A juvenile Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus erebennus) I had the pleasure of meeting in south Texas in the fall. I've been fortunate to encounter Drymarchon in Mexico and Peru, but it was thrilling to finally see an Indigo Snake in the United States!

An adult male Long-lined Skink (Plestiodon tetragrammus tetragrammus), distinguished by his sexy orange lips, observed back in November in Willacy County, Texas, USA.

An adult female Northern Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira septentrionalis) from Starr County, Texas, USA.

I was delighted to see my photo of an Arizona Tiger Salamander was featured in this Nature Climate Change article, but I don't have access to the journal. Does anyone have a copy they could share with me? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A neonate Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) of aberrant color and pattern from Jefferson County vs a more typical specimen from Otero County in Colorado. I've seen hundreds of individuals since moving here in 2015, but this snake's by far the strangest. #snakes #herpetology #wildlife

A male Grey Monitor (Varanus g. griseus) from the Sahara in Morocco. This is the largest lizard species in Morocco. It feeds primarily on lizards and snakes, though it also eats ground-nesting birds and small mammals. #lizards #desertmonitor #greymonitor #wildlifephotography #herpetology #varanus

Sahel Egg Eater (Dasypeltis sahelensis) from the Anti-Atlas and Sahara transition zone in Morocco. This slender nocturnal snake has poorly developed teeth and feeds exclusively on bird eggs. #snakes #herpetology #wildlife #dasypeltis #dasypeltissahelensis #wildlifephotography

A Sudan Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx dispar flavifasciata) from West Sahara. As with other members of the genus, it excavates and dwells in burrows and its diet is dominated by vegetation. #lizards #herpetology #wildlife #Uromastyx #Uromastyxdispar #wildlifephotography

Mountain Viper (Vipera monticola) from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Once considered a subspecies of the Horned Viper (V. latastei), work by Martínez-Freiría et al. (2021) suggested that all north African Vipera populations should be considered V. monticola. #Viperamonticola #snake #wildlife

An Ocellated Atlas Lizard (Timon tangitanus) from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This diurnal species occurs in mountainous regions of north Africa with a Mediterranean climate. It is particularly abundant in wet areas such as meadows and stream banks. #lizards #herpetology #wildlifephotography

An adult male Greater Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) from a shortgrass prairie in eastern Colorado. In addition to consuming vast quantities of ants, these squat, spiny critters also function as tiny happiness generators. #lizard #wildlife #wildlifephotography #hornedlizard

A juvenile Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) of the yellow "oropel" morphotype spotted on a night hike in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. These small, arboreal and mild-tempered snakes are incredibly variable in color and pattern and are a joy to photograph. #snakes #herpetology #wildlife

A juvenile Horned Viper (Cerastes c. cerastes), of the hornless "mutila" morphotype. We found it on a dark desert highway along the fringe of the Sahara in Morocco. This snake, and other north African treasures, were enjoyed with @somuchpingle.bsky.social. #snakes #photography #wildlife #nature

An adult male Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) from Sarasota County, Florida, USA. Note the large gular projection of the plastron below the head, used for dueling other males in ramming contests. #herps #turtles #GopherTortoise #HerpPhotography

Plains Milksnake (Lampropeltis gentilis) from Weld County, Colorado, USA. This species may be locally abundant in some areas and frustratingly difficult to detect in others. #herps #snakes #NaturePhotography

A sample platter of herps found under coverboards today: Wandering Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans vagrans) Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) Rocky Mountain Toad (Anaxyrus w. woodhousii) #herps #herpetology #coverboards

A Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) found crossing a road in Weld County Colorado, USA. I've found this species can be found reliably when driving low-traffic roads through plains grasslands near and after sunset. #herps #snakes #NaturePhotography

My first observation of the Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris), found in a beaver pond shortly after a wedding in the Tetons of Wyoming this month last year. They are opportunistic generalist predators that primarily feed on insects, arachnids, and mollusks. #herps #frogs #NaturePhotography

An adult Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii) found on my grandfather's farm in Tazewell County, Illinois. I grew up seeing and catching these snakes, but this was the first one I've seen since getting into wildlife photography as a hobby back in 2015. #herps #snakes #NaturePhotography

Portrait of the Horned Viper (Cerastes cerastes), the most commonly recorded viper from the desert areas of Morocco. Most individuals have the iconic horns above the eyes, but hornless individuals occur and can even be locally more abundant. #Snakes #Wildlife #Herpetology

Portrait of a Saw-scaled Viper (Echis pyramidum leucogaster), which inhabits humid microhabitats within otherwise arid and rocky areas in Morocco. This mainly nocturnal snake feeds on scorpions, small mammals, and other reptiles. #wildlife #snakes #macrophotography

Portrait of an adult male Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) from a relict population in Morocco. Members of this genus are known for their lightning-fast strikes and enormous fangs (up to 4 cm in this species!). Admired (from a safe distance) with friend & fellow herp enthusiast, @somuchpingle.bsky.social

Tracking animals in sand demands focus kept sharp with frequent siestas

We’re saving lives, two toads at a time here in Morocco.

@somuchpingle.bsky.social double-fisting Bufotes boulengeri, 2 of seven rescued from certain death from the bottom of a cistern.

Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) juvenile and adult who have yet to decide if it's really spring in Colorado.

🙌

Success!

Took my pet tiger salamander to work today to test some new cameras for our AHDriFT arrays.

A Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) from the Phoenix Valley. This species inhabits Sonoran and Chihuahuan desertscrub, interior chaparral, and Madrean evergreen woodland habitats up to 5000 feet. They eat rodents and lizards. Observed with the @rattlesnakes.bsky.social some years ago.

The order Strepsiptera consists of insects that are endoparasites of other insects such as wasps. Strepsipteran larva develop between the segments of the host abdomen and can be seen pretty easily. I've looked at lots of wasp butts trying to find one and nada so far. Polistes sp. #WaspWednesday

New Mexico Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi ornatissimum) from Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA. While it can be locally abundant, this species is not often encountered, and it is unusual to observe more than one individual in a single day. #herps #lizards #NaturePhotography

An adult male Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) inflating his paired vocal pouches at a breeding pond in Jefferson County, Colorado. Adult males advertise their enthusiastic willingness to mate with low-pitched, rattling snores interspersed with smug chuckles.

A female Xorides wasp has sensed a beetle grub deep in this redbud tree, and she drills through the wood to deposit an egg on it. Illinois.

An adult Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) observed in late February in Indiana a few years ago. Females lay their eggs on land at the edges of ponds, bogs, or streams. They prefer relatively steep banks, and nests are often found in moss. #herps #salamanders #NaturePhotography

A juvenile female Western Milksnake (Lampropeltis gentilis) from Jefferson County, Colorado. Milksnakes are highly secretive and are not often observed in the open. They often shelter under rocks, logs, the bark of decaying stumps, or underground. #herps #snakes #NaturePhotography

The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) is a relatively new small animal sampling method that uses drift fences to funnel animals under wildlife cameras inside inverted buckets. We started our 1st project using AHDriFT in the fall of 2024. I'll post some of our finds in the thread below.