Redbellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
2009 November 17 Another find during my leaf raking project. About 15 centimeters long. Awaiting ID corfirmation by Alvin Braswell.
Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
2009 September.29 Jeanne spotted it in the middle of the driveway. Neither of us saw it arrive and don't know where it came from. About 1 meter long.
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
2006 October. I'd seen Green Anoles several times this summer, first year to see them. One always near this spot on front walkway, another at the far end of the house. No way to know if the same individual covers that much territory or two live here. I laid out gear to dry after Cycle NC outing. Learn more here.
Wolf Spider (Lycosa sp.)
2006 July. I encountered a big spider with egg sac in our garage.and I carefully removed it. A short time later I encountered this one outside near where I'd released the one from garage. No way to tell if it's the identical individual but same appearance. The pic is ~2X size linearly, a relatively big spider to see around here. Learn more here.
Funnel Weaver (Agelenidae)
2006 June. This spider took up residence in Maizey's steering tube above the fork crown. When we travelled to NJ for the AVP tournament, he rode on cartop carrier behind bra on Maizey to prevent bug smashing so was protected enough to ride there. Rode from campground to AVP stadium at shore and back three days. Returned to NC on cartop. Still living in steering tube in garage now. Learn more here.
Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma Americanum)
2006 June 3, I volunteered National Trails Day at TLC's White Pines Nature Preserve, breaking new trail. Warned by Doug Sprouse that ticks abound, Jeanne helped perform a full body exam when I returned home. Among seven ticks, some attached and some crawling, were two Lone Star Ticks, the first I've seen. This one was attached in my armpit and teezered off. I await further tick-borne disease developments. Learn more here.
Bluegill/Bream (Lepomis macrochirus)
2006 May 30, I noticed commotion in my neighbor's pond across the back fence. I crossed the fence and saw these spawning beds with fish circling in the cavities. The surrounding trees mirrored on the surface make for difficult photography Learn more here.
Broadheaded Skink (Eumeces laticeps)
2006 May 11, this male Broadheaded Skink was sunning itself on our driveway. In no hurry to retreat to cover, posed for several pics. At the short end of the range, ~6". Learn more here.
Paper Wasp (Polistes sp.)
2006 May 11, Jeanne turned over her hypertufa and found this paper wasp nest inside. Nine cells are filled with wriggling larvae, the rest are empty. Don't know if they were occupied prior or never filled. Learn more here.
Terrestrial Snails (unknown)
2006 May 11, These three snails were also residing under the hypertufa. I'm clueless re pinning down an ID. Learn more here.
Imperial moth larva (Eacles imperialis)
2005 October 3, Jeanne approached me from working in our woodlot with this specimen cupped in her gloves. I'd say this is the largest caterpiller I've ever seen. Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, this larva will become much prettier when an adult.
Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae)
2005 September 25, I spotted what at first looked like a worm wriggling in our liriope. I picked it up and realized it was a snake, looked to me like what a newborn Black Rat Snake ought to look like. NC Museum of Nat Sci herp guy IDed it for me and set me straight that juvenile BRS are mottled, don't look like this at all.
Green June Beetle (Cotinis nitida (Linnaeus))
2005 July 25, I walked barefoot onto our deck and unintentionally stepped on a beetle. Before I moved my foot, this beetle bit, pinched, or stung the bottom of my foot inflicting a very painful wound. I applied medications, took Ibuprofen, and soaked my foot, all to little avail, it still pained although diminished gradually.
This is a pic of the beetle I stepped on (on the left) and two more like it that I found in our driveway. Pix are not very good. The topside is sorta nondescript blackish, brownish, greenish. The identifying characteristic, to me, is the iridescent green underside.
My quest for ID of this beetle resulted in ID by local NCMusNatSci entomologist and What's That Bug? No info I can find states that GJB can inflict the pain I experienced so I conlude the dead GJB must've had a bee on it and the bee stung me. One of the other two dead specimens I found on driveway had a bee on it so dead GJB must attract'em. Click here to read more about GJB.
Preying Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)
I was in the garage patching bicycle tubes that a non-patching ridebud gave me and, as I reached up to hang a patched tube on the handlebar of a racked bike to let it vulcanize, there was a praying mantis crawling on the handlebar. It stayed on the handlebar all the time I worked nearby, arms folded in praying position, I hope praying that my patches don't leak.
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
What can I say, one exciting visitor after another.. Click Blackie's head for the full story of this encounter.
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
I heard a "peep" in our garage but couldn't find its source. Ten minutes later, this hatchling hopped out onto the driveway. I picked it up with a glove hoping that I would not deter the adults from coming to its aid. No adults came to buzz me so it was doubtless abandoned. I set it back on the ground but fear that it was not to survive.
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
This larger than a dinner plate specimen was crossing the road in a heavy rainstorm, not out sunning itself. I "helped" it off the pavement to prevent a bubba from killing it with his truck. Not grateful one whit, it bit the end off my stick repeatedly. Looking back as I left it, it had already reversed its direction and was pointed back to the road. (Soda bottle included for size comparison.)
Corn Snake aka Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata)
Don't want to include dead specimens in this list but this Corn Snake, about 2.5' long, was neatly curled on the cover plate of a utility access port at a SAG stop on a bicycle ride in 2004. I don't know whether someone placed it there already dead, no apparent cause, or why/if it died in that spot. For additional corn snake information, click up the WildWNC site
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)
I just had to include this ladybug wearing the University of Michigan M on its back. I confess we saw it on the deck of our room at Massanutten Resort in Virginia, not at home.
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludoviciantus)
If our garage door is open at dusk, one or two Carolina Wrens may enter and nest in an open box. They may be asleep in it when the door is closed but sometimes I hear them rustling around.
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
These turtles are quite common in our region. When we cyclists encounter one crossing a road, we stop to help it get safely to the other side before some bubba crushes it with an SUV tire.
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)
After I returned home late in the evening from Oh Melo Velo May 8, the garage door remained open for a while before being closed. The next morning, when I started through the garage to fetch the N&O, this little bunny appeared having been trapped in the garage overnight. I snapped this pic of him under the Mazda.
Kommon House Kat (Kipper wanteous supper)
Well, this beast is hardly "wildlife" but there's been a great outcry to put this pic up here, more so to prove I'm a softy than to prove Kipper is wild. Kipper is Nancy and Steve Knight's "baby" and spends about one week/year with us while they travel.
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
What a treat and a surprise! As I was photographing the mouse, I heard an unfamiliar bird call and, following it to its source, spied this specimen in a nearby tree. I've seen large rectangular woodpecker holes in trees around here but, after 16 years, this is my first sighting.2002 June: I was walking down the driveway to fetch the N&O, and the bird flew from my left across the driveway to my right and landed in a tree. I stood still and watched it for perhaps 10 minutes. Very fussy pecker, studied the tree, moved around a bit, studied some more, then took one strong peck. Was startled by one vehicle, then ignored two more that passed. I returned to the house for my camera and, naturally, it was gone when I returned to the foot of the driveway.
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Sorry, old fellow. This is mouse #4 to fall to our Intruder, Inc. Better Mousetrap this fall. We seem to have sealed off the kitchen and haven't caught one there in years but, in 2001, they've discovered our bedroom. Jeanne heard scratching one night so we set the traps and, so far, four.
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Riding up our driveway after an early November bike ride, a huge bird flew overhead and landed in a nearby tree. It was an owl! Most likely barred based on appearence and that's the only owl call we ever hear at night. Very big. What was he doing up in the middle of the day? Our digicamera was away with Jeanne and it wouldn't have zoomed in enough to capture the owl anyway. Wayne Miller, a friend and cycling buddy who lives about two miles away, took this digipic in his back lot. For additional barred owl information, click up the WildWNC site
Spotted Garden Slug (Limax maxumus)
One morning, this slug was wrapped around the suction cup of the bird feeder on our dining room window. Bad enough the squirrels have chewed up the perch, now this slug is lunching on the suction cup.
Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)
The web of this spider is a beauty to behold. While most of the web is invisible, the stabilimentum, the "writing", on the web is very visible. This specimen has encountered trouble somewhere along it's path and lost a leg. Nothing like having eight to start with, eh? Learn more here.
Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)
In the evening, the air here is filled with Green Tree Frog calls. They used to affix themselves to our windows often to capture insects drawn to the light inside our home but we haven't seen one in several years. Recently during a rainfall, this rather large one hopped up to a window.
Five-lined Skink (Eumeces faciatus)
An immature Five-lined Skink, such as this specimen, is more often called a Blue-tailed Skink for obvious reasons. This one, about 2" nose to tail, was sunning on our front porch. They're fast and it wasn't easy to corner it for this pic. Learn more here
White Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus macroura)
Rare, yes, but on July 15, this specimen strolled through our back lot. Of course, as soon as I exited the house to snap this pic, the deer bolted.
Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta)
One of the things we do on rides is help turtles across the road before a bubba runs them over. This 8" specimen was only about 1/3 the way across.
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Centurus carolinus)
This fellow is supposed to be out in the forest, chopping up trees for insects but, like the other residents of the household, appears to be a vegetarian or, at least, an omnivore. Comes to the feeder daily. I've seen two identical birds at once, not sure if one is the female or they compete for territory.
Eastern (Rufous-sided) Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
Has discovered a competitor for territory that appears to live in this window. Pecks at the window for hours on end. In prior years, I've been unaware of the prevalence of Towhees hereabouts but, with this individual having trained me to listen for "Drink your Teeeeeeeaaaaaaa!", I hear them everywhere now, almost as commonly as mockingbirds while riding.
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White-spotted Slimy Salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus)
I found #1 2001 February 28 quite by accident; larger view pic appears about actual size on my monitor. Positive identification by David Cooper, NC Museum of Natural Science staff.
I found #2 2009 October 24 while raking partially composted leaves from a patch of ivy. Positive identification by Alvin Braswell, NC Museum of Natural Science staff. Alvin says they sometimes have no spots.
I found #3 2009 Nowember 17 under a tarp under collected leaf matter. It had quite an extensive home of tunnels under the tarp and skittered quickly throughout them. Sorry to've disturbed it but I needed the tarp. Another one with no spots. Positive identification by me, I'm getting the hang of it
Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
I don't recall seeing red shouldered hawks in our woods five years ago. Currently, they appear daily and their strident cries fill the air.
Northern Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)
This one's sorta cheating, not on our property where we're more likely to see a copperhead, but too good not to include. 2001 March 17, in honor of St. Patrick having driven the snakes out of Ireland, the NC Museum of Natural Science held Reptile Day. This 2M long specimen was very docile and very active. The docent asked these four girls if they'd like to hold it; they replied yes.Click here to see a Reptile Day pic of a Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), not indigenous to NC.
Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
Speaking of copperheads, I finally encountered one and was able to snap some pix before it disappeared. I was pitchforking mulch for the next composter load and there on one forkload lay this copperhead along for the ride. Yeah, I can be blase about snakes on our property but the poisonous ones still get my attention. Sissy me, I handled it with gloves and not kid but horsehide. A second pic in a bucket bottom here and, for additional copperhead information, click up the WildWNC site.
