floridensis
beneath the spanish moss with janson jones
Category: REGIONS
Trachemys scripta elegans, 01 July 2019
Trachemys scripta elegans, the Red-eared slider; Flagler county, Florida (01 July 2019). Native to the midwest regions of the United States, the Red-eared slider is now one of the most invasive species in the world due to people releasing their “pets” into the wild.… Continue Reading “Trachemys scripta elegans, 01 July 2019”
Tramea carolina, 19 June 2013
Tramea carolina, the Carolina saddlebags; Lowndes county, Georgia (19 June 2013). A quick reference shot of a Carolina saddlebags that was hanging out on our back patio light back in Valdosta a few clicks back on the odometer of life. Saddlebags were fairly common… Continue Reading “Tramea carolina, 19 June 2013”
Crocodylus acutus, 21 March 2015
Crocodylus acutus, the American crocodile; Miami-Dade county, Florida (21 March 2015). This was one of the resident American crocodiles often seen near Flamingo at the southern tip of Main Park Road in Everglades National Park. There’s often a group of American crocodiles that loiter… Continue Reading “Crocodylus acutus, 21 March 2015”
Schistocerca rubiginosa, 02 August 2015
Schistocerca rubiginosa, the Rusty bird grasshopper; Volusia county, Florida (02 August 2015). Here’s another ‘hopper fairly abundant across eastern central Florida. This is the Rusty bird grasshopper. From a distance, they’re pretty easy to miss, but when they suddenly take to wing to get… Continue Reading “Schistocerca rubiginosa, 02 August 2015”
Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 27 June 2022
Pantherophis alleghaniensis, the Eastern (yellow) rat snake; Lake county, Florida (27 June 2022). The Yellow rat snake, as it’s often referred to locally, was one of my childhood favorites. I still adore them, of course. Large, arboreal, and fairly shy, Yellow rat snakes can… Continue Reading “Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 27 June 2022”
Schistocerca americana, 23 May 2014
Schistocerca americana, the American bird grasshopper; Brevard county, Florida (23 May 2014). An American classic, this is an American bird grasshopper, a relatively large (though still quite small) species largely distributed across most of the eastern United States. One of my favorite sounds in… Continue Reading “Schistocerca americana, 23 May 2014”
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”
Ophisaurus ventralis, 01 October 2012
Ophisaurus ventralis, the Eastern glass lizard; Lowndes county, Georgia (01 October 2012). It’s not quite what I’d call the “stink eye,” but it’s about as close as a lizard can get to giving me the stink eye. Heh. Honestly, I adore the Eastern glass… Continue Reading “Ophisaurus ventralis, 01 October 2012”
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”
Storeria victa, 22 February 2015
Storeria victa, the Florida brown snake; Lake county, Florida (22 February 2015). The Florida brown snake is common, harmless, and wicked small. They spend most of their time fairly well hidden under surface detritus and within loose soils. Given their habitat preference, it makes… Continue Reading “Storeria victa, 22 February 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”
Opheodrys aestivus, 13 May 2013
Opheodrys aestivus, the Rough green snake; Lowndes county, Georgia (13 May 2013). Though certainly not uncommon, I don’t often spot the Rough green snake. They can, when tangled through the varied, lush greens of the American southeast, be somewhat invisible (to me at least)… Continue Reading “Opheodrys aestivus, 13 May 2013”
Antheraea polyphemus, 15 May 2019
Antheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus moth; Volusia county, Florida (15 May 2019). I’m a sucker for moths. The big ones, the little ones, the brown ones, and the way-the-hell-more-colorful ones. Seriously, butterflies tend to get all the attention, but moths are gangbusters of diversity and… Continue Reading “Antheraea polyphemus, 15 May 2019”
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”
Epiaeschna heros, 19 June 2013
Epiaeschna heros, the Swamp darner; Lowndes county, Georgia (19 June 2013). A nice reference shot, at least, of a magnificent dragon. This is the Swamp darner, a fairly large and impressive species. I do wish I had more artsy photographs of the Swamp darner,… Continue Reading “Epiaeschna heros, 19 June 2013”
Chortophaga australior, 27 August 2013
Chortophaga australior, the Southern green-striped grasshopper; Volusia county, Florida (27 August 2013). A sort of dicey photograph on its own, but I rather like it. This is a Southern green-striped grasshopper hanging out on some glass. This species ranges throughout the American southeast. I… Continue Reading “Chortophaga australior, 27 August 2013”
Anolis carolinensis, 13 July 2014
Anolis carolinensis, the Carolina green anole; Volusia county, Florida (13 July 2014). At our previous residence in Ormond Beach, we had a small group of Carolina green anoles who would be active at night. Generally speaking, this is a diurnal species, meaning they’re active… Continue Reading “Anolis carolinensis, 13 July 2014”
Pterophylla camellifolia, 07 May 2014
Pterophylla camellifolia, the Common true katydid (nymph); Volusia county, Florida (07 May 2014). This is an extremely tiny Common true katydid nymph; as an adult, it’ll look quite different from what you see here. Of note, I simply could not identify this one myself.… Continue Reading “Pterophylla camellifolia, 07 May 2014”
Libellula vibrans, 19 June 2012
Libellula vibrans, the Great blue skimmer; Lowndes county, Georgia (19 June 2012). A quick shot of a Great blue skimmer’s impressively bulbous and (relatively) huge mug. Dragonflies are, of course, quite excellent. Great blue skimmer’s are high on my list of favorites. A strikingly… Continue Reading “Libellula vibrans, 19 June 2012”
Liodytes alleni, 08 February 2015
Liodytes alleni, the Striped swampsnake; Brevard county, Florida (08 February 2015). Though common, the Striped swampsnake is a less commonly observed species. They spend most of their time in the water, but they do come up onto land from time to time, especially after… Continue Reading “Liodytes alleni, 08 February 2015”
Ctenosaura similis, 08 May 2014
Ctenosaura similis, the Black spiny-tailed iguana; Miami-Dade county, Florida (08 March 2014). When it comes to iguanas, South Florida sports more than just the well-known Green iguana. This is a Black spiny-tailed iguana, a Central American species now well-established throughout various stretches of the… Continue Reading “Ctenosaura similis, 08 May 2014”
Crotalus adamanteus, 08 May 2013
Crotalus adamanteus, the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake; Lowndes county, Georgia (08 May 2013). When I was a kid, it wasn’t uncommon to come across Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes in Volusia County, Florida. Sometimes you’d see them coiled up; other times you’d just hear them somewhere nearby,… Continue Reading “Crotalus adamanteus, 08 May 2013”
Crotalus horridus, 12 June 2013
Crotalus horridus, the Timber rattlesnake; Lanier county, Georgia (12 June 2013). Though they don’t quite range as far south as my home territory of Volusia county, Florida, I was fortunate enough to live in South Georgia for a few years — within their range.… Continue Reading “Crotalus horridus, 12 June 2013”
Romalea microptera, 10 June 2016
Romalea microptera, the Eastern lubber grasshoopper; Collier county, Florida (10 June 2016). The foil to many home horticulturists, the Eastern lubber grasshopper is a very large species that carries with it an equally large diet. The species can do quite a bit of damage… Continue Reading “Romalea microptera, 10 June 2016”
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, 31 July 2016
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, the Eastern garter snake; Brevard county, Florida (31 July 2016). A little electric blue action going on with this one — and, in fact, many of our local garters in Flagler, Volusia, and Brevard counties. In this part of Florida, the… Continue Reading “Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, 31 July 2016”
Osteopilus septentrionalis, 06 September 2006
Osteopilus septentrionalis, the Cuban treefrog; Seminole county, Florida (06 September 2006). Here’s a fairly old shot. By now, this non-native and invasive Cuban treefrog has likely rocked and rolled its way through life, from the treefrog cradle to the grave. Along the way, it… Continue Reading “Osteopilus septentrionalis, 06 September 2006”
Princess Place Preserve, 22 January 2023
Princess Place Preserve; Flagler county, Florida (22 January 2023). A triple-set of shots from Princess Place Preserve in Flagler county, Florida. The main lodge is largely composed of coquina stone, the coquina and shells extracted from Flagler county’s beaches. The lodge also features the… Continue Reading “Princess Place Preserve, 22 January 2023”
Pleopeltis michauxiana, 22 January 2023
Pleopeltis michauxiana, the Resurrection fern; Flagler county, Florida (22 January 2023). With a recent bout of (somewhat chilly) rain just behind us, our local Resurrection ferns are alive and kicking right now. This epiphytic fern can thin out, turn brown, and appear somewhat dead… Continue Reading “Pleopeltis michauxiana, 22 January 2023”
Anolis sagrei, 22 January 2023
Anolis sagrei, the Cuban brown anole; Flagler county, Florida (22 January 2023). It seems I’ve been a recent fan of mid-frame, mid-zoom anole shots recently. I usually frame them pretty tight and up close, but maybe a little pan-back action is fine from time… Continue Reading “Anolis sagrei, 22 January 2023”
Along the Edge of Pellicer Creek, 22 January 2023
Near the edge of Pellicer Creek at Princess Place Preserve; Flagler county, Florida (22 January 2023). In the midst of another fairly overcast weekend, we had a break in the weather for a few hours on Sunday afternoon, so we decided to book north… Continue Reading “Along the Edge of Pellicer Creek, 22 January 2023”
Butorides virescens, 23 May 2013
Butorides virescens, the Green heron; Brevard county, Florida (23 May 2013). This is one of our smaller, more active, and shyer species of heron in the Florida peninsula. I often come across the Green heron in tighter, more limb-strewn shoreline areas with plenty of… Continue Reading “Butorides virescens, 23 May 2013”
Russula rosacea, 02 January 2023
Russula rosacea, the Blood red russula; Volusia county, Florida (02 January 2023). Consider this one tentatively identified. I’m pretty sure this is a Blood red russula, but I’m still fishing for some confirmation from the mycology corners of my social networks. Whatever it was,… Continue Reading “Russula rosacea, 02 January 2023”
Anolis cristatellus, 18 March 2017
Anolis cristatellus, the Puerto Rican crested anole; Miami-Dade county, Florida (18 March 2017). Check out the fantastic duo-tone dewlap design of the Puerto Rican crested anole. A non-native species now quite abundant throughout portions and stretches of the southern Florida peninsula, the Puerto Rican… Continue Reading “Anolis cristatellus, 18 March 2017”
Hemidactylus garnotii, 11 August 2013
Hemidactylus garnotii, the Indo-Pacific gecko; Volusia county, Florida (11 August 2013). Native to the Indo-Tropics (as its common name might suggest), H. garnotii is now well-established throughout much of the Floridian peninsula along with numerous other pockets around the world. This species is entirely… Continue Reading “Hemidactylus garnotii, 11 August 2013”
Erythrodiplax berenice, 24 May 2019
Erythrodiplax berenice, the Seaside dragonlet; Brevard county, Florida (24 May 2019). The seaside dragonlet is exactly what its name suggests: A small species of dragonfly that hangs out among the dunes adjacent to the shoreline. Though Florida has absolutely butchered and cleaved down much… Continue Reading “Erythrodiplax berenice, 24 May 2019”
Atlanticus gibbosus, 11 May 2020
Atlanticus gibbosus, the Robust shieldback; Volusia county, Florida (11 May 2020). I come across the Robust shieldback, a squat species of katydid, every now and then in Volusia county. I suppose I’ve walked past many more I never even noticed. They’re moderately small (at… Continue Reading “Atlanticus gibbosus, 11 May 2020”
Plestiodon inexpectatus, 16 May 2015
Plestiodon inexpectatus, the Southeastern five-lined skink; Lake county, Florida (16 May 2015). Ah, yes, our beloved Southeastern five-lined skink. In central Florida, this is our dominant, most commonly observed skink species. Fairly small and quite slinky, I often find these scrambling and scurrying about… Continue Reading “Plestiodon inexpectatus, 16 May 2015”
Anolis equestris, 11 June 2016
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Miami-Dade county, Florida (11 June 2016). A profile shot of a large, strong Cuban knight anole in south Florida. This non-native species is quite a site to behold when cruising about the Miami area. Not quite as large… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 11 June 2016”
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”
Ophiocordyceps humbertii and Mischocyttarus mexicanus cubicola, 20 September 2015
Ophiocordyceps humbertii, a parasitic fungi, and Mischocyttarus mexicanus cubicola, a Neotropical paper wasp; Volusia county, Florida (20 September 2015). This was a fairly cool encounter. What you see here is a now-deceased pseudo-“zombified” Neotropical paper wasp enraptured by a parasitic fungus, most likely Ophiocordyceps… Continue Reading “Ophiocordyceps humbertii and Mischocyttarus mexicanus cubicola, 20 September 2015”
Anolis sagrei, 02 January 2023
Anolis sagrei, the Cuban brown anole; Volusia county, Florida (02 January 2023). I do more (and better) with macro studies, of course, but I kind of dig the extreme figure-ground contrast of this in-situ Cuban brown anole meekly scratching out a living within the… Continue Reading “Anolis sagrei, 02 January 2023”
Sabal palmetto, 02 January 2023
Sabal palmetto, the Cabbage palmetto; Volusia county, Florida (02 January 2023). I couldn’t help but snag this quick shot of a fallen palm on a morning hike near my home.
Neoscona domiciliorum, 08 September 2013
Neoscona domiciliorum, the Red-femured spotted orbweaver; Volusia county, Florida (08 September 2013). Orbweavers are fantastic. The little ones rock, the big ones rule. This is one of the larger ones, the Red-femured spotted orbweaver. They have a propensity for spinning a fairly large web… Continue Reading “Neoscona domiciliorum, 08 September 2013”
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 04 September 2016
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, the Dusky pigmy rattlesnake; Volusia county, Florida (04 September 2016). Ultimately, I’ll probably post more dusky shots on Floridensis this year than any other species. Though I’ve worked with them steadily for the better part of a decade, my admiration and… Continue Reading “Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 04 September 2016”
Schistocerca damnifica, 15 March 2015
Schistocerca damnifica, the Mischievous bird grasshopper; Volusia county, Florida (15 March 2015). I never get tired of saying the name “Schistocerca DAMNIFICA!” Why a fantastic name to say aloud. In central Florida, this is one of our more-abundant grasshoppers. Rather, I should say it’s… Continue Reading “Schistocerca damnifica, 15 March 2015”
Alligator mississippiensis, 11 June 2016
Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator; Miami-Dade county, Florida (11 June 2016). Here’s a nice, tight shot of a young American alligator striking the pose. For a time as a small child, gators weren’t all that commonly seen in my area of central Florida. Thanks… Continue Reading “Alligator mississippiensis, 11 June 2016”
Gymnetis thula, 27 April 2013
Gymnetis thula, the Harlequin flower beetle; Lake county, Florida (27 April 2013). A fabulously strange and ornate Harlequin flower beetle loitering abut the interior of Lake county, Florida. In the United States, this species appears to mostly be limited to Florida, Louisiana and Texas.… Continue Reading “Gymnetis thula, 27 April 2013”
Anaxyrus terrestris, 17 June 2020
Anaxyrus terrestris, the Southern toad; Volusia county, Florida (17 June 2020). Common as they may be (at times), I never grow tired of a nice, frumpy Southern toad giving me The Look.
Neoconocephalus triops, 08 March 2015
Neoconocephalus triops, the Broad-tipped conehead katydid; Volusia county, Florida (08 March 2015). As I’ve said before, I’m a huge fan of katydids. What a marvelous little subject of Orthoptera. Grasshoppers and crickets are cool and all, but KatydidLand is where it’s at. Long live… Continue Reading “Neoconocephalus triops, 08 March 2015”
floridensis 