Yearly Archives: 2015

The ringneck snake is found in much of the U.S., a fairly small snake generally only a foot long, though some subspecies are slightly less and some grow up to around 18 inches. They seem somewhat more social than many snakes, often resting in pairs or even in groups of […]

In celebration of National Dog Day, here is a photo taken tonight of my canine best friend, Siggy. He usually feels underappreciated, but at least today is just for him!

I spend quite a bit of time driving between Tennessee and North Carolina. This drive never gets old for me because it changes through the seasons, and even in a day. When I just drove over there were half a dozen storms on the hour and a half drive, punctuated […]

Most turtles hide in their shell when disturbed but snapping turtle shells are too small so they can’t pull their head in. Since this leaves them vulnerable, they snap and hiss to warn off predators before they actually bite. These same jaws are used to grab unsuspecting prey. The species […]

Sunset was still more than half an hour away, but because of the steep slope of this mountainside, the sun had effectively set. Then as the color started to fade, for a few moments there was a magic light, a sparkling that seemed to spill from the top of the […]

At first glance these damselflies look somewhat like butterflies when they fly, with their fluttering wings. A closer glance shows the exquisite details that make them living jewels. The males have iridescent green bodies that turn blue in certain light. The females like the one shown have slightly more subdued […]

The peacock orchid is native to the mountains of East Africa where it grows on cliffs and rock outcrops. It isn’t actually an orchid, or a peacock. It is a gladiolus, a kind of iris. In summer the pendulous white blooms with purple throats hang from the sword shaped spikes […]

The Polyphemus moth is a giant silk moth, named appropriately since the wingspan averages 6 inches and can be even greater. Though hard to miss when they fly to doors and windows at night attracted by light, their lives are very ephemeral. Their lifecycle is around 3 months. In the […]

This giant silk moth, Polyphemus, is named for the mythical Cyclops because of their startlingly large eyespots. This confuses predators into thinking they are a larger creature like an owl and avoid them. As they grow to maturity, they eat 86,000 times their weight, which goes a long way to […]