Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[triceratops83]

Good Job, I would have loved to have seen that.

Thanks! I had to wrap it up in a jumper I keep in the car, good thing it was winter, otherwise I would have had to roll it away.

Now on a cold day if you can find a snake that has just come out to bask or is under something that is when to grab it. They are very sluggish, but all it takes is the warmth of your hands and in a few minutes its ready to rock.

That's actually pretty funny, like the snake's idea of a party trick.

[Doug Watson]

Here are some shots of turtles in my area, we have 9 species in Ontario 10 if you include the non-native Red Eared slider. So far I still haven't seen the Western Painted, Spiny Softshell, Stinkpot, Wood Turtle or Spotted Turtle in the wild.

Here is a shot showing how many you can find together in May when love is in the air. On some days just about every log will be packed like this. In this shot you have 2 Midland Painted turtles mixed in with 8 Map Turtles. On rare occasions you can even see a snapper in the group.


Here is an adult Map Turtle, named for the topographic like lines on the top of their carapace and their skin.


This is the underside of a Map Turtle, you can see that a boat propeller has cut a chunk out of its carapace at sometime in its life but the tough little bugger healed.


This is a hatchling Map Turtle. I bite sized snack for almost everything.


This is a Painted Turtle and a Map Turtle together showing the differences. That's a small Map Turtle they get much bigger than the Painted.


This is an adult Painted turtle.


The underside of a Painted turtle


Painted Turtle close-up. We had one growing up but got returned to the wild. A beautiful little turtle.


A baby Painted Turtle.


Now talk about a prehistoric beast. This is a BIG Common Snapping Turtle that lives at Murphy's Point. The record length in Ontario is a 20 inch carapace but I am sure this gal is 24 inches at least but I have never got close enough to check. Usually I see her swimming under my kayak and she still startles me. I love those claws.


This is another smaller adult Snapping Turtle at the same lake.


This is a baby Snapping Turtle, the carapace was about 1.5 inches long


This is a Blanding's Turtle that I helped across the highway. They are a threatened species here. More evidence of a hard life look at the two missing claws on the left front foot.


This is a Peninsula Cooter that I helped across a highway in Florida. I had to step in front of a fast approaching Corvette to keep him from killing the turtle and probably doing damage to the underside of his car. That was a big heavy turtle.

[triceratops83]

Some very beautiful and striking colouration on those.

[Doug Watson]

I did find this video of Garter Snakes emerging from a winter den in May and drinking the melting snow in a snow patch. The temperature was in the 70s Fahrenheit. Often up here you will get a patch of snow that will survive into the spring because either the snow was really thick there or it was shaded from the sun. This is the most likely situation where you would find snakes with snow. That or an early snow fall in the fall or late one in the spring that doesn't last. If the outside temperature is too cold they won't come out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-B6ucn-pQ0

[Gwangi]

Those turtle pictures are fantastic! You're very fortunate to have seen so many of your native reptiles and even more fortunate that you also had a camera with you! I've only recently started carrying a camera around but even still I always manage to see the coolest stuff without it. Like when I saw a snowy owl last year. I deliberately went looking for it and found it but forgot the camera! But as far as reptiles go I have a lot of catching up to do, I need to go on more field herping trips I think.

Here are some more pictures from me...

Eastern garter snake


One of the local white deer. This area of NY is known of it's population of white white-tail deer.


Northern dusky salamander


Spring Peeper


And finally...a sleepy raccoon.

[triceratops83]

Wow, Gwangi - national geographic level photos there.

[Doug Watson]

Those turtle pictures are fantastic! You're very fortunate to have seen so many of your native reptiles and even more fortunate that you also had a camera with you! I've only recently started carrying a camera around but even still I always manage to see the coolest stuff without it. Like when I saw a snowy owl last year. I deliberately went looking for it and found it but forgot the camera! But as far as reptiles go I have a lot of catching up to do, I need to go on more field herping trips I think.

Here are some more pictures from me...

Wow, those are some great shots yourself. I have never seen as much wildlife as I have since we took up kayaking. We used to canoe before but it wasn't the same. We just putt along the shore and sneak up on stuff. I have more shots of frogs, mink, muskrat, otters, beaver, deer & birds. It's amazing how close you can get. I have been 5 feet from a mink eating a snake. While I kayak I always have my camera around my neck and if I grab something my wife has a camera. Its true though there are still those times when you are out and about and you see something where you wish you had a camera. Like that time with the Bigfoot.....

Having said that, that is a beautiful Garter Snake it is amazing how many variations in colour they exhibit. I have never seen that combination up here and it looks like a good size, want to touch. One that is on my bucket list to catch and release is the California Red Sided. That thing is beautiful but I have never found one on my trips out there. In fact I have been specifically trying to find a venomous snake since I first started going south in 1976 and even after sorties on foot into the everglades I have only seen Racers, Water Snakes, Corn Snakes, King Snakes, and S. Ribbon Snake.

That albino White Tail is amazing, I have never seen that. I have seen photos of albino moose but never a White tail.

We don't get the Dusky up here, looks cute.

Great timing on the Spring Peeper and the raccoon.

[Patrx]

Really amazing photos, guys! I wish I could take the time to comment on each individually.

[Newt]

Wonderful photos guys! It seems like ages since I've had a chance to get out with my camera. I'll have to change that soon.

[Gwangi]

I've always toyed around with the idea of kayaking and I think you've got me convinced Doug! And I do hope you'll get around to posting your other pictures. It sounds like you have a lot more intact wilderness in your part, which is what I would expect from Canada. A lot of the stuff you've seen is scarce around here, most of the land surrounding me is farmland. That said there is a lot of natural beauty as well. I should point out that the deer in the pictures are not true albinos as they still have pigment in their eyes. There are also piebald brown & white deer around.

Thanks triceratops83! Not sure if I would agree with the Nat Geo quality statement but I certainly appreciate it!

Here's a series of pictures of a green heron catching a meal.




Eastern newt in the juvenile red-eft stage.


Aquatic adult phase of the eastern newt.

[Doug Watson]

I've always toyed around with the idea of kayaking and I think you've got me convinced Doug! And I do hope you'll get around to posting your other pictures. It sounds like you have a lot more intact wilderness in your part, which is what I would expect from Canada. A lot of the stuff you've seen is scarce around here, most of the land surrounding me is farmland. That said there is a lot of natural beauty as well. I should point out that the deer in the pictures are not true albinos as they still have pigment in their eyes. There are also piebald brown & white deer around.

Thanks triceratops83! Not sure if I would agree with the Nat Geo quality statement but I certainly appreciate it!

Here's a series of pictures of a green heron catching a meal.

Eastern newt in the juvenile red-eft stage.

Aquatic adult phase of the eastern newt.

Neat sequence have never seen one fishing from a log like that.

I have been trying to download a photo I took of a Red Eft in honour of Newt's comment but Photobucket seems to be frozen. I'll pass now because your photo trumps mine plus you have the aquatic form. Up here we call it a Red Spotted newt and the land form a Red Eft.

If you aren't interested in speed I'll recommend the Native Water Craft Ultimate 12. It is a sit in and was built for anglers so it is stable enough to stand in or in my case jump out of when you want to catch something. They come in longer lengths as well but I find the 12 gives you lots of room for gear plus its small enough to maneuver in tight spots. Plus it's made in the great US of A!

[Doug Watson]

One of the local white deer. This area of NY is known of it's population of white white-tail deer.

I just noticed the normal eye pigmentation so obviously as you stated these aren't albinos, I just did some reading on them and they are fascinating I'll share that image with my brother if you don't mind, he lived in NY State for a time and will be interested in this.

[Gwangi]

One of the local white deer. This area of NY is known of it's population of white white-tail deer.

I just noticed the normal eye pigmentation so obviously as you stated these aren't albinos, I just did some reading on them and they are fascinating I'll share that image with my brother if you don't mind, he lived in NY State for a time and will be interested in this.

No problem, share away! I'll see if I can dig up some more, I know I have them around saved on disks somewhere.

Thanks for the kayak suggestion! Something I could stand in and fish from would be ideal!

[triceratops83]

Newts and Salamanders are cute little things. Do they move quickly?

[stargatedalek]

They can move fast in the water, on land not so much, but they'll sure try.

[triceratops83]

Ahh, compared with the creek dwelling reptiles around here that move fast everywhere. Water Dragons (agamids) run like the wind and swim like fish. The babies can even do the Running On Water trick. I don't think I'd be able to photograph these animals for their speed, but I'll try the slower water skinks on the weekend.

[Gwangi]

Newts and Salamanders are cute little things. Do they move quickly?

Depends on the species. Newts and some large salamanders are pretty slow moving. Others like the Northern dusky I posted earlier can move rather quickly and are hard to hold on to. Not quite as fast as lizards though.

Here's another salamander, this time a red-back. This would be an example of a faster moving species.


And since we're here...

American bullfrog

Another garter snake


And another white deer.

[triceratops83]

Must be otherworldy to come across a white deer. Seems almost spiritual.

[Doug Watson]

Another garter snake

That's another nice Garter Snake and I am digging on the different look from the same species up here.

[Doug Watson]

I've always toyed around with the idea of kayaking and I think you've got me convinced Doug! And I do hope you'll get around to posting your other pictures.

Okay, but remember you asked for it. Here are some amphibian shots with a couple bugs and a snake thrown in. I will follow these up with some birds and some fuzzy animals after.

First we have a Bullfrog


Another Bullfrog


A dark brown colour variation of a Bullfrog


A Gray Treefrog, amazing camoflage. This is the most northern treefrog.


A brown variation of a Green Frog


A green variation of a Green Frog


A Pickerel Frog


A brown variation of a Leopard Frog. The easy difference from the Pickerel is the Pickerel spots are rectangular and more evenly spaced


A green variation of a Leopard frog


A Red Backed Salamander


Another Red Backed Salamander


A Jefferson Salamander


This is that Mudpuppy that my brother caught through the ice while ice fishing. Not a great shot but I think it was taken with an Instamatic. It was about 12 inches long.


Now for some bugs. This is the Fishing Spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus it is our largest native spider. They actually catch minnows and tadpoles.


This guy landed on my shoulder after I brushed under a tree. I let it crawl on my hand and put it back on the branch. I hadn't identified it until today turns out it is a Spiny Io Moth Caterpillar and they have a toxin in those spines that can be very toxic to some people.


Found this Flat Backed Millipede under a log. Apparently they emit an almond like smell when you pick them up. They are toxic as well.


I found this shot of a swimming Water Snake while looking for the amphibians and thought it was a cool shot