Caution: Snake photos below! The alarm went off around 5:00 a.m. last Friday. It’s not an actual alarm; it’s just in my head. Go ahead and laugh; you’ll be old someday, too. I managed to stay in bed for another fifteen minutes, knowing that the coffee would be ready in the kitchen by then. We… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 9)
Category: Wildlife – Turtles & Lizards
Random Thursday: The Drought Edition
Well, hello there…don’t you look mahvelous! It’s an indisputable fact that Gazette readers are above average in both intelligence and pulchritude. But, please…try to be humble about it when in the midst of your less well-endowed acquaintances. Today is National Devil’s Food Cake Day, which would normally be a cause for celebration, except that it’s… Continue reading Random Thursday: The Drought Edition
Random Thursday: Word Guacamole
¡Hola, amigos¡ ¿Qué pasa? Hoy es el día nacional de guacamole, y es la hora a celebrar. (It’s also Mexico’s Independence Day. Coincidence? I think not.) We’ve got a lot of territory to cover, so let’s lean into it (as “they” say in H.R.). I’m sure most of you are itching to know what’s going… Continue reading Random Thursday: Word Guacamole
Clash of the Armored Titans
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
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