Florida

Everglades Rat Snake

Elaphe obsoleta rossalleni Rat snakes are excellent climbers and this large snake was right at home perched atop a bromeliad high up in a cypress tree. Pure everglades rat snakes are an increasingly uncommon find because the more abundant yellow rat snake is slowly thinning the gene pool through cross breeding. The Everglades, Florida

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula Palm Beach County, Florida

American Alligators

Alligator mississippiensis A pair of young gators float silently in the nearly black tannic water of a cypress swamp. The Everglades, Florida

Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris Palm Beach County, Florida

Corn Snake

Pantherophis guttatus The Everglades, Florida

Wood Stork

Mycteria americana A common sight in South Florida Wetlands, this large , heavy-bodied stork forages for fish by walking through shallow water with it's bill submerged. This method requires high fish densities to be successful. Palm Beach Co., Florida

American Alligators

Alligator mississippiensis A clutch of newly hatched baby alligators bask on an exposed log. A newly hatched clutch will often hang around their mother as they learn what it takes to be a gator. The Everglades, Florida

Limpkin

Aramus guarauna The limpkin is usually reclusive, preferring to remain concealed in the thick vegetation of wetlands. This individual, on the other hand, appeared to be completely content on his exposed perch above the wetland. In North America, the limpkin can only be found in Florida, where it spends much of its time hunting for its preferred prey, apple snails. Palm Beach County, Florida

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis At rest along the bank of a canal. The Everglades, Florida

Common Snapping Turtle

Chelydra serpentina They may move slowly, but they are capable of lightening fast strikes with long articulating necks, allowing them to capture prey in a flash. Also, watch those fingers! The Everglades, Florida

Dragonfly

The Everglades, Florida

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus Although this is one of the most common water birds in Florida, this individual was a special treat to photograph due to the insane breeding colors (orange throat and turquoise eyes) present on this bird. Palm Beach County, California

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor Palm Beach County, Florida

Cuban Treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis This large treefrog is remarkably common in South Florida. Unfortunately, it's an invasive species (originally from Cuba) with a voracious appetite. Many of Florida's native frogs, like the green treefrog and squirrel treefrog, are on the menu for their larger non-native cousin. Miami, Florida

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus The Everglades, Florida

Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris Palm Beach County, Florida

Florida Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti This large and formidable pit viper packs a venomous bite and a nasty disposition to boot. Here, this snake is nicely demonstrating why it is referred to as a "Cottonmouth." This snake flashes it's bright white mouth lining as a warning, much the same way that a rattlesnake uses it's rattle. Both warnings say "don't tread on me." The Everglades, Florida

Purple Gallinule

Porphyrio martinica One of the most beautiful birds in the swamp, the Purple Gallinule uses it's comically large feet to walk nimbly across lily pads and other surface vegetation without sinking into the the water. Palm Beach County, Florida

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis A delicate orange damselfly sits precariously on the right nostril of this large alligator. The Everglades, Florida

Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth

Cosmosoma myrodora This interesting little moth exhibits a classic case of mimicry. In fact, the body shape, color, and wing structure resemble a much more formidible flying insect. Disguised as a wasp, this diurnal moth is free to drink nectar from these flowers without having to worry about predators. The Everglades, Florida

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor Palm Beach County, Florida

Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus This neonate rattler is the smallest example of the largest pit viper in America. Although the limestone topography of South Florida doesn't allow for the formation of Gopher Tortoise burrows that are so important to these rattlesnakes in the rest of the state, there still seems to be a stronghold of rattlers that has survived well in the flooded swamps South Florida. The Everglades, Florida

Anhinga

Palm Beach County, FL