'The Return' - a month after spawning the megalops (hatchlings) return to shore in a red carpet that covers whatever is in their way as they migrate inland.
Laying eggs in yellow-black potter wasp’s nest
rather comical positioning :P
Appendage-like growth out of the throat of this toad. Very odd. Was rigid and sturdily attached.
Obviously an alien larva
Ethiopian Burrowing Tree Frog. Picture taken around Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains NP, near the Ethiopia Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP), Sanetti Hut.
Endemic species.
A Texas Rock Squirrel has decided that she likes a spot on my window sill just outside my office window to sit and eat sunflower seeds. One of our indoor cats, Lily, has decided she likes to sit inches away from the rock squirrel, so the two of them exchanged long visual examinations for many minutes at a time, several times today. It will be interesting to see if this continues on other days. cell phone image.
The new “Lucky” on UNT campus. Pic by Kelly Basinger.
It looks like it was a scarlet tanager, but I know that you are not supposed to see them in this area. It was my first time to ever see one! Picture taken on my camera.
Found underneath lg brick
Saw this poor little guy walking home today. He was scared exhausted, clinging to the wall after being prodded with a stick by a guy. After myself and a couple guys managed to fend him off, Calgary Transit Peace Officers came to help (See pics). The police, fire and animal control were reluctant, as they would likely have to be put into the position of euthanizing it. But, this good officer gave it a bit of a ramp to help it down and said he would remain and ensure no one else approached it!
Spotted from our research vessel, escaping a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
Links to https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42737857 - taken a split second before this photo.
Had a nice afternoon at Bob Findlay Linear Park looking at bugs along the edges. Enjoyed observing lots of nature today. :)
Rhagodima cf. nigrocincta
Cincta (cinctus, cinctum) in latin means "surrounded by". So the portmanteau "nigrocincta" can mean "surrounding by black color". This might refer to colors and patterns on the abdomen of this species. Or it may not refer to black patches on some legs which does not form full circle/ring as in R. Annulata.
But these informations are not clear to me as per the description by Henry Meyners Bernard who described the species as Rhax nigrocincta along with Rhax Howesii (currently assigned as Rhagodes melanopygus). Another information I can find is that as per Simon's 1885 description R. annulata has body length of 18mm and as per Bernard's description of R. nigrocincta is around 1.25 to 2 inches. T̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶w̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶1̶.̶2̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶1̶.̶5̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶h̶e̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶.̶ (The specimen was just 2 cms long after I re-checked the video where it climbed to my friend's hand. Videograb is attached as last photo.)
Henry Meyners Bernard's 1894 article on the species called "On two new species of Rhax. Journal of Linnean Soicety London" can be read here: https://ww.rcin.org.pl/dlibra/publication/88759/edition/67942/content?ref=struct
The illustrations on the book has been digitized and uploaded to Wiki Commons over here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhagodima_nigrocincta.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhagodima_nigrocincta_cutted.jpg
Comparing the images above I can see similar black patches on the legs. Also the white moustache pattern has good resemblance on the individual. But I don't see the spurs specified in illustrations.
Note: I am not conforming on the species level identification here. I have just added my notes here for future reference for anybody who wants to take this subject for research.
Featured links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_IRP2ZA02t/
The spotted skunk scared a ringtail out of this crevice
The first time I had ever seen this, i videoed the entire event as well from entry to exit. It was as if this species swims all the time. I sent it to a frogmouth expert and she had never seen that before. The bird chose to swim and flew away very easily after its swim. There appeared to be no explanation for the bird swimming as it was not particularly hot or anything unusual.
These birds were playing.
San Joaquin coachwhip from Chimineas Ranch, San Luis Obispo County, California
Green form of the Alpine Green Cockroach Polyzosteria viridissima one of 15 individuals sighted in a short period at this location. Two other individuals were photographed to show variation also see:
-https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36369027
-https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36369029
At first I saw only the spider (Telamonia dimidiata). Then I noticed it seemed to be attached to something, and a photo revealed the jaws of a larva of an owlfly (Ascalaphinae, Myrmeleontidae).
Released back into bay and it swam off
Walk away after drinking in a concrete reservoir in the middle of the day!
For years, since I first read of disk-winged bats, I've been peering into unfurled leaves of heliconias and prayer plants in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Today I finally scored – Thyroptera tricolor, Spix's Disk-winged Bat! The five species of this genus have tiny suction cups by their thumbs and heels to cling to the inside of these leaves, where they live during the day.
Pour la beauté
The plants around the Alligators are https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21002318
Ramaria? Ramaria concolor?
Plant on left is Mitchella repens, I think: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20384470.
Plant on right is Monotropa uniflora: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20384476.
oh, and a N. water snake!
Caught by accident in a bucket of water used to wash down the deck. Released.
c. 15 mm TL
Female with young in pouch
I am not sure what this one is.
I found these one morning when I used to volunteer in the butterfly exhibit. Seemed as if they popped up overnight! Amazing what a little shift in perspective can do ;)
Bamboo Pit Viper (Trimeresurus gramineus Shaw, 1802).
Habitat: It is found in bamboo groves and forests, usually near streams.
The range of this species has been restricted to southern India. It is also rarely seen near Harishchandragad and some other mountain ranges of Western Ghats aka Sahyadris in Maharashtra.
SURPRISED TO SEE SUCH A CASUAL YAWN, THANKS TO OUR CAMERAS THESE DAYS, THEY HAPPEN TO HELP IN SUCH MOMENTS, TAKEN WITH CANON 100-400MM SO HAD PROBLEMS WITH DEPTH OF FIELD.