Before my presentation in Flower Mound, I stopped by Post Oak Park -- a really nice park with some great habitat! Spotted quite a few cool things.
South central Eastland county. Photo by a friend on deer lease.
Found on a river gravel bar. Sediments in the area range from cretaceous to holocoen with a good amount of Wisconsin lobe glacial till. Previously I have found bison, mammoth, and ancient horse in the same river valley...
Kneejerk reaction was Thamnophis proximus, though I don't know enough to say which subspecies. The turquoise-blue color of its underbelly and "side ribbons" was definitely more prominent in person.
Mother intent on coming right in the back door... perhaps looking for a sitter?
This is one of the most surprising and interesting wildlife sightings of my career at Balcones Canyonlands NWR. BioTech Elizabeth Lesley and I were hiking through some steep hills during a Golden-cheeked Warbler survey when I heard a sound I'd never heard before. To make a long story short*, we came across two Ringtails mating in a tree overhead. You can read the whole R-rated tale of this encounter on my blog entry for Friends of Balcones Canyonlands NWR here:
Found on a kids dressup costume that was left outside in the backyard. Trying to determine if these are parasites/harmful worms or not.
Had spotted a white bundle of fur in a tree and after a time spent studying determined it was a Raccoon with either Albinism or Leucism. It shifted a few times over a couple of hours and finally when I had nearly given up, it briefly opened it's eyes. Which confirmed this as an Albino, as Leucism does not impact eye pigment.
@sambiology @mchlfx @wildcarrot I went looking for @jblinde Siren's but got distracted obviously. Has anyone mentioned seeing this animal at LLELA?