floridensis
janson jones
Category: Monroe county
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”
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”
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”
Spring Break 2023: Panopeus lacustris
Panopeus lacustris, the Knotfinger mud crab (presumably); Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 I must admit, I’m not 100% positive of my identification here, but I do believe this is a Knotfinger mud crab, Panopeus lacustris, a fairly small mud crab species… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Panopeus lacustris”
Spring Break 2023: Agama picticauda
Agama picticauda, the African redhead agama; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 While the pictures may suck, this was an awesome sighting. Featured here are two juvenile agamas, a non-native species I’ve seen plenty of times in Miami-Dade county but never in… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Agama picticauda”
Spring Break 2023: Avicennia germinans
Avicennia germinans, the Black mangrove; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 The Black mangrove is one of our dominant native-species of mangrove around the Florida peninsula. Unlike some other mangroves, the Black mangrove does not grow upon prop roots. Instead, it sports… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Avicennia germinans”
Spring Break 2023: Batis maritima
Batis maritima, the Saltwort; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 A salt-tolerant species (as its common name echoes), the Saltwort is a hardy, resilient perennial plant populating a range of coastal habitats around the Florida peninsula (and elsewhere). They are noted to… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Batis maritima”
Spring Break 2023: Eco Pond Trail
Eco Pond Trail; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 I next made my way down to Flamingo at the southern end of the Florida Everglades; this is where I would camp for the night. With an hour to kill before I could… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Eco Pond Trail”
Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti
Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 And snake night draws to a close. Here’s (yet another) Florida cottonmouth giving me the Wary Gaze. Once again, the cottonmouth exhibited not a single ounce of aggression. Honestly, I just… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti”
Spring Break 2023: Lampropeltis elapsoides
Lampropeltis elapsoides, the Scarlet kingsnake; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Next up was a lovely, attitudinal Scarlet kingsnake. This little snake was actually found by another random guy trolling about the After Hours of Big Cypress in search of snakes. Not… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Lampropeltis elapsoides”
Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti
Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Next up was another Florida cottonmouth. As is usually (but not always) the case, the cottonmouth was fairly patient of my presence. It didn’t even throw me a defensive mouth-gape. It… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti”
Spring Break 2023: Nerodia fasciata pictiventris
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, the Florida banded watersnake; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Anyone who really knows me knows my absolute adoration for all things Nerodia, and this is especially the case with Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, otherwise known as the Florida banded… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Nerodia fasciata pictiventris”
Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 As night thickens in south Florida, many of the snake species come out to actively hunt, and many of the gators settle down right at the water’s edge. With nothing but… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis”
Spring Break 2023: Hemidactylus garnotii
Hemidactylus garnotii, the Indo-Pacific house gecko; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 My first post-sunset herp for the night was none other than the Indo-Pacific house gecko, yet another non-native species introduced to and flourishing within the Florida peninsula. I’m used to… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Hemidactylus garnotii”
Spring Break 2023: Loop Road
Loop Road in Big Cypress National Preserve; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 A perspective of the infamous Loop Road in Big Cypress National Preserve. A while ago, this road was a bit of a hidden gem in Big Cypress. I wouldn’t… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Loop Road”
Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Here’s a random sampling of a few other gators I came across during the Big Cypress excursion. I’m particularly fond of the young one at the bottom. Gators are fantastic, even… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis”
Spring Break 2023: Nephrolepis cordifolia
Nephrolepis cordifolia, the Fishbone fern (presumably); Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 I believe this is a Fishbone fern, but you should consider this identification tentative at best; I’m no fern expert. Regardless of the species, there’s something absolutely regal about a… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Nephrolepis cordifolia”
Spring Break 2023: Tillandsia fasciculata
Tillandsia fasciculata, the Cardinal airplant; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Another shot of the Cardinal airplant providing a little off-the-ground habitat for other organisms. In Big Cypress, airplants are extremely abundant, and the Cardinal airplant often dominates the mid-range trunkscape.
Spring Break 2023: Platalea ajaja
Platalea ajaja, the Roseate spoonbill; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Roseate spoonbills aren’t necessarily uncommon where I live in Volusia County, but it’s always awesome coming across them in South Florida. With their brilliantly pink plumage, there’s just something appropriately South… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Platalea ajaja”
Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 An American alligator silently sulks about a canal line as a graffiti-riddled concrete culvert reflects upon the water. When they want to, gators can float and glide smoothly through the water,… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis”
Spring Break 2023: Ardea alba
Ardea alba, the Great egret; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Another strained photograph from the low-light, early morning hours, but it was still a lovely vantage. This is a Great egret peering down at one of the canal lines, likely scouting… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Ardea alba”
Spring Break 2023: Nycticorax nycticorax
Nycticorax nycticorax, the Black-crowned night heron; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 I came across a decent number of Black-crowned night herons on this particular trip. I’m not sure I snagged any really great shots of them, though. I struggled a bit… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Nycticorax nycticorax”
Spring Break 2023: Big Cypress National Preserve
Big Cypress National Preserve; Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 I started the new day with a cruise down and around Loop Road in Big Cypress National Preserve. It was an appropriately misty and moody morning cruise. Soon enough, however, the rising… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Big Cypress National Preserve”
Spring Break 2023: Loop Road
Big Cypress National Preserve; Monroe county, Florida (12 March 2023). Spring Break 2023 One of the vehicular treasures of Big Cypress National Preserve is Loop Road, a 27 miles dirt road that stretches through a variety of habitats just south of Highway 41. I… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Loop Road”
Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (12 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 How about another Big Lazy Gator photo? Seriously, what a life these tanks have. I admit I’m a bit envious.
Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti
Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (12 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Here’s a juvenile Florida cottonmouth flashing a bit of a cautionary pose within the Big Cypress National Preserve region. This is a fairly classic pose; the snake is measuring its surroundings… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Agkistrodon conanti”
Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (12 March 2023).Spring Break 2023 Alligators are, as you might imagine, a dime a dozen in South Florida. If you’re in Big Cypress and there’s water, odds are there’s a gator (or a dozen) nearby. As… Continue Reading “Spring Break 2023: Alligator mississippiensis”
Anolis sagrei, 08 July 2011
Anolis sagrei, the Cuban brown anole; Monroe county, Florida (08 July 2011). Cuban brown anoles are tiny bio-packs of energy waiting to spring to action. They also know how to sport a damn fine posture when balancing on an oversized rope. Such balance and… Continue Reading “Anolis sagrei, 08 July 2011”
Captain Tony’s Saloon, 05 August 2017
Captain Tony’s Saloon in Key West; Monroe county, Florida (05 August 2017). If you ever find yourself in Key West, Florida, I recommend swinging by Captain Tony’s Saloon. While the address (428 Greene Street) dates back to the 1850s, it was in 1933 that… Continue Reading “Captain Tony’s Saloon, 05 August 2017”
West Summerland Key, 26 September 2005
West Summerland Key; Monroe county, Florida (26 September 2005). I don’t do too many environmental/landscape-style shots, but occasionally the wider angle of life catches my attention. This was one such moment while trekking about West Summerland Key in the Florida Keys. An immeasurable and… Continue Reading “West Summerland Key, 26 September 2005”
Iguana iguana, 04 August 2017
Iguana iguana, the Green iguana; Monroe county, Florida (04 August 2017). Nothing quite like cruising through the Florida Keys and finding a juvenile iguana scampering about some green foliage hanging over crystal blue-green water, right? Though the non-native Green iguana can be quite the… Continue Reading “Iguana iguana, 04 August 2017”
Agkistrodon conanti, 19 March 2015
Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (19 March 2015). A juvenile Florida cottonmouth in south Florida striking a fairly classic chin-up pose. This is a cautionary stance. If further threatened, the snake would likely gape its mouth open to flash the cottony-white… Continue Reading “Agkistrodon conanti, 19 March 2015”
Bulimulus guadalupensis, 27 November 2015
Bulimulus guadalupensis, the West Indian bulimulus; Monroe county, Florida (27 November 2015). The West Indian bulimulus is an air-breathing, terrestrial snail fairly well established throughout southern Florida and various stretches of the Caribbean (especially Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico). It’s fairly small and slow… Continue Reading “Bulimulus guadalupensis, 27 November 2015”
Nerita versicolor, 04 August 2017
Nerita versicolor, the Four-toothed nerite; Monroe county, Florida (04 August 2017). Whenever I camp in this Florida Keys, I can almost always count on spotting Four-toothed nerites clambering around the rocky shorelines at night. This species of sea snail forages about, often in groups,… Continue Reading “Nerita versicolor, 04 August 2017”
Acanthopleura granulata, 13 March 2021
Acanthopleura granulata, the West Indian fuzzy chiton. Monroe county, Florida (13 March 2021). While these may look sort of like fossils, these are living West Indian fuzzy chitons, a species of specialized mollusk that latches onto rocky surfaces and sports a mineralized outer shell.… Continue Reading “Acanthopleura granulata, 13 March 2021”
Zachrysia provisoria, 11 June 2016
Zachrysia provisoria, the Cuban brown snail; Monroe county, Florida (11 June 2016). The Cuban brown snail is a non-native terrestrial species that is now well-established in parts of Florida and many other pockets of the Western hemisphere. They can be potentially problematic for agricultural… Continue Reading “Zachrysia provisoria, 11 June 2016”
Hyla squirella, 11 June 2016
Hyla squirella, the Squirrel treefrog; Monroe county, Florida (11 June 2016). Ah, yes, the Squirrel treefrog. This is the jack-of-all-trades of our local, native treefrog populations. You can find them pretty much anywhere and damn near any circumstances, in my experience. Extremely variable in… Continue Reading “Hyla squirella, 11 June 2016”
Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011
Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, the Mangrove salt marsh snake; Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011). A fantastic Mangrove salt marsh snake just about to reach ecdysis, the shedding of its scales. Note the milky blue eye. That’s its ocular scale very, very ready to shed.… Continue Reading “Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011”
Grapsus grapsus, 05 July 2011
Grapsus grapsus, the Sally lightfoot crab; Monroe county, Florida (05 July 2011). I had a devil of a time resolving the identification to this crab, but the consensus on iNaturalist settled on the Sally lightfoot crab, Grapsus grapsus. So be it! Anyhow, this crab… Continue Reading “Grapsus grapsus, 05 July 2011”
Leiocephalus carinatus, 07 August 2017
Leiocephalus carinatus, the Northern curlytail lizard; Monroe county, Florida (07 August 2017). Native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, the Northern curltytail lizard is steadily making its way north throughout the Florida peninsula. I’ve seen them down in the Florida Keys and… Continue Reading “Leiocephalus carinatus, 07 August 2017”
Orthalicus floridensis, 27 November 2015
Orthalicus floridensis, the Banded tree snail; Monroe county, Florida (27 November 2015). I came across this lovely Banded tree snail bunkered down along the edge of a path in the Big Cypress / Everglades region. If/when you do come across a dormant tree snail… Continue Reading “Orthalicus floridensis, 27 November 2015”
Crocodylus acutus, 12 March 2021
Crocodylus acutus, the American crocodile. Monroe county, Florida (12 March 2021). Though surprising to some, Florida is home to two native crocodilian species. In addition to the more-famous American alligator, south Florida is also home to the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus. A large but… Continue Reading “Crocodylus acutus, 12 March 2021”
Odocoileus virginianus clavium, 09 July 2011
Odocoileus virginianus clavium, the Key deer; Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011). The Key deer is an absolute treasure of the Florida Keys. This subspecies of the white-tailed deer is somewhat miniaturized, typically standing only about 26-30 inches at the shoulder, which makes sense… Continue Reading “Odocoileus virginianus clavium, 09 July 2011”
Homo sapiens, 09 July 2011
Homo sapiens, the Modern human; Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011, 8:17am). It seems only appropriate to represent my own species, Homo sapiens. Here, then, is a Modern human resting on a Key West sidewalk at 8:17 am, dollar bills very much still at… Continue Reading “Homo sapiens, 09 July 2011”
Anolis distichus, 08 July 2011
Anolis distichus, the Bark anole; Monroe county, Florida (08 July 2011). A non-native species that lives most of its Floridian life flanked by competition below and competition above, the Bark anole is a small, agile, and (re)active species predisposed to dodging danger by scampering… Continue Reading “Anolis distichus, 08 July 2011”
Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011
Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, the Mangrove salt marsh snake; Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011). Ranging throughout many of the mangrove-ladened stretches of the southern Florida peninsula coastline, the Mangrove salt marsh snake is a modest, non-venomous species well adapted to its salty habitat. The… Continue Reading “Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, 09 July 2011”
Iguana iguana, 10 July 2011
Iguana iguana, the Green iguana; Monroe county, Florida (10 July 2011). A non-native species now well-established throughout south Florida, the Green iguana is considered a nuisance by many because they can do some serious damage to the best laid residential landscaping plans… Still, when… Continue Reading “Iguana iguana, 10 July 2011”
Agkistrodon conanti, 14 March 2018
Agkistrodon conanti, the Florida cottonmouth; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2018). My entire life I’ve been told —again and again— that cottonmouths are aggressive. I have yet to encounter or meet an aggressive cottonmouth, and I’ve encountered many cottonmouths. Instead, what I usually encounter… Continue Reading “Agkistrodon conanti, 14 March 2018”
Alligator mississippiensis, 14 March 2021
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Monroe county, Florida (14 March 2021). A nearly-mythic archosaur originating millions of years ago and persisting into the Anthropocene of today, the American alligator is an iconic, everyday creature for me. They’re more common now than they were when… Continue Reading “Alligator mississippiensis, 14 March 2021”
floridensis 