Vertebrates but not birds

Top:  Close up of speckled kingsnake     Bottom:  Eric holding it I have always been fascinated with kingsnakes.  As a child I used to hunt for snakes regularly in southern Ontario.  I only ever found garter snakes though, which was probably a good thing given the number of venomous ones there are in that neck of the woods.  I had never caught, little-lone seen a king snake.  They simply are not native to Canada, although you can buy them as pets from a variety of sources (check out kijiji).  Milksnakes, which are native to Ontario, are their closest relative and belong to the same family. I was fond of this particular kind of snake because it has a number of remarkable qualities.  The can grow to a respectable size (over six feet when fully grown).  They are not poisonous and have a relatively docile disposition.  There are at least 7 different species and sport a wide variety of colours, bands, and speckles.  ...

Top:  Red squirrel  Bottom:  White spruce on hiking trail Another glorious day here at Camp Nakamun, Alberta.  The temperature warmed up enough to doff coat and gloves while showshoeing the local hiking trail.  I was on the search for anything which might inspire a photograph, and once again I wasn't disappointed.  The camp offers a tremendous variety of foliage and wildlife, and I discovered evidence of a red squirrel's larder. The bottom photo was shot while plodding along on snowshoes on the camp's perimeter trail.  The tree on the right is a white spruce, a coniferous, cone-bearing tree which red squirrels seem to approve of.  The brown area at the base of the tree is the remnants of cones which the furry rodents have opened.  Before the cones were cleverly broken up, each one contained dozens of life-giving seeds.  The significant pile is a testament to the volume of food this tree has provided. No midden exists at the base ...

An elk, or wapiti, photographed in the snow. By any definition, the elk is a majestic animal.  One of the largest members of the deer family, it proudly strolls through its habitat barely aware of the snow.  Its long and powerful limbs cut through all but the deepest drifts.  The young male above is still in the process of growing its antlers.  He has only recently shed the previous ones and the new stalks will grow quickly in size.  In a few months, the velvet covering them will be shed during rutting season.  Then he will put them to good use in shoring up a harem. I photographed this today while traveling through Jasper National Park.  He was one of about thirty adults moving in linear order as a single column.  I liked the fact that they were unafraid of the people and cars around them; we did not bother them and they did not bother us.  I suppose some may complain about elk droppings, or elk grazing grasses and browsing b...

Clark's Spiny Lizard One of the reasons I love to go places is because of the wonderful forms of life which naturally exist.  The advantage of  global diversity is that you don't get the same things everywhere, although we seem to be trying awfully hard to achieve that nefarious goal.  Starlings are just about a planet wide phenomenon, and things like fire ants, cane toads, and lion fish are making significant inroads.  Many of these creatures are invasive, and in the process are out competing or just downright killing the local inhabitants. The above reptile, Clark's spiny lizard, was photographed by me during a sunny morning walk in Joshua Tree National Park.  It was basking, a behaviour geared to helping it maintain a heightened body temperature to help in the acquisition, digestion and assimilation of food.  It is mostly insectivorous but will also take smaller arachnids and some plant material.  Warmer temperatures allow it to increase its m...

Profile view of a Townsend Chipmunk - not a good day. It was a dreary day on a long car ride, and the need for a break became a commonplace thought in our minds.  Our jaunt in Washington State was punctuated with beautiful park areas; a sign up ahead promised a lovely forested walk.  So we pulled over with hiking gear in hand and a camera at the ready just in case some creature of the wilderness should venture into view. Our hopes proved true and the path we sauntered along was pleasant and relative slope free.  It passed through a pine woodland which had a rich earthy scent with it; the rain had stopped an hour or two ago.  We passed some fallen logs; the trail was free of debris, and it was quiet as we were the only trespassers present.  The quality of the trail was, however, well made; it would not be long before someone else shared our experience. We came to a good spot to stop and have a break.  Backpacks were opened and canteens emptied of wha...

Northern Alligator Lizard - Leanne shows one off You can dig up a picture of a lizard on a cell phone accessing the internet incredibly fast.  There, too, information can be accessed and digested.  The images can be perused, the stories of others gleaned over, and a virtual experience obtained.  But I have to tell you, all that pales to holding one in your hand. This is the problem with electronic intelligence.  It enhances intellect but not passion; it builds knowledge but not character.  You can learn a lot from media, but until you have real time with what you are reading about it is all just two-dimensional living.  Life comes from interacting with the world, with all its beauty and ugliness combined.  You can think that lizards are neat, but if you have never held one what do you really know?  It is possible that you can describe the classification of the Northern Alligator Lizard down to genus and species - but do you know what one fee...

My corn snake, Orville, eating a mouse (thawed from frozen). First of all, an apology, for those who just saw this and had a panic attack.  Snakes are one of those things that some people just can't stand.  Most snakes, in Canada anyways, are non poisonous.  There are a few that can kill if you don't get quick medical attention, but the number of people who get bitten, let alone die, are small.  In Canada only about 300 people get bitten by a snake each year, and none of them die (see bottom link).  Some poisonous snakes, such as the night snake and hog nose snake, produce venom that are of low impact to humans.  The more poisonous ones, like rattlesnakes, live in only restricted areas and are not seen all that often.  You can take this from someone who looks for snakes regularly - I have only seen two rattlesnakes. Orville, his name, is a corn snake, native to southeastern US.  Corn snakes are related to milk and king snakes, which are...