Cardinal Catchfly – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies I took this shot with a 1/500th shutter speed This is one of two photos from this month’s gallery that come from Big Bend National Park in Texas. This photo was taken on my first full day in the park. I was descending from the highest point in […]
Green Anole – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The scientific name is Anolis carolinensis This photo was taken on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. My wife, Jill, and I were coming down from the summit of Sleeping Giant on the east side of the island when I saw this little green anole hanging out […]
Northern Red Oak – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Oak trees are the national tree of the United States You are looking at a macro shot of an oak leaf during fall foliage. I love macro photography because it allows you to see something better than you can with your naked eye. Here is a full-sized photo […]
Katydids – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies The lifespan of a katydid is about a year This wild desert creature is called a Katydid. These grasshopper looking insects can grow to five inches in length. They are generally green, and have long hind legs and long antennae. Their antennae can actually be longer than their body. Katydids are a challenging […]
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 – 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 […]
Chalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Each eye has up to 30,000 facets! I took this photo the day before my birthday in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Matt and I were camping there enjoying the beginning of summer. We had been out on a loop hike through the park when we came […]
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 […]
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 – 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 […]