Animals In My Backyard

Black Racer

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:36:00 +0000

We have seen this snake in our yard many a time, but this is the first time I caught it. My dad was mowing, and he saw the snake lift his head out of the grass. My dad called to us, and I ran out and "caught it just like Steve Irwin", as my brother described it. Before I put the gloves on, he gave me a little bite, but I didn't hold it against him. The last photo show the wound of which I am very proud.

Hermit Crab

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:22:00 +0000

I found this at a beach in Boca Raton. These little hermits are everywhere.

Mystery Animal Contest

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:12:00 +0000

I am having a contest for all the viewers of my blog. The first person to leave a comment under this post identifying both animals correctly will receive a Golden Field Guide of your choice from among the following: Mammals, Rocks and Minerals, Birds, Exotic Plants for House and Garden, Pond Life, or Seashores. I will ship it to you, but within the continental U.S. only. Sorry, I'm just a kid after all.

Killer Squirrel

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:52:00 +0000

This is what happens when you feed the squirrels!

Ant lion larva video

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:57:00 +0000

Ant Lion larva

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:36:00 +0000

This is an ant lion. It makes a funnel in the dirt and waits in the bottom with just its eyes and jaws sticking out. When an ant falls in, it grabs it and pulls it down.

Apple Snail

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:29:00 +0000

This is an Apple Snail I found at a pond in Boca, while collecting empty snail shells. This beasty is about 6.5" in diameter.

Baby Inchworm

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:04:00 +0000

I found this baby inchworm hanging upside down from a playground at a nature trail.

Growing Inchworm

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:53:00 +0000

We think this is the same inchworm that we found on a nature trail and brought home to live in our yard. You can see he's growing very well.

Cicada

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:19:00 +0000

As I was climbing a tree, I spotted this cicada just having emerged from its old exoskeleton. The cicada's "humming" can be heard from up to two miles away.

On the road to babies...

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:18:00 +0000

These green anoles were mating on our window screen.

Treefrog

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0000

I was playing outside when I saw a treefrog that looked like it swallowed a balloon. I think he was trying to scare me away.

Dragonfly Up-Close

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:10:00 +0000

I caught this while I was eating at Busch Gardens.

Ant Close-Up

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:24:00 +0000

I found this ant at Busch Gardens.

Paper Wasp Building Nest

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:37:00 +0000

We saw these wasp parents tending to their little wasp eggs in a bush in our yard.

Tile Horned Prongus Beetle

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:51:00 +0000

My dad found this while letting the dog out one night. I got my net and captured this beetle and took it to my laboratory (aka, my back porch). It flew out of my net and landed on the floor, so I quickly slammed the bug habitat over it. Next morning, it was trying to eat a hole through the screen mesh of the container. With no thought of losing my fingers to this beasty (well...maybe I gave it a little thought), I thrust my hand in and pulled it out. During the photo session, it slipped out of my hand and we couldn't find it. The next thing I knew it was crawling up my pants. I brushed it off and it flew at my face; but I caught it again, took a few more photos, and then released it.

Love Bugs Up Close

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:28:00 +0000

These are the same lovebugs, up close.

Love Bug

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:15:00 +0000

In spring, love bugs are everywhere. They don't sting or bite; they just fly around. I love love bugs.

Earth-Boring Dung Beetle

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:49:00 +0000

My friend, Abby, found this dung beetle digging away in a pile of weeds. When I picked it up, she thought it would bite.

Wolf Spider

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:02:00 +0000

This is a giant wolf spider. The top two pictures are of a female, and the bottom three are of a male. When I captured the female, she attempted to bite me but just scraped my fingernail instead. That was a close one, mate! Later, when I caught the male, he bit me on my finger. That was too close, mate! (Please do not try this at home!)

House Pseudoscorpion (False Scorpion)

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:23:00 +0000

I found this eating a butterfly at a park. This pseudoscorpion is only about 8 mm and the butterfly it was eating was about 3 in.

Mr. Alfred Snaily Snail

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:53:00 +0000

This is my new pet, Mr. Alfred Snaily Snail. He is a Manatee Tree Snail. I found him on a nature trail near a creek. At first, I thought it was just a cool shell, but the next morning, he was crawling around on the back porch. We made a home for him in a terrarium where he now sits on our homeschool table.

Brown Snake

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Taking a nap one day, I awoke to this crawling across my face. Just Kidding! Actually, I was riding my bike when I heard the call of "Snake!" I dove off my bike and, half limping, half running ran to the place from whence the screams came. My mom was weeding and came across this little beasty -beauty. I LOVE SNAKES.

Clouded Sulfer Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:51:00 +0000

I found this yellow beauty taking a sip from our salvia plant. I summoned my brother to get my net for me, and I caught it and moved it to a container on our back porch. Then my mom took these photos while it was in our back porch.

Greenhouse Millipede

noreply@blogger.com (SnakeMaster) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:37:00 +0000

I found this millipede curled up under a stone. At first, I thought it was dead, but then I realized it was just defending itself. The scientific name for this guy is Oxidus gracilis.