documentarytiptiptip

In this video Papa-pepper tries his best to help others understand the easiest to accurately tell the difference between a Northern Water Snake and a Plain-Bellied Water Snake. Though both are nonvenomous, sometimes it is important to be able to tell the difference between species, and Papa-Pepper is here to help!

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The Plain-Bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster) AKA the Plainbelly Water Snake is another one of those common, nonvenomous water snakes that often gets a bad rap. Yes, these guys will bite you, but you usually have to grab them first.

They are another water snake species that bears live young and does not lay eggs. Since they prefer permanent bodies of water, you will rarely find them far from lakes, ponds, streams, or rivers. The rest of the info is in the video, enjoy!

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Snakes so fast that they are even called racers? Not only are these snakes fast, they are beautiful too! Back in Wisconsin, we had some of these, but they were a protected species, and I never found any. Down here in Arkansas, though, they are all over the place.

Racers are members of the colubrid family, and there are many different species of them. They are a slender, nonvenomous snake that will bite to defend itself. (Just check out the video to see how quickly they can strike.) They are an egg-laying snake that will eat rodents, lizards, birds, eggs, and even other snakes.

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These beautiful box turtles unfortunately have such a decreased population in many areas that they have even been declared a protected species. Here in the Ozarks, though, their population is stable and they are everywhere.

I am amazed at the number of species of animals that were also native to Wisconsin, but had such reduced numbers that they were considered endangered, threatened, or protected there, that can be found in abundance in the Ozarks. I'd rather be able to pick up and look at an animal freely, without having it be illegal, so I certainly appreciate it.

As the photo above can testify to, these turtles can move rather quickly when they want to. (Just look at how its legs are a blur!) The Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) is one of the common species of box turtles here. The Three Toed Box Turtle can also be found in abundance here. Unfortunately, though raccoons, possums, and coyotes pose natural threats to these beautiful creatures, I think that vehicles running them over on the road may be their primary cause of death.

The full post can be found at https://steemit.com/wild-man/@papa-pe...

#boxturtle #wildman

With over 2500 species worldwide living on every continent except Antarctica, the Cicada is a common insect that many are familiar with. Papa-pepper has been enjoying them all his life.

These bugs are some longtime friends of mine..
With thousands of individual species living on every continent except Antarctica, the group of insects classified as Cicadas are incredible. I have seen a lot of posts featuring them since joining steemit and I was even blessed enough to be able to photograph on emerging from the larvae stage last year.

Some types of Cicada are classified as periodical Cicadas, which can take up to 17 years to emerge from the soil and finally transform into a flying creature.

As an adult, their size and bulk, not to mention their strong, yet transparent wings, sets them apart from other flying insects. In the summer, you can often hear them buzzing away high in the treetops. Enjoy the video of one of my favorite bugs!

For the full post, head over to https://steemit.com/wild-man/@papa-pe...

Although "Yes, they can be fatal" I still love these little guys. They are some very interesting arachnids and this species happens to be the most commonly encountered variety in the US. Did you know that scorpions are arachnids, like spiders are, and they are not insects?

For the most part, their stings are just painful, but in rare cases, they can be lethal. Also, please do not do some of the things that I do in this video. There really is no reason to.

The Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) is the most commonly encountered scorpion in the United States. In fact, it is the only species that @papa-pepper has ever encountered in the wild. It can be found throughout the southern United States and Northern Mexico.

#wildman #papapepper #scorpion

Check out the full post on steemit at https://steemit.com/wild-man/@papa-pe...

Finally, an insect worthy of being called my friend!

Yes, the Dobsonfly is one crazy insect and a longtime friend of mine! Even as a child I loved capturing them in their larval stage, down in the creek behind my parents house, when they are commonly called "hellgrammites." In fact, the majority of the Dobsonfly's life is spent in the water as a hellgrammite. As an adult, they only live about a week.

With a wingspan that can rival a sparrow or bat, the Dobsonfly is one impressive insect. Since they are mostly nocturnal, I've even mistaken them for bats at night before. This one happens to be a male, which can be determined from the size of its mandibles ("pinchers").

To check out my full post on this animal, follow the link: https://steemit.com/wild-man/@papa-pe...

The Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)- This is American Brown Snake, not the Australian one.

Though it has the same common name as the extremely venomous snake from Australia, this one happens to be different. The Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) AKA De Kay's Snake is a small snake native to North America. It took me about 18 years to see my first one in the wild and another decade to find more up in Wisconsin.

Lately, down in Arkansas, I have been encountering them more regularly. They remind me of another small nonvenomous snake called the Red-Bellied Snake, but these lack the red belly. For the most part, they eat worms and slugs, and although they have been known to grow to almost 20 inches long, most of the ones I encounter are 10 inches of less.

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I've always enjoyed Map Turtles and now I am finally getting some experience with them!

Map Turtles are an interesting group of turtles. Their name comes from the patterns on their shells that resemble topographical or contour maps. Back in Wisconsin, we had three species, but since they are mostly found in bigger rivers, I never encountered them in my area.

Accurate identification of these can be tricky, but I believe that the ones I have here are Mississippi Map Turtles. Enjoy the video.

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These are some amazing little box turtles, and they can have some very interesting potential color patterns on their faces and legs.

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Seen by few and hated by most! The Mole is an underground original. Yes, they have messed up some of my yards and gardens over the years too, but they are some strange and cool looking individuals.

In this video, I mention a few of the lesser-known characteristics of the mole, like their ability to breathe in low-oxygen environments and their toxic saliva.

These guys are some solid little creatures, almost like a miniature soda can. Whether you actually like these creatures or not, you should at least be able to enjoy the video. Also, it is probably not a good idea to pick them up, even though I have...

Check out the full post at : https://steemit.com/wild-man/@papa-pe...

This is one of my favorite lizards. Actually, the Five Lined Skink was the first species of lizard that Papa-pepper encountered back in his native Wisconsin. Thankfully, there's a kind of them down here in Arkansas too. Enjoy the video!

Check out the full post at steemit.com/@papa-pepper