Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
I love happy endings! Several weeks ago, one of our neighbors contacted me because she had seen a gorgeous Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) near her bird feeders. She liked the snake, but liked her birds better and did not want to see her bird feeder become a snake feeder. I assured her that Milk Snakes are more likely to help her control the rodents in her yard than decimate her songbirds, but we agreed that if it would show up again I would come and get the snake and find it a new home. To my great surprise a few days ago I got a call from our front desk that somebody wanted to...
Read MoreFer-de-Lance (Bothrops asper)
Death through the leaves, this Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops asper) was waiting river side on RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser’s last trip in Panama. He decided to head back down later to get some photos. Sean said this shot was kind of an accident while trying to find the right angle, but became his favorite.
Read MoreFer-de-lance (Bothrops asper)
Lurking in the shadows of the rainforest, the Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) reigns supreme. Always finding dynamic areas to coil up and find a prey species, this individual was waiting on a fallen log in a stream corridor. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreLittle Brown Jumper
A most amazing encounter in a small, drab package… I am a fortunate man…I’ve traveled to all sorts of exotic locales and am lucky enough to have encountered some pretty spectacular wildlife in the process. Photographs of some of these wonderful frogs, birds, snakes and other treasures have graced these posts in the past. This time around I would like to share with you something tiny and drab instead, but something that made me profoundly happy to encounter! During a recent trip to Costa Rica I had a brief opportunity to detour from my already scheduled destinations in hopes of...
Read MoreIllegal Snake Collection
This story from USFWS Northeast Region concerning the illegal collection and sale of wild reptiles is precisely the reason that we as an organization and as scientists are so careful about disclosing sensitive biological information. It is why I was and will be extremely secretive about locations of species like Timber Rattlesnakes whether it is to protect them from collection or from death. While most people are certainly considerate of life in the world around us there will always be a select misguided few who seek to profit or lash out from ignorance. I am hopeful our constant education...
Read More
