This is the time of year when turtles start trekking across the countryside in search of the perfect spot in which to start a family. In other words, they dig a nest and lay eggs. I’ve covered this phenomenon before here on the Gazette, but it seems that Nature throws a curve ball just when… Continue reading Clash of the Armored Titans
Category: Wildlife – Turtles & Lizards
And the heat goes on…but not the lizards, perhaps
Hey, y’all…is it hot where you live? This is the time of year where we resurrect General Sheridan’s quote about preferring to live in Hell and rent out Texas, which makes a lot of sense until you wonder just who, exactly, would be willing to rent Texas during August? Alert Gazette readers will recall that… Continue reading And the heat goes on…but not the lizards, perhaps
Texas Spiny Lizard Nesting Behavior
One late afternoon last week, Debbie was looking out a dining room window and spotted a strange sight in the courtyard. She called me over to have a look, and for the next couple of hours, we watched a fascinating process unfold. Alert Gazette readers will recall the previous post in which I described, by… Continue reading Texas Spiny Lizard Nesting Behavior
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 4): Circle of Life Edition
I don’t know whether it’s because we’ve been stuck at home more this year, but I’ve noticed more evidence than ever before that spring in our neighborhood is a matter of life and death…and I’m not talking about COVID-19 at all. If the Circle of Life was unrolled and laid flat in a trend line,… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 4): Circle of Life Edition
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 2)
This is the second in a possibly endless series of posts about the fascinating details of nature in our figurative Texas Hill Country back yard. Part 1 is here. I hope your weather has been as nice as ours over the past few days. Cool mornings and warm afternoons mean that we get to spend… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 2)
Just Anole Fashioned Death Match
I was on our deck before breakfast yesterday and noticed an anole on the railing. This is not an unusual occurrence; we’re practically overrun with them. But there was something different about this one. I got closer and immediately recognized what was going on: the lizard was in the process of molting, and had pieces… Continue reading Just Anole Fashioned Death Match
More Turtle Eggs…And An Unfortunate Twist
A couple of weeks ago I spotted something in the adjacent vacant lot that looked out of place. It was a turtle — a Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) to be precise — in the process of creating a “nest” in which to deposit eggs. Being the insensitive-and-nosy jerk I am, I immediately set up a… Continue reading More Turtle Eggs…And An Unfortunate Twist
Of Turtles and Eggs
MLB and I were walking to the mailbox this morning when we spotted a big turtle in the shade of a tree about 25 feet from the street (and about that same distance from the creek that I presume is its home). It wasn’t moving, which was odd, so we walked over to investigate. It… Continue reading Of Turtles and Eggs
Baby Horny Toad
As I’ve noted before, horny toads seem to be making a comeback, at least in our neck of the woods. Here’s further evidence – a baby lizard, one of the smallest I’ve ever seen. I didn’t actually see this one, though, as Debbie came across it while walking this evening with a friend. That’s Debbie’s… Continue reading Baby Horny Toad
Nature Walk
Debbie and I went for a walk around the ponds this morning after breakfast, and as usual, encountered some interesting animals. The geese are still hanging around. They were inexplicably strolling through the vacant lot across from our house (I saw one of them nip at some of the weed seed heads), and when they… Continue reading Nature Walk