Baby Turtle

I found this strange looking creature in the Medina River in Bandera, Texas. It is an Eastern spiny softshell turtle Apalone spinefera. It is too small to sex yet. It has some really cool features, like an extremely long neck, and a snorkle-like nose to poke out of the water to breathe. They are super fast swimmers, and will bite with their bird-like beak. Lucky for me, this ones mouth was too small.

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The cattle tanks are set up. The fish and tadpoles have been added, and we will see how the results turn out!

I've never been a big snake fan. But Dr. Distel and the rest of the class talked me into holding this one (He is a Rat Snake). It's the biggest one that I've ever handled, and he was definitely a lot stronger than I expected. It was an experience, but I think I'll leave the snake handling to the experts.

Green Anole

Saw this Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) outside of my boyfriend's apartment. I've seen two or three other ones since then. I wasn't tall enough to catch him, but he did pose for this picture though. (But I did try!!)

American Alligator

Whoo found this guy in a bayuo off of Corpus Christi! (Aligator mississippiensis)

Checkered Garter Snake

This is perhaps one of the coolest finds of mine. I found her in a creek bed in Pipe Creek, Tx under the same wooden board I found the Texas earless lizard. She is a checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus.

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus is my favorite herp and is one of the only snakes that I have a fondness for. They have dark, V-shaped bands running dorsally along their body. Their base color may be yellow, brown, tan, gray, or black (melanistic). They are found in the South ranging from the east coast to the mid-west, and may be found North as far as New York in the East and Wisconsin in the West (see range map)
The venom of the rattlesnakes is generally hemotoxic and causes necrosis (cell death) and interferes with blood clotting, which causes excessive bleeding.
They are found in deciduous forests and other rugged terrain. Females are known to bask in the sun when gravid, whereas males prefer cool, damp places to hide.
They feed primarily on small mammals, birds, frogs, and other snakes. IUCN lists them as "least concern" due to their abundance and wide range, but they are considered endangered in Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Indiana in addition to being threatened in several other states.

Finding one of these could make or break my day depending on how the encounter goes, but the overall experience would be unforgettable. I have included some pictures of some cool looking individuals for your entertainment. 

Rattlesnake

Found this guy on the road (Crotalus viridis)

Red-stripped ribbon snake

I found a few of these last Wednesday while in Herpetology Lab. Its common name is the red-stripped ribbon snake and its scientific name is Thamnophis proximus.
Kingdom: Animalia 
Phylum: Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family : Colubridae
Genus : Thamnophis
Species: T. proximus

Texas Spotted Whiptail

This is a Texas Spotted Whiptail I found under some sheet metal on my property in Bandera, Texas. We both got injured in the chase, I got cut up by the metal and he lost his tail. You can tell this Cnemidophorus gularis is a male because of the bright blue coloration on his belly.