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Strangely found in a crack in the sidewalk just out front my office. Nice to find a herp when you're not looking for them; bonus find!! Walton County, GA. ©williamwisephoto.com

©williamwisephoto.com Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia. March 29, 2024.

• Sunny, with a high near 75
• Sunrise 7:18 AM; Sunset 7:46 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours, 28 minutes (+2m 4s)
• Moon 82% Waxing Gibbous
• eBird checklist: S167504447

Walton County, Georgia. Monday, March 18, 2024. ©williamwisephoto.com

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.
• Sunrise 7:40 am; Sunset 7:45 pm
• Daylight Hours: 12 hours, 5 minutes (+2m 6s)
• Moon: 65.6% Waxing Gibbous

Walton County, Georgia. Monday, March 18, 2024. ©williamwisephoto.com

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.
• Sunrise 7:40 am; Sunset 7:45 pm
• Daylight Hours: 12 hours, 5 minutes (+2m 6s)
• Moon: 65.6% Waxing Gibbous

©williamwisephoto.com Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023.

• Location: Suwannee Middle Fork (red canoe trail) near Minnie's Lake N30.85929° W82.32441°
• Cloudy with high 83, low 52.
• Sunrise 7:00 AM; Sunset 7:58 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours 57 minute (+1m 48s)

See and learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on my blog at www.okefenokee.photography

©williamwisephoto.com Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023.

• Location: Minnie's Lake; N30.86442° W82.31940°
• Cloudy with high 83, low 52.
• Sunrise 7:00 AM; Sunset 7:58 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours 57 minute (+1m 48s)

See and learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on my blog at www.okefenokee.photography

©williamwisephoto.com Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023.

• Location: north of Minnie's Lake between canoe mile markers 24 and 25; N30.88296° W82.29563°
• Cloudy with high 83, low 52.
• Sunrise 7:00 AM; Sunset 7:58 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours 57 minute (+1m 48s)

See and learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on my blog at www.okefenokee.photography

©williamwisephoto.com Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023.

• Location: north of Minnie's Lake between canoe mile markers 23 and 24; N30.90193° W82.28598°
• Cloudy with high 83, low 52.
• Sunrise 7:00 AM; Sunset 7:58 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours 57 minute (+1m 48s)

See and learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on my blog at www.okefenokee.photography

Flagstaff, AZ – Rt 66 and Rain Valley RD

Sunny
TEMP: 23°C/77°F
ELEVATION: 2042 m / 6700 ft

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis - the western harvester ant

Recognizable by the long, slender propodeal spines, ‘beaded’ appearance of cephalic inter-rugal spaces, the offset (up-turned) basal mandibular tooth (see images 3 and 4), and the distinctive nest mound.

Grassy meadow - many nests in area – some were enormous with large peripheral clearings – visible to the east in the Google satellite imagery. This was the only one we had time to observe / image.

Gravel nest mound approx. 0.6m/2ft in diameter at the base, with single entrance at the eastern, bottom edge of mound (image 8). Virtually no peripheral clearing. The workers of this colony were on the small side for this species. Much activity – many workers out foraging miscellaneous plant parts and scavenging insect carcasses. It was already quite warm, so the workers were easily agitated. I was stung twice on the left arm while photographing activity near the nest entrance. Only very slight red marks were visible, but pain lasted for about 5 hrs.

At one point, a foraging Dorymyrmex sp. worker briefly approached the pogo nest entrance (image 2) and was challenged by a P. occidentalis worker for a few seconds. The intruder then left and continued foraging.

DLQ LOC: A20199

Note the long length and stout build; yellowish-cream color; four prefrontal scales; dark bar across head (forward of eyes); darker dorsal blotches near the tail. I removed this one from the road where it was basking.

OBSERVATION IS FOR THE SNAKE

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 15, 2023.

• Location: Suwannee River (brown canoe trail) N30.80520° W82.40575°
• Mostly sunny, with a high 85.
• Sunrise 7:01 AM; Sunset 7:57 PM
• Daylight hours: 12 hours 56 minute (+1m 48s)

See and learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on my blog at www.okefenokee.photography