For today:
I was wanting to find two snakes on this trip - the Milk Snake and the Eastern Hognose Snake. I didn't find either. I did start the day off by chasing down this little guy. Plestiodon anthracinus pluvialis - the Southern Coal Skink. They are fast.
Here are a couple of views from the day. Devil's Den State Park is an amazing place. We couldn't see the caves that it's famous for today because there's a fungus that's killing bats or something like that. I didn't really mind. It would have been nice to have gone into the caves, but the whole park is beautiful!
Another Plestiodon anthracinus pluvialis - this time half way through the hike. He was chilling out by a crevasse. I took a few pictures from fairly far off so as not to scare him, but when I went to grab him he stayed still until I had my hand about 3 inches away. Then he tried to scarper. He? Yes. He. The jaw is orange which means it's a he who is ... well... lonely, I guess.
He obviously thought my finger was competition. Had he taken the time to glance down, he would have noticed my wedding ring and seen that I was already taken and, therefore, in no need of a mate. But he's a lizard. He has a brain the size of a lentil. So he just bit my finger.
People called him Charlie.
Because I'm English.
And he bit my finger.
Ugh.
To be honest; all of this herping has made me want to search out some good spots in England for when we get back there. I know we have lizards in my town, so maybe I'll start there. And end there because I'd have maxed out the species list for lizards to find in the UK. All this thought of not being able to do this for a while is making me want to find as many herps as possible in the last days we have left here. Stockpile that feeling of accomplishment when I chase down and catch beautiful snakes and lizards and turtles. And to a lesser extent frogs.
It's late.
Peace.
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