Tantilla supracincta
It took more than 20 years, but I finally got to see a living Tantilla supracincta! For some reason I would come across these only after they got run over in traffic, or macheted to pieces because someone thought it was a venomous coral snake. This is a minuscule snake – this one measured less than nine inches – and even though it has some venom to subdue its (probably far more venomous) centipede prey, it is perfectly harmless to humans. Happy the curse has been lifted! Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreTowhee Snack
This male Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) is about to scarf down a centipede snack on a recent early morning. I did not expect it to come up with that in its bill! I saw it working the ground rather hard, scratching away and pulling at the soil before revealing its prey. No, thank you, I will pass on sharing this meal. It’s all yours little guy… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCommon Eastern Millipede up close
Millipedes don’t really have 1,000 legs, but rather are characterized by the fact that each of their body segment bears two pairs of extremities (versus a single pair per body segment in centipedes). This feature can be observed nicely in this close-up photograph of a common eastern millipede (Narceus americanus), a species found in wooded habitats throughout eastern and central U.S. With a total length of up to 4 inches this is an impressive invertebrate! Even though it is big, it is completely harmless. Unlike their centipede ‘cousins’, millipedes lack the modified...
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