Yesterday, in the rain, I went out isopod hunting in my backyard. Not much luck with the isopods, the only ones I saw were the fast ones that someone who is as slow and fat as me would never be able to catch by hand. But I was lucky in finding snakes.
Under the second rock I flipped:
One of the prettiest garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) I've ever found in my yard.
Under the next rock, a large flat piece of slate, I flipped:
Another garter snake, the typical ugly ones I find in my yard. And surprisingly, a ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus). I usually see one every year or two, and sometimes in the house.
Under the next rock:
Another garter and the very common Dekay's brown snake (Storeria dekayi).
Six snakes in 5 minutes, not too shabby. There are six species of snakes here on Staten Island and I'm lucky to have 3 of them in my yard.
And for something completely different, here's my Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) eating a 3" horn worm:
