Eastern Lubber Grasshopper – iNaturalist These young nymphs will go through ~5 instars/molts Wild Boyz Photography featured the adult eastern lubber grasshopper back in 2021. The adult eastern lubber grasshoppers are yellow and they have wings Eastern Lubber This is a photograph of a nymph stage eastern lubber grasshopper, which does not have wings. They are all […]
Furrow Orb Weaver – iNaturalist The newly spun webs are sticky and help catch prey better This stealthy spider is called a furrow orb weaver. I was hiking on Macinac Island in Michigan when I came across this spider resting in the curl of a leaf. If you look closely, you will see the network of webs […]
Tiger Wolf Spider These are hardy spiders This is a tiger wolf spider! I spotted him on a poison sumac plant on Macinac Island. Macinac Island is a small island in northern Lake Heron. It is located near where the upper peninsula meets the rest of Michigan. These cryptic spiders can be found across the Eastern United States, Canada, […]
Caribbean Reef Octopus – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data I’ve encountered Caribbean reef octopus on night dives You are looking into the eye of a Caribbean reef octopus. Although they look mysterious, they are one of the more commonly seen octopus and we know quite a lot about them. Caribbean reef octopus are generally seen at night. I […]
Mule Deer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Mule deer can jump as far as 15′ This photo was taken at Zion National Park in Utah. Mule deer are a regular sighting here in the park. The range for mule deer includes much of western North America. Mule deer are fast but also rely on their large ears […]
Queen Conch – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Queen conch move very slowly This is the flagship creature of the Florida Keys, otherwise known as the “Conch Republic”. Conch are a popular food. Unfortunately, years of overharvesting has led to a crash in their population. These days, the Conch Republic must import their conch. Spotted Eagle Ray This […]
Turkey Vulture – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Vultures heads are bald so that the pieces of dead animal don’t get stuck in head feathers These apex predators are found across the United States. In fact, they can be found from southern Canada to South America. This is an easy bird to identify because it is a […]
Christmas Tree Worm Christmas tree worms have a surprisingly long life, living up to 40 years You will be surprised to learn what you are looking at is considered a worm. These colorful worms are stationary, so once you locate one you are all set. However, if you approach these creatures too quickly or get too close, […]
Nurse Shark – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable Nurse sharks are not considered a dangerous shark species to humans This is a photograph of a nurse shark, taken in Key Largo, Florida. To get a close up photograph of a shark can be tricky, but the nurse shark gives you a better chance than most shark species. Nurse […]
Yellowstone National Park The pronghorn was grazing comfortably while snow was coming down sideways This exotic looking animal is called a pronghorn. It is the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. When pronghorn sprint, they can reach speeds of around 50 miles per hour. They are known for their sustained speed over long distances. Why are pronghorn so […]