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, […]
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 […]
Asian Lady Beetle – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data From there, it quickly expanded to the Midwest over the next 5 to 7 years The eyes staring back at you in this photo come from an Asian lady beetle. This species of ladybug was introduced artificially to the United States to control aphids and scale. […]
Yellow Tang – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This yellow tang was one of many yellow tang that I saw during our four hours of snorkeling This photo was taken during a snorkeling trip with my wife in Kealakekua Bay on the big island of Hawai’i. This area is a marine life conservation district, which […]
Spotted Orbweaver – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Their abdomen is brown and hairy, and their legs have an alternating pattern of light and dark brown bands Could you imagine having eight eyes? This photo is of a spotted orbweaver, which like many spiders has eight eyes. This species of spider is primarily nocturnal and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Greater Earless Lizard – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This has helped them adapt to their lifestyle of burrowing in the sand This photo has a fun story. While visiting Big Bend National Park, our group went for a guided canoe trip along the Rio Grande. Partway through the trip, we stopped the canoes to […]
Red-Spotted Toad – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern That’s when I came across a horde of tiny toads This photo of a red-spotted toad was taken while on a hike in Austin, Texas. I was hiking on a trail with my brother, Nick, who also serves as the scientific advisor for Wild Boyz Photography. We […]