Fowler’s Toad

Fowler's Toad Live

FOWLER’S TOAD – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Fowler’s toads have black and yellow eyes The photo of this fowler’s toad is courtesy of my dog, Landon. While Jill and I were hiking at Indian and Celina Lakes in southern Indiana, this little frog caught the eye of our dog. Once the frog stopped hopping, […]

Plains Lubber Grasshopper

Plains Lubber Grasshopper Live

Plains Lubber Grasshopper – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Grasshoppers have 5 eyes! Matt, Kenny, Nick, and I were descending from Emory Peak in Big Bend National Park when we came across this plains lubber grasshopper. We were at the end of a long hot hike, and we were all pretty low on energy. I […]

Stargazer

Stargazer Live

SOUTHERN STARGAZER – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Stargazers cover themselves in the sand This eyeball belongs to a rarely seen creature called a stargazer. There is a northern stargazer and a southern stargazer. Both look about the same, and the only way you can really tell the difference is the tail of the stargazer, as well […]

Blow Fly

Blow Fly Live

Most blow flies live in temperate to tropical regions. The larvae of blow flies are used for a medical treatment called “maggot therapy”. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) uses laboratory raised fly larvae to treat stasis ulcers, postsurgical wounds, pressure clots, and diabetic foot wounds. The larvae eat only the dead tissue, which improves the healing potential of […]

Mantis Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp Live

MANTIS SHRIMP – IUCN Conservation Status: Varied The mantis shrimp has one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom This creature is thought to have the most complex visual system in the animal kingdom. How can we break down such a complicated biological system? Let’s start by talking about photoreceptor cells. These cells are used […]

Wolf Spider

Wolf Spider Live

WOLF SPIDER – IUCN Conservation Status: INSUFFICIENT DATA They lay more than 100 eggs Have you ever seen a spookier looking insect?! This wolf spider is carrying its recently hatched young on its back! When I first saw this spider on the trail at Indian and Celina Lakes in southern Indiana, I thought I was […]

Goldenrod Crab Spider

Goldenrod Crab Spider Live

GOLDENROD CRAB SPIDER – IUCN Conservation Status: INSUFFICIENT DATA Goldenrod crab spiders tend to lay webs on goldenrod and milkweed flowers For Wild Boyz Photography, October’s theme is “Weird Wild”. It might be my favorite gallery theme of the year because we can showcase how wild nature truly is. This strange pink spider is called a goldenrod […]

Pygmy Filefish

Pygmy Filefish Camouflage Live

PYGMY FILEFISH – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN The pygmy filefish and the green feather algae are almost the exact same color! This is yet another photo from Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida. Diving here is like playing underwater Where’s Waldo. There are lots of cryptic creatures that camouflage with the seafloor. Some practice mimicry, […]

Long-Snouted Seahorse

Long-Snouted Seahorse Sargassum Camouflage Live

LONG-SNOUTED SEAHORSE – IUCN Conservation Status: DATA DEFFICIENT This long-snouted seahorse may be pregnant! It’s odd to think of seahorses as “fish”, but these ornate creatures are indeed a species of fish. However, unlike a lot of fish, seahorses are not good swimmers. They do have fins and are able to swim, however they rely on the […]