or focus your camera on them.

Gray Hairstreak (with tails) - Strymon melinus

Reakirt's Blue - Hemiargus isola

Reakirt's Blue (female) - Hemiargus isola

Eastern Tailed-Blue (with tails) - Everes comyntas

Eastern Tailed-Blue - Everes comyntas

Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Kaufman Focus Guides - Butterflies
Butterflies through Binoculars The East
Butterflies through Binoculars The West
Butterflies of the Great Lakes
Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Caterpilliars in the Field and Garden

All images © MSCI

Butterflies - Crescents

On our Texas trip, every time I saw an orange and black butterfly, I tried to photograph it. I was sure that they were mostly duplicates. To my surprise, I had 5 new species. They sure looked alike in the field but when I studied them carefully, the patterns of orange and black and white were different.

These butterflies are all in the Brush-footed family, Nymphalidae. I just learned that all butterflies in this family have one distinctive characteristic. The forelegs of the adult butterfly are greatly reduced in size, covered with short hairs, and useless for walking. They appear to have only 4 legs. In the male butterfly, the forelegs are so small that they are like hairy stumps which suggest a tiny bottle brush. Hence, the family name.

The Monarch belongs to this family, so next time you see a Monarch butterfly, see if you can only count 4 legs because it is very difficult to see the stumps in the field.

Theona Checkerspot - Chlosyne theona

Bordered Patch - Chlosyne lacinia

Texan Crescent - Phyciodes texana

Phaon Crescent - Phyciodes phaon

Painted Crescent - Phyciodes picta

Pearl Crescent - Phyciodes tharos

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Kaufman Focus Guides - Butterflies
Butterflies through Binoculars The East
Butterflies through Binoculars The West
Butterflies of the Great Lakes
Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Caterpilliars in the Field and Garden

All images © MSCI

Texas Damselflies or Odonata

Damselflies are generally smaller than dragonflies. They have more slender bodies than dragonflies and differ in wing size and shape. The damselfly forewings and hindwings are the same size and shape and they hold their wings together over the back, except for the family of spreadwings. You can quickly see whether it is a dragonfly or a damselfly.

The first damselfly that caught my eye this spring in Texas, was the rubyspot. I could not believe it was so red. I also find it fascinating that male and female damselflies can have such different colors like in the Rambur's Forktail where the immature female is a bright orange that changes to an olive green in maturity.

American Rubyspot (Male) - Hetaerina americana

Smoky Rubyspot (Male) - Hetaerina titia

Blue-ringed Dancer (Male) - Agria sedula

Blue-fronted Dancer (Male) - Agria apicalis

Blue-fronted Dancer (Female) - Agria apicalis

Rambur's Forktail (Male) - Ischnura ramburii

Rambur's Forktail (Immature Female) - Ischnura ramburii

Fragile Forktail (Male) - Ischnura posita

Powdered Dancer (Male) - Agria moesta

Powdered Dancer (Female) - Agria moesta

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Damselflies of Texas, A Field Guide
Damselflies of the North Woods
Dragonflies of the North Woods
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States
Dragonflies through Binoculars North America
Dragonflies of Indiana
North American Odonata Website
Odonata Central Website

All images © MSCI

Texas Dragonflies or Odonata

We are back from our winter/spring vacation to Texas with 4,635 miles on the truck, 5,426 clicks with the camera and 41 days on the road in the sun and warmth. Maybe I should say heat since many days were over 90°. But I am not complaining since I wasn't cold!

Sometimes I can't decide whether I am a birder who takes pictures or a photographer who shoots bird photos and .... butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, bugs, animals, reptiles, flowers, whatever catches my eye.

I have started to sort my photos and I photographed 11 new species of dragonflies and damselflies. I can't believe their colors and beauty.

Roseate Skimmer (Male) - Orthemis discolor

Common Whitetail (Male) - Plathemis lydia

Common Whitetail (Female) - Plathemis lydia

Eastern Pondhawk (Male) - Erythemis simplicicollis

Eastern Pondhawk (Female) - Erythemis simplicicollis

Plateau Dragonlet - Erythrodiplax basifusca

The references and gear I used for this blog are:
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Steiner 10x42 Predator Binoculars
Damselflies of Texas, A Field Guide
Damselflies of the North Woods
Dragonflies of the North Woods
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States
Dragonflies through Binoculars North America
Dragonflies of Indiana
North American Odonata Website
Odonata Central Website

All images © MSCI