FieldHerpForum

Here's an assortment of pix I took over the last ten days. All of them taken within two miles of my house. (I think I never had a cheaper hobby in my life - I don't even spend money on gas!!)


Herps:


Greater Green Snake, Cyclophiops major. These guys hatch in April and then commence flooding the fields and forests with their verdant presence. I found a few hatchlings snoring in some trailside weeds...




Japalura sp. I did get close enough to touch him, but when I tried to check his throat (the only way to find out which of the two local species it is), he elected to skedaddle.






Bog Frog (sorry, British joke ), Rana adenopleura. I love dilapidated houses; you never know what you'll find there. This fellow let me photograph him from the door, but when I stepped into his realm, he took off into the toilet tank. Really clever....






Kuhl's Fanged Frog, Rana kuhlii. Indeed a very "kuhl" anuran - the males sport two fang-like bone protuberances in the lower jaw, which, sadly, are not meant for saber-toothing bluebottles, but serve as weapons in courtship fights. This one's a girl; the boys have much stronger, Leno-like chins.






Miantian Tree Frog, Chirixalus idiootocus. Endemic to our zip code - Mount Miantian is a 3000-foot hill on whose northern slope our house sits.






White-lipped Tree Frog, Polypedates megacephalus. This shot was taken along the inner wall of a tiny well behind a small temple. At any given time of the year, this well houses at least three species of frog.





Inverts:


Ant nest in the crown of a cherry tree. This is what the Japanese do NOT show you on their cherry blossom calendars!




The stick insects are out in force; last night we found at least twelve individuals from a total of four species, and I managed to screw up every single shot I took of them. These pix are on loan from my herping buddy Reggie

NoID phasmid



Cigar Stick Insect, Datames mouhotii




Dung beetle (Gymnopleurus sinuatus) with a fresh load.



Mecopada elongata




A few arachnids:

Ground spider, Ctenus yaeyamensis




The Chinese call opilionids "blind spiders", since the head is "missing". These things get fairly large, and it's fascinating to watch them feel around their environment with their super-long legs.

NoID Harvestman (A) . What's that red blob? Do arachnids have parasites?



NoID Harvestman (B)

Yeah, there are entire groups of mites and some ticks that feed on fellow arachnids.

Later, KW

@cigar bug: You're my favourite. Do I dry you or smoke you fresh?

@dung beetle: See, that right there is why I don't eat corn. You just rent it for a while.

Great photos as always Twoton. The increase in international posts in the last year or two has definitely brought this forum to a new level.

And on the subject of parasites, nearly every plant and animal that has been examined has been found to have parasites of some sort. Its a fact of life for nearly every living thing.

Thanks for the nice words, guys, and for the help on my parasite question!