The Nature Photography Thread

[Stefan-A]

Stefan, you have a great collection of pics!!!

Thanks.

Better post a few more then.




Esox lucius.



Araneus diadematus.



A little picture from a little school project in October 2006. Three samples of Pomatoschistus sp. (P. minutus and P. microps mixed) and Gasterosteus aculeatus.

[GarterGuy]

Here's a pic of a Redear Slider (Chrysemys scripta elegans) that I found this past Tues. when it was nice and warm out in Pa. She must have been an abandoned pet, because they guys are not native to this area. Seems to be doing ok though, considering two weeks ago, the lake was completely frozen over.

[adamanteus]

We get Red Eared Terrapins (Sliders) in the waterways over here. They're specimens that people have dumped, unwanted pets etc. The problem is they survive pretty well and can become a problem. They just don't belong here.

[Stefan-A]

We have them here as well, although they aren't a problem. Apparently they survive the winter in places where plants let out warm water. They don't reproduce, but some of them apparently survive.

[adamanteus]

No, I don't think they breed here either, but they certainly survive.

[Stefan-A]

I'd really like to know their mortality rate here. They don't have any natural predators, so the only thing killing them would be the temperature.

[adamanteus]

I think that's the problem. The temperature isn't killing them! Just lucky they don't breed. It was the damn Ninja Turtles that kicked it off...Loads of kids wanted one, then the novelty wore off....so throw it in the local canal!

[Stefan-A]

I blame the parents and the pet stores. I haven't seen any store sell juvenile sliders for maybe 10 years now, they went out of fashion really quick, especially when people started to become aware of their adult size and requirements. Never liked those damn Ninja Turtles either. He-Man was in when I was a kid. But I did own a slider for a few years in the early 90's before I sold it to a better home.

They found a dumped pair of Everglades ratsnakes a few years ago, about this time of year. I really wish I had found them first.

I fear that people will very soon start dumping corn snakes the same way they did with sliders, only in greater numbers. Their rapidly growing popularity among kids certainly suggests that it will happen.

[adamanteus]

It's bound to happen. I received a dumped Taiwan Beauty Snake once! Big beast too!

[Thamnophis]

That is a pretty species, James.
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