Julie with a B

Sunday, April 17, 2005
 
The salamander
Yesterday I was out gardening. I turned over a small wooden planter. The bottom had rotted out of it. There was a salamander. I brought him in and took quite a few pictures with the webcam. Hard to get a good picture without enough light, but they really hate the light. I don't know what kind it is, but I find them in my yard all the time. I live about 200 feet from a year round creek, but there are 2 houses and fenced backyards between me and the creek.

Despite a dog and four cats my yard has some really lovely wildlife.

Ring snakes, small smooth mostly olive green/brown with an orange ring around their necks. If you disturb them they coil up like a spring. They are easy to catch and aren't prone to biting.

Racers, slender snakes with yellow and olive green lengthwise stripes, rather delicate looking head with a large eye, makes them look wise somehow. Not so easy to catch, but they will run for the darkness of a small paper bag ;-) They can be handled gently, they will bite if you mess with them too much.

Then the usual suspects, garter snakes and alligator lizards. There's another lizard with a blue throat, can't remember the name of it... The alligator lizards bite but not bad enough to keep a small boy's hands off of it.

- posted by JulieB @ 2:30 AM
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