In the middle of the hurricane
The nest box is about 3 ft high, so this snake must be at least 6 ft long. The box is about 20 ft above the ground on a 12-ft diameter pine. There was an owlet in the box the night before, never thought a snake could climb a tree like this. Thinking this might be a southern Timber Rattler, not sure what else would tangle with a big owl. It appears the snake got the owlet, then laid a trap or somehow tangled with one of the adults. Later photos showed what looked like an owl wing hanging from the box, with just one parent bird seen on a nearby branch. Then the wing was gone. Nothing at the box after May 22. Trying to id the snake if possible and complete a story here with just a few snapshots from the game camera.
Related observation with further links
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/216055428
Barn swallow took over the Phoebe nest
This observation is for the baby
With desert cottontail prey
Unknown Photuris displaying with a flash train, with up to 31+ pulses in a train and 0.4-0.5 seconds between individual pulses. Variable amount of time between flash trains (2-6 seconds). Some of the gaps between the pulses in the photo are likely due to the camera shutter closing (this photo is a composite of eleven 4-second exposures). Observation: 29 pulses, followed by 6 seconds of dark, then 16 pulses followed by 2 seconds of dark, and then 31 flashes. Habitat was a hay field with a few marshy areas. Maybe a Photuris female, P. fairchildi, or something else? P. quadrifulgens was also displaying at the same time. The temperature was 67 degrees Fahrenheit and mGDD starting from Feb 1 was 892.
Look closely. Two beavers. One napping belly up, feet in the air.
From the shore, it looked like the Steller Sea Lion was furiously shaking a large fish. Photos show it was a Giant Pacific Octopus!
being eaten by a speckled kingsnake
found on road eating an eastern copperhead
Spotted on the side of the road near Ozark, Alabama.
LIFER!
Was trying to look for a spot that they can be commonly seen at. Well, I didn't find the spot, but I still found one! Such a super cool species to see!
AOR. No idea how it got there. Obviously not native to this area. Appeared healthy and behaved normally.
6 Nerodia fasciata confluens, 2 Thamnophis proximus orarius and 2 Gastrophryne carolinensis under plywood. Pseudacris crucifer calling.
Biggest cottonmouth I've encountered. Body about 6" in diameter at fullest and about 65-72" long.
Old quarry pond
One made a huffing sound the closer I got to them
I'm surprised any skinks around here still have tails
Observed during breeding bird survey and nest count.
Observation for the anuran.
We watched the egret for a few minutes. The egret was trying really hard to swallow the toad. A car behind us pulled ahead of us and stopped next to the egret, causing the egret to fly off with the toad, so I'm not sure if it successfully swallowed it in the end.
Observation for the bird:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156683827
being eaten
All food found was given to a begging crow- presumably offspring from last season
ecoEXPLORE Username: quincy
This was in Bone Draw in Big Bend National Park. There were American snouts and another species I see here but haven't identified. The butterflies flowed along with us as we hiked, like a yellow river.
Laying eggs under a log in a seasonal pond margin.
Groundhog about 20 foot up in a black walnut tree. I have observed groundhogs climbing this tree several times in the last few years.
Watched cat for an hour from kitchen window while it rested & hunted (unsuccessfully). Unable to determine gender. Location: NE Tucson, 4 blocks west of Sabino Creek & 4 blocks north of the Tanque Verde.
This cat entered my camp in site 1 at the Grass Shack. It was an almost 15 minute encounter. Weirdly I once posted a thread in the forum about seeing a cougar and not being able to get a picture. I got more than I bargained for for sure. I definitely made the NPS Rangers morning very exciting and gave them five minutes of hair-raising video.
Eggs hatching on ventral side of tail. (Berried up)
exhibiting fasciation - along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Glad that I had my snake gaiters on!
Predating on a banjo frog
P. longicrus found next to Aneides caryaensis. Observation is for A. caryaensis.
Aneides caryaensis. Observed on the exterior of a crevice.
This observation is for the ribbon snake being eaten. The cottonmouth has its own observation here.
UVIVF Green Anole
A baby anole, it's blue under the UV light!
The adult doesn't fluorescent at all, how weird!
Momma and 12 babies
Very small, body about 1 cm long. On a blueberry bush not near standing water, heavy rains for several weeks. I've heard H. chrysoscelis, gratiosa, and squirella calling in the area recently.
On Sarracenia leucophylla
supervised university trip with LDWF agent