As the days get longer and the sunshine gets stronger, aquatic turtles will be rousing from brumation—a cold-blooded creature’s equivalent of hibernation—and rising to the…
Turtles Waking
Box Turtles a Lifelong Commitment
The Truth About Snake Jaws
Randy Ratsnake gives another jaw-dropping performance, using an amazing set of mandibular adaptations to swallow his meal. No unhinging, detaching or dislocating required!
Milksnakes
The woman’s voice quavered as she described her predicament. “I have a milkshake on my driveway,” she squeaked over the phone, her words barely discernible…
Brown Anoles
Don’t you just love life’s little surprises? You reach in your coat pocket and find a forgotten $5 bill. Yay! You run into an old…
Toads
A female American toad, drawn by the trilling calls of ardent male suitors, makes her way to a shallow breeding pool created by recent rains.
Queen Snakes
Except for one time, nearly 35 years ago, when I found myself eating ice cream in a supermarket with Prince Andrew and his then-wife Sarah,…
Artie the Turtle
Ah, 1978. Things were sure were different then. Jimmy Carter was president. I remember this because I drew his portrait, and all those pearly white…
The New Blanding’s Turtle Pond
People laugh when I say this, but you really can tell when a reptile is content. Its body posture, for example, is relaxed but not…
Snakes in Fall
Fox snakes are locally common and, this time of year, sometimes turn up in garages, basements and crawlspaces. When agitated, they may shake their tails, a la rattlesnakes, but nonetheless are nonvenomous and provide free rodent control. Snakes in Fall November 17, 2017 We all have our dreams, such as fame or fortune. Mine, go