SC Reptiles and Amphibians

RECENT OBSERVATIONS

August 2009

Gene's Notes:

August began with Copperhead. On Sunday, August 2nd, my brother called saying that he had found the night before a snake near the front door of his home. He thought the snake may be a Copperhead. I drove to his home on Lake Greenwood to see what he had found. It was indeed a young adult Copperhead.

The next day, August 3rd, I snapped some "not so good" images of a couple White-tailed Deer in the ravine behind my house.


Copperhead

On August 6th, a nephew whom we had not seen for several years visited overnight. He brought his six-year old son whom we had never met. We planned a family meal. I went to a nearby BBQ restaurant to buy meat for the meal. Outside the restaurant, I noticed bagworms (see below) hanging from the Red-tips which had grown from scrubs into trees.

As a table center-piece for the meal, I made an arrangement of vegetables (see below) from our garden.

We had a nice visit. The next morning, Win brought a couple of snakes to shown his cousin's son.


Bagworm

Vegetable Center-piece

On August 9th, Win snapped some images of a Red-headed Woodpecker eating Poke berries.

After dark on August 10th, I turned on the front porch lights to see if I could entice some interesting beetles to land. I did not find any really interesting beetles, but I did find a 3.5-foot Eastern Rat Snake checking out the porch.

The Cone Flowers and Angel Trumpets (see below) have been especially beautiful in the flower garden.

On August 19th, I snapped an image of a Wolf Spider carrying her bright-blue egg sack (see below).


Red-headed Woodpecker

Cone Flowers

Angel Trumpets

Wolf Spider with egg sack

During August 19 - 22, my wife and I visited a cousin at her house in Garden City Beach. It was pretty hot and bright during our visit, so I did not go on the nature forays that I usually do when on the coast. I helped may some minor repairs around the house and photographed some birds. Carolyn's cousin showed her how to handle a kayak in the inlet.

Before returning home, we visited Magnolia Gardens on Sunday, August 23rd. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and we both hope to visit again. While touring the grounds, I snapped an image of an Arrowhead Spider, one of the small, orbed web spinning spiders (see below).


Kayak Lessons

While looking around the farm on August 25th, I found the largest Black Widow Spider that I have ever seen.

On August 28th, I found an old male Eastern Box Turtle in my yard.

In summary, August was a very slow month for observing herps for me. I saw very few DOR snakes.


Black Widow Spider

September 20, 2009
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