Category: REGIONS

Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (3 of 5)

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). Again, just check out those textures! While anoles generally seem to sport fairly fantastic scale variations, I find these variations to be extremely dynamic with the Cuban knight anole. And don’t get… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (3 of 5)”

Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (2 of 5)

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). A tight macro shot of the Cuban knight anole’s scaling. Check out the variations of scale-and-tissue around the forearm joint. Cuban knight anoles are noted for their brilliant colors, but I’m particularly… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (2 of 5)”

Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (1 of 5)

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). The first of five shots for today and tomorrow, this is an adult Cuban knight anole I finally managed to get close to in Daytona Beach, Florida. Though abundant in south Florida,… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (1 of 5)”

Ascia monuste, 30 June 2014

Ascia monuste, the Great southern white; Volusia county, Florida (30 June 2014). The Great southern white is a butterfly species that ranges throughout much of South America, Central America, and the southeastern United States. In Florida, this is also one of the few butterfly… Continue Reading “Ascia monuste, 30 June 2014”

Storeria victa, 28 February 2015

Storeria victa, the Florida brown snake; Lake county, Florida (28 February 2015). The Florida brown snake is native to, as you might expect, the state of Florida, mostly concentrated throughout the peninsula. They are not commonly seen due to their secretive and reclusive lifestyle.… Continue Reading “Storeria victa, 28 February 2015”

Hemidactylus mabouia, 27 November 2015

Hemidactylus mabouia, the Tropical house gecko; Monroe county, Florida (27 November 2015). Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the Tropical house gecko is now well established throughout much of South America, the Caribbean, southern Asia, and many portions of the eastern United States. In Florida, they’re… Continue Reading “Hemidactylus mabouia, 27 November 2015”

Iguana iguana, 01 January 2010

Iguana iguana, the Green iguana; Miami-Dade county, Florida (01 January 2010). A fairly robust male Green iguana throwing out some communicative action in Miami-Dade county. Large males can actually turn fairly orange during the breeding season. This is to impress both females and competing… Continue Reading “Iguana iguana, 01 January 2010”

Arenaeus cribrarius, 22 May 2014

Arenaeus cribrarius, the Speckled swimming crab; Volusia county, Florida (22 May 2014). This crab species is quite abundant along the beaches of Volusia county, Florida. Really, they can be found on nearly any sandy beach — typically in shallow water. They range from New… Continue Reading “Arenaeus cribrarius, 22 May 2014”

Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, 15 February 2015

Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, the Eastern red centipede; Volusia county, Florida (15 February 2015). The Eastern red centipede is a fairly large Chilopodan species. They range throughout much of the eastern portion of North America and are fairly abundant in central Florida (at least in my… Continue Reading “Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, 15 February 2015”

Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). My second-day encounter with the two Cuban knight anoles in the Daytona Beach area last year. This was the first set of shots of these two Cuban knight anoles on this day.… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022”

Trichonephila clavipes, 11 July 2015

Trichonephila clavipes, the Golden silk spider; Volusia county, Florida (11 July 2015). Locally, we called these “banana spiders” when I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s. Golden silk spiders (also known as Golden silk orbweavers) are fairly large and have… Continue Reading “Trichonephila clavipes, 11 July 2015”

Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 03 April 2012

Pantherophis alleghaniensis, the Eastern (Gray) rat snake; Lowndes county, Georgia (03 April 2012). Here’s a fairly defensive Eastern rat snake I photographed at Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area in Lowndes county, Georgia — just outside Valdosta and not far from the Florida border. In… Continue Reading “Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 03 April 2012”

Atomic City, 08 June 2011

Atomic CityBingham county, Idaho (08 June 2011). AK2FL (Mile 3470) Atomic City is located in Bingham county, Idaho. As of the 2020 census, its population was up from 29 the decade prior to 41. Atomic City earned its name due to its location a… Continue Reading “Atomic City, 08 June 2011”

Athabasca Glacier Informational Placard, 05 June 2011

Informational Placard at Athabasca GlacierAlberta, Canada (05 June 2011).AK2FL (Mile 2305) A part of the Columbia Icefield in the Canadian Rockies, Athabasca Glacier serves as a powerful exemplar of Canadian landscapes along the edge of British Columbia and Alberta. Situated just to the west… Continue Reading “Athabasca Glacier Informational Placard, 05 June 2011”

Papilio troilus, 24 July 2020

Papilio troilus, the Spicebush swallowtail; Volusia county, Florida (24 July 2020). Here’s a quick iPhone snapshot of a Spicebush Swallowtail loitering around our backyard a few short years ago. We have a variety of Papilio species in this region, and I’d definitely like to… Continue Reading “Papilio troilus, 24 July 2020”

Coluber constrictor priapus, 22 July 2016

Coluber constrictor priapus, the Southern black racer; Volusia county, Florida (22 July 2016). Southern black racers make for great photos if you can get them to pause and peer back at your for a few seconds. This is truly an incredibly rowdy and active… Continue Reading “Coluber constrictor priapus, 22 July 2016”

Spragueia onagrus, 02 June 2014

Spragueia onagrus, the Black-dotted spragueia moth; Volusia county, Florida (02 June 2014). Mostly limited to Florida and some other stretches of the southeastern U.S. coastline, the Black-spotted spragueia is a tiny species of Family Noctuidae. As bright as it may appear here, they’re actually… Continue Reading “Spragueia onagrus, 02 June 2014”

Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011

Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, the Mangrove salt marsh snake; Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011). In addition to my fairly standard macro-profile shots, I also routinely photograph “u-coil” reference shots of snake ventral patterns. While some species are fairly consistent in their ventral patterning, other… Continue Reading “Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011”

Papilio palamedes, 23 April 2016

Papilio palamedes, the Palamedes swallowtail; Nassau county, Florida (23 April 2016). In its caterpillar from, the Palamedes swallowtail has a bit of trickery in its patterning, right? sort of looks like a pudgy snake with an exaggerated, massive head. Check out how vividly patterned… Continue Reading “Papilio palamedes, 23 April 2016”

Anolis cristatellus, 02 September 2011

Anolis cristatellus, the Puerto Rican crested anole; Miami-Dade county, Florida (02 September 2011). I have great love for the Puerto Rican crested anole’s dewlap. Such a brilliant splash of tropicalia.

Charadra deridens, 04 March 2015

Charadra deridens, the Laugher moth; Volusia county, Florida (04 March 2015). Laugher moths are pretty cool in an understated way. Honestly, I’m not sure why they’re referred to as “Laugher” moths, but I do love the dotted pattern on their wings. This is another… Continue Reading “Charadra deridens, 04 March 2015”

Euclea delphinii, 10 April 2013

Euclea delphinii, the Spiny oak slug moth; Lowndes county, Georgia (10 April 2013). A funky photo of a funky species. This is a Spiny oak slug moth, a moth of Family Limacodidae that sports fairly fantastic lime-green patches. The species ranges throughout much of… Continue Reading “Euclea delphinii, 10 April 2013”

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus, 29 April 2013

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus, the Eastern six-lined racerunner; Hamilton county, Florida (29 April 2013). The Eastern six-lined racerunner is exactly that: A wickedly fast, super-speedy subspecies ranging throughout the Eastern United States (mostly in the southeast). These little speedsters are tough to catch up to.… Continue Reading “Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus, 29 April 2013”

Furcula borealis, 12 February 2013

Furcula borealis, the White furcula moth; Lowndes county, Georgia (12 February 2013). This is easily one of my favorite moth species, visually. What an incredibly beautiful moth, right? Unfortunately, this is the only White furcula moth I’ve ever seen and managed to photograph. Judging… Continue Reading “Furcula borealis, 12 February 2013”

Tetraclita stalactifera, 01 July 2019

Tetraclita stalactifera, the Ribbed barnacle; Flagler county, Florida (01 July 2019). Stepping back beachside, here’s a shot of a small cluster of Ribbed barnacles. I don’t do much underwater photography (because the gear is a bit pricey), but I do love beachcombing and shoreline… Continue Reading “Tetraclita stalactifera, 01 July 2019”

Coluber constrictor priapus, 06 October 2020

Coluber constrictor priapus, the Southern black racer; Volusia county, Florida (06 October 2020). In my previous home in Ormond Beach, I used to grade papers and record audio feedback on the base stoop of our back patio. I spent a lot of time on… Continue Reading “Coluber constrictor priapus, 06 October 2020”

Anartia jatrophae, 19 August 2006

Anartia jatrophae, the White peacock; Lake county, Florida (19 August 2006). The White peacock can be ridiculously abundant in central Florida. This is one of my most-commonly observed butterflies in my home territory of Volusia and Lake counties. Outside of Florida, they range throughout… Continue Reading “Anartia jatrophae, 19 August 2006”

Agkistrodon conanti, 14 March 2018

Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2018). Alas, Summer term has begun, so I have to slow things back down a bit on Floridensis. We’ll shift into the two-a-day mode, one at 9am Eastern, the other at 5pm. Now, what… Continue Reading “Agkistrodon conanti, 14 March 2018”

Lampropeltis getula, 09 March 2006

Lampropeltis getula, the Eastern kingsnake; Brevard county, Florida (09 March 2006). It’s been far too long since I’ve seen an Eastern kingsnake in Florida. What a fantastic, fabulous, and friggin’ powerful species. They are nothing but muscle. I found this one slinking across a… Continue Reading “Lampropeltis getula, 09 March 2006”

Iridopsis defectaria, 26 May 2020

Iridopsis defectaria, the Brown-shaded gray; Volusia county, Florida (26 May 2020). Fairly abundant throughout the eastern half the United States and nearly all of Central America, the Brown-shaded gray is one of those easy-to-miss moths. They’re quite small and do their thing when most… Continue Reading “Iridopsis defectaria, 26 May 2020”

Plestiodon laticeps, 09 April 2013

Plestiodon laticeps, the Broad-headed skink; Lowndes county, Georgia (09 April 2013). Chomp. Broad-headed skinks are, predictably and understandably, not fans of being plucked from their turf. In this case, said turf was a trashcan on the Valdosta State University campus. Hopefully the skink eventually… Continue Reading “Plestiodon laticeps, 09 April 2013”

Sceloporus undulatus, 03 March 2004

Sceloporus undulatus, the Eastern fence lizard; Lake county, Florida (03 March 2004). Hard to believe this picture is nearly twenty years old. By now, this particular Eastern fence lizard has lived its life from start to finish. Hopefully it was a good run loaded… Continue Reading “Sceloporus undulatus, 03 March 2004”

Anolis equestris, 18 May 2022

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (18 May 2022). On May 18th, 2022, I spotted my first set of Cuban knight anoles in the Daytona Beach area. This non-native species has been in south Florida for quite some time now, and… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 18 May 2022”

Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, 23 April 2016

Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, the Florida banded watersnake; Nassau county, Florida (23 April 2016). Check out this young Florida banded watersnake. So young and already such attitude — as it should be. Truth be told, the Florida banded watersnake isn’t the smartest species we have… Continue Reading “Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, 23 April 2016”

Lithobates sylvaticus, 10 August 2008

Lithobates sylvaticus, the Wood frog; Anchorage, Alaska (10 August 2008). Here’s my northernmost species of amphibian: A wood frog, Lithobates sylvaticus, photographed in an Anchorage municipal park. A few years later, I actually found one near Fairbanks, Alaska, even farther to the north, so… Continue Reading “Lithobates sylvaticus, 10 August 2008”

Dione vanillae, 10 October 2006

Dione vanillae, the Gulf fritillary; Volusia county, Florida (10 October 2006). The Gulf fritillary is one of the most commonly spotted butterflies throughout central Florida. In fact, they’re quite common across the United States, all the way west to California, and then down through… Continue Reading “Dione vanillae, 10 October 2006”

Apalone spinifera, 14 May 2006

Apalone spinifera, the Spiny softshell turtle; Lake county, Florida (14 May 2006). Though native elsewhere in the United States, the Spiny softshell is not native to peninsular Florida. Truly, the Florida peninsula is nothing short of a postmodern mash of ecological swirling. The state… Continue Reading “Apalone spinifera, 14 May 2006”

Protambulyx strigilis, 20 January 2017

Protambulyx strigilis, the Streaked sphinx; Miami-Dade county, Florida (20 January 2017). The Streaked sphinx ranges throughout peninsular Florida as well as much of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Sphinx moths are always quite dramatic in form, and the Streaked sphinx is no… Continue Reading “Protambulyx strigilis, 20 January 2017”

South Fork Eagle River Valley (Alaska), 08 August 2010

South Fork Eagle River Valley; Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska (08 August 2010). Here’s a sudden, dramatic twist to the northwest. This is a view of South Fork Eagle River Valley awhile back. In Alaska, shitty weather makes for good photo material. The whole region is… Continue Reading “South Fork Eagle River Valley (Alaska), 08 August 2010”

Thamnophis saurita sackenii, 04 February 2018

Thamnophis saurita sackenii, the Peninsula ribbon snake; Volusia county, Florida (04 February 2018). Peninsula ribbon snakes are pretty damn adorable. They’re closely related to our garter snakes (different species of the same genus) but are a bit slimmer and trimmer. The distinctive white bar… Continue Reading “Thamnophis saurita sackenii, 04 February 2018”

Anisota pellucida, 27 May 2015

Anisota pellucida, the Southern pink-striped oakworm moth; Volusia county, Florida (27 May 2015). The Southern pink-striped oakworm moth is a fairly common, if not abundant, species ranging throughout the American southeast. If you’re in the southeast, I’m sure you’ve seen one at some point… Continue Reading “Anisota pellucida, 27 May 2015”

Megalopyge crispata, 09 July 2014

Megalopyge crispata, the Black-waved flannel moth; Flagler county, Florida (09 July 2014). Flannel moths are famous for their more-dangerous caterpillar form. As caterpillars, they produce a fairly nasty venom that can seriously upset one’s day. As adults, they’re a bit more 90s-flannel mode. That… Continue Reading “Megalopyge crispata, 09 July 2014”

Basiliscus vittatus, 21 January 2017

Basiliscus vittatus, the Brown basilisk; Broward county, Florida (21 January 2017). Check out this scrappy Brown basilisk pondering its next move in Broward county, Florida. As it turned out, the next move was what the next move typically is with this species: A burst… Continue Reading “Basiliscus vittatus, 21 January 2017”

Coelodasys unicornis, 23 April 2014

Coelodasys unicornis, the Unicorn prominent; Flagler county, Florida (23 April 2014). A member of Family Notodontidae, the Unicorn prominent is a sight to behold. This identification is supported by both iNaturalist and BugGuide.net feedback.This is apparently a male, and a fairly green-toned one at… Continue Reading “Coelodasys unicornis, 23 April 2014”

Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 17 August 2017

Pantherophis alleghaniensis, the Eastern (yellow) rat snake; Volusia county, Florida (17 August 2017). Here’s one of our backyard Yellow rat snakes (as we refer to them locally). In central Florida, the Eastern rat snake sports this particular patterning (yellow base tone with dark stripes).… Continue Reading “Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 17 August 2017”

Darapsa myron, 14 April 2015

Darapsa myron, the Virginia creeper sphinx; Volusia county, Florida (14 April 2015). Widely distributed throughout the eastern half to the continental United States, the Virginia creeper sphinx moth is a fantastic, somewhat-understated, species of Family Sphingidae. They can be seen throughout much of the… Continue Reading “Darapsa myron, 14 April 2015”

Atteva aurea, 26 April 2015

Atteva aurea, the Ailanthus webworm moth; Volusia county, Florida (26 April 2015). Ranging throughout most of the Eastern United States and nearly all of Central America, the Ailanthus webworm moth is an ermine moth most commonly observed from September through November via iNaturalist. Also… Continue Reading “Atteva aurea, 26 April 2015”

Anolis equestris, 11 June 2016

Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Miami-Dade county, Florida (11 June 2016). Behold! A mighty Cuban knight anole beefing up beautifully on the side of a tree! I really do have a lot of adoration for this particular non-native species. They’re such beefy tanks.… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 11 June 2016”

Harrisimemna trisignata, 21 July 2013

Harrisimemna trisignata, the Harris’s three-spot moth; Lowndes county, Georgia (21 July 2013). I photographed this fantastic Noctuidae on our exterior back wall in Valdosta, Georgia, a decade back. To date, it’s the only only Harris’s three-spot I’ve ever seen and photographed. Though it ranges… Continue Reading “Harrisimemna trisignata, 21 July 2013”

Haploa clymene, 25 July 2014

Haploa clymene, the Clymene moth; Volusia county, Florida (25 July 2014). Check out the sharp figure-ground contrast on this tiny moth! This is a Clymene moth, a tiny moth of Family Erebidae that ranges across much of the eastern half of the United States.