I finally encountered some live Ambystoma gracile (northwestern salamander) yesterday! They were out in force around a local lake, now that the temperatures have stayed above freezing for several nights in a row. Beautiful animals.

This little Ensatina salamander wandered into our garage and was trapped in one of our humane mouse traps. After a quick photo session, I placed it out in some thick accumulated leaf litter under our big Japanese maple. #nature #salamander #Ensatina #amphibian #herpatology #herp #naturephotography

This cute skink (probably Lampropholis delicata) let me get pretty close to take a picture. It blends in pretty well on this wet, rotting wood. They're so shiny and cute!

#Karstmas day 6!

Today we celebrate the Tennessee Cave Salamander, Gyrinophilus palleucus. This is actually the state amphibian for Tennessee! It is a listed species, NatureServe G2 (Imperiled), IUCN B1ab(iii)(Near Threatened).

Back on FB, whenever I'd post photos of one, I'd get folk saying, "OMG an axolotl! How cute!". Nope, wrong country entirely. But similarly, G. palleucus do not typically undergo metamorphosis and they do reach sexual maturity in this larval phase. The fancy term is "paedomorphic", in case you are wondering.

And yes this is a FB link but it is direct to the video, you won't need to log in to see it; I can't find it elsewhere. It is a 3.5 minute long spotlight on the Tn Cave Sal that the TWRA filmed on a survey trip the other year. I'm in it. Look for purple! (If you are visually claustrophobic, may not want to watch, just listen) https://www.facebook.com/tnwildlife/videos/underground-wildlife-survey-tn-cave-salamander/496262361996796/

Remember to follow me or the #Karstmas for more fun cave info this month!

#cave #caves #caving #speleology #biology #karst #geology #ecology #nature #water #underground #ecosystems #herp #herps #herptology #salamander #amphibians

PS I promise I have more vertical and technical stuff to post in the future too!

toad and the maidan

A painting of a piebald veiled chameleon named Nachito. Acrylics on 11x14 canvas, 2024.
#art #MastoArt #petportrait #painting #portrait #chameleon #lizard #reptile #herp #herpetology

Instead of going #BikeHerping tonight, I went for a 3 mile #herp walk on a road out into the desert. Nice walk, but no reptiles.

Got back to my front yard and saw one of the giant Sonoran toads and this adorable little desert night snake that apparently lives under the house.
Hypsiglena chlorophaea

Is that the coolest offset checkerboard pattern, or what?

Oddly, my two lizard friends are nowhere to be found.

#Snake #Lizard #Herps #Herpetology #SonoranDesert

https://tucsonherpsociety.org/amphibians-reptiles/snakes/desert-nightsnake/

Chalcides chalcides
Abruzzo - Italy

The first chapter of my new story Oedipinas was released today on Blogorgonopsid! Expect some Venezuelan #amphibians and the beginning of a beautiful #lesbian romance! Available for English translation (in menu).

První kapitola mého nového příběhu Oedipinas byla dnes vydána na Blogorgonopsidu! Očekávejte venezuelské obojživelníky a začátek krásné lesbické romance!

#herpetology #herp #story #romance #LGBTQIA #animals #nature #1990s

https://blogorgonopsid.blogspot.com/2024/06/oedipinas-kapitola-1.html

West African Nile Monitor

Lots of them in Djoudj Bird Sanctuary, Senegal-- some of them huge!

A larval red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) found during a recent bioinventory. They can look similar to small Tennessee Cave Salmander (Gyrinophilus palleucus) at this stage, but the eyes are much more developed and larger and a bit less of a 'flat nose/shovelhead' look. I'll post a similar size G palleucus soon so you can see the difference.

Can anyone tell me what kind of salamander this is? This pond is located in the northern Blue Ridge.

Eastern Box Turtle, /Terrapin carolina carolina/.

It is definitely a #turtle (order Testudines), and NOT a #tortoise (family Testudinidae). Not all #turtles are #tortoises, but ALL tortoises are turtles,

(Order trumps Family. You know this. Don't start with me. I will turn this taxonomy around right now! Don't think I won't!)

Anyway, I had to lean over a chain link fence to take this picture. That's why the turtle is looking up.

Some of todays field work. :) Still one site to go to but signal sucks so taking advantage :)
#ozarks #salamander #herp #herps #cave #karst #biology #amphipod #grotto

Someone has stolen Morty's dirt. She is in crisis.

Another shot of my hibernating Carolina anole. When she first came inside, she stayed brown but more recently she's decided to go with green.

She came in before the hard freeze so she's been snoozing on this plant for weeks but I've noticed her blinking and moving around a bit more, so figure she'll be leaving soon.

I think she thinks she has gone completely unnoticed!

This sweet hibernating lizard has turned out to be a very restful & inspirational snoozing guest... if only all house guests were so trouble-free

She's starting to wake up tho... guess she'll be leaving for the great outdoors soon...

#lizard, #herp, #anole, #chamelon, #Project365, #PhotoADay #Photography #PhotographyChallenge #Macro #MacroPhotography

Morty v the water thief, her is so brave, such warrior.