Favoritos de shreyes

In situ. This is the best photo I have of a proud, protective mother "Hyde County Red" Pigmy Rattlesnake and her 10 - 15 day-old young. I regularly encountered this female while searching for reptiles in an area locally called "Buzzard's Roost" (nowhere near the actual place, incidentally) about 10 miles from my home in Fairfield. The site was on private land - a seasonally-filled, 2 acre duck impoundment surrounded on 3 sides by Bald Cypress wetland, and adjacent to Lake Matta-mosquito (local joke!) NWR. This particular location had an incredibly abundant population of S. miliarius - on one day with perfect weather conditions here, I observed 14 individuals of this species of all growth stages in less than two hours! I grew especially "attached" to the female pictured, as she was reliably found in the vicinity of her "favorite" stump, and I enjoyed witnessing her feeding, frequently basking, and entertaining the attentions of a large (for this species) male in mid-Spring - involving courtship and "mate-guarding" behaviors. I was deeply saddened to revisit this site 4 years after this photo was taken, to find the entire area had been completely devastated by clear-cutting for the pulp lumber industry, right up to the Refuge boundary line - and without a Pigmy to be found, despite an intensive search on my part at a perfect time of year. Apparently, the NCFWS designation of "Special Concern" wasn't actually a "concern" at all. Clear-cutting of sensitive habitat, and roadkill mortality are the most serious issues facing the herpetofauna of North Carolina, back then, through today - and most likely into its future, as well.

This huge male (63") "Chain" King was discovered beneath the old tin in the foreground. He was released shortly after being photographed, so he could continue to be the "guardian" of his old, abandoned domain.

A few eggs hatched but most of them are still being incubated to ensure the safety for all the eggs. They will be released in the nearby national park. Three eggs got damaged and could barely survive due to an accident.
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Probably the best find of the trip! Only the seventh recorded on iNat in the state. Sitting in an overhanging plant over Kelley Branch. When I first found this place last December I thought that if there was somewhere I would find a queensnake in FL it would be here; glad I was right.

On the edge of Blue Hole, FL Caverns SP. Found this nerodia down in some cypress knees eating what I thought was a red salamander, pulled him up on the shore, and apparently he was in the process of killing a large adult waterdog, unfortunately. Would've been the best find of the trip; still super cool. Not sure of the taxonomy with waterdogs here.

Nicest I've seen, on the crawl hunting. Posed nicely on his own when I walked up to him. Apparently tho I sat down on a friggin yellow jacket nest when I was photographing, which went well. Last pic in situ.

My first from FL and my lifer 'Southern' copperhead. He came shooting across the trail in Torreya SP; I had to jump to avoid stepping on him lol. And he made it clear while I was photographing him that he would've lit me up. Last picture is before I disturbed him as he was getting off the trail.