Southeastern Five-Lined Skink – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The scientific name for this animal is Plestiodon inexpectatus This photo is of a southeastern five-lined skink. They are common to the southeastern United States. I took this photo while in Siesta Key, Florida. The scientific name for this animal is Plestiodon inexpectatus. It was only […]
Gold Dust Day Gecko – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The gold dust day gecko is invasive in Hawai’i This photo was taken near Hapuna Beach on the Big Island of Hawai’I in 2023. This colorful animal that you are looking at is a gold dust day gecko. Jill and I were heading back from […]
False Dayflower – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data This flower is found exclusively in Texas I was taking a break between climbs while climbing in Austin, Texas when I took this photo of a false dayflower. My brother, Nick, and I had been climbing along the Greenbelt when we took a break, and I saw […]
Purple Coneflower – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data The dome of the purple coneflower is dominated by multiple small yellow florets When you first look at this photo, you might think to yourself, “what in the world am I looking at?”, “is this from planet Earth?”, “what are these red and orange spikes?”, and more. […]
Tree Crinum – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data It has the common name: poison bulb, Asian poison bulb, giant crinum lily, grand crinum lily, and spider lily I took this photo while on the big island of Hawai’i. It was planted near the condo that my wife and I were staying at. I was mesmerized […]
Pileated Woodpecker – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They have a characteristic red crest, or “mohawk” The pileated woodpecker can often be heard tapping its beaks against trees as it searched for its next meal. Common to North America, this is the third largest woodpecker in the world and the largest woodpecker in North America. […]
Northern Cardinal – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The adult male is red in color with a black mask over its eyes that extends to the upper chest. There are many names for this common bird that is native to North America. The most common name is northern cardinal, while it is also known as […]
Chukar – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The chukar is an upland game bird that belongs to the pheasant family This photo was taken while Jill and I were walking around the top of Haleakala after having watched the sunrise on her birthday. We were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, staying on Maui. We woke […]
Monarch – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The lifecycle of the monarch butterfly is complex The first thing that I noticed when I saw this beautiful monarch chrysalis were the rings of gold spots lining its exterior. I thought to myself, how in the world was this color created by an insect?! It actually comes […]
Pixie Cup Lichen – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data The scientific name for pixie cup lichens is Cladonia asahinae The Cladonia genus of lichens, which includes the pixie up lichen seen here, is the primary food sources for reindeer and caribou! Pixie cup lichens are a species of cup lichen in the Cladoniaceae family. This […]