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  • This very common aquatic plant is in the American Southeastern Atlantic and Gulf states with a range extrending from Mayland to Texas and including Oklahoma. Also known as the duck-potato for the tuber-like roots, it is an important food source for ducks and other waterfowl.
    Lanceleaf Arrowhead
  • These very pretty little aquatic wildflowers are native to the American Southeast, and can be found in all the coastal states from Texas to Maryland in calm, still water such as ponds swamps and lakes, and are most abundant in Florida. These are perhaps best known to aquarium hobbyists as "banana plants" due to the thick underwater rhizomes that look lie a small cluster of bananas. These were found is a small pond in a pine scrub woodland just north of Jupiter, Florida.
    Big Floatinghearts
  • One of the most common wetland treefrogs of the American Southeast, these brilliantly green predators are found (and most often heard) among the aquatic plants such as cat-tails and arrowheads on the edges of swamps, lakes, creeks and ponds.
    Green Treefrog
  • A very common aquatic wildflower found all across Western North America,  the yellow pond-lily is a type of spatterdock often confused with water lilies. This one was photographed in the sub-alpine elevations of Oregon's Mount Hood. An interesting side note is that the seeds are edible, and will pop just like popcorn!
    Yellow Pond-lily
  • The aquatic leafy bladderwort growing in the wetlands of the Big Cypress National Preserve in Monroe County. This was photographed in the beginning of the dry season, and receding water levels left this plant high and dry.
    Leafy Bladderwort (Utricularia foliosa)
  • These very pretty little aquatic wildflowers are native to the American Southeast, and can be found in all the coastal states from Texas to Maryland in calm, still water such as ponds swamps and lakes, and are most abundant in Florida. These are perhaps best known to aquarium hobbyists as "banana plants" due to the thick underwater rhizomes that look lie a small cluster of bananas. These were found is a small pond in a pine scrub woodland just north of Jupiter, Florida.
    Big Floatinghearts
  • The aquatic leafy bladderwort growing in the flooded prairies of the Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.
    Leafy Bladderwort (Utricularia foliosa)
  • The terrestrial or semi-aquatic horned bladderwort growing in Monroe County in the Big Cypress National Preserve. This  small carnivorous plant can catch small animals with tiny contracting bladders that suddenly open upon contact and suck in the prey by an inrush of water or air, and trapping it within with a flap-like membrane. These bladders are located among the root-like leaves.
    Horned Bladderwort (Utricularia cornuta)
  • This big male American bullfrog was found trying to woo a couple of nearby females to his territory with his incredibly loud croaking in a small pond connected to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. Native the to American Southeast, this large aggressive true frog is out-competing other frog species outside of it's native habitat and not only spreading to the West Coast, but globally as well!
    Bullfrog2020-3
  • This big male American bullfrog was found trying to woo a couple of nearby females to his territory with his incredibly loud croaking in a small pond connected to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. Native the to American Southeast, this large aggressive true frog is out-competing other frog species outside of it's native habitat and not only spreading to the West Coast, but globally as well!
    Bullfrog2020-1
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A free-floating leafy bladderwort in flower as it floats in the swampy water of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Florida Panhandle. This interesting carnivorous plant has tiny sensitive traps in its root-like strictures that capture tiny invertebrates as they seek shelter that it will ingest as a food source.
    Leafy Bladderwort
  • Close-up of a squirrel treefrog as it clings to the thinnest of branches of a bald cypress tree in the Southwest Florida.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • This large beautiful canna was found unexpectedly growing in the Corkscrew Swamp. It is native to Florida and often found in the Everglades.
    Golden Canna
  • Waterlily photographed in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. There were literally hundreds of them.
    Fragrant Waterlily
  • This big male American bullfrog was found trying to woo a couple of nearby females to his territory with his incredibly loud croaking in a small pond connected to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. Native the to American Southeast, this large aggressive true frog is out-competing other frog species outside of it's native habitat and not only spreading to the West Coast, but globally as well!
    Bullfrog2020-5
  • This big male American bullfrog was found trying to woo a couple of nearby females to his territory with his incredibly loud croaking in a small pond connected to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. Native the to American Southeast, this large aggressive true frog is out-competing other frog species outside of it's native habitat and not only spreading to the West Coast, but globally as well!
    Bullfrog2020-4
  • This big male American bullfrog was found trying to woo a couple of nearby females to his territory with his incredibly loud croaking in a small pond connected to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. Native the to American Southeast, this large aggressive true frog is out-competing other frog species outside of it's native habitat and not only spreading to the West Coast, but globally as well!
    Bullfrog2020-2
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-1.jpg
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-2.jpg
  • The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) is an attractive medium-sized dark-colored salamander with a yellow, gold or green stripe down its back, that is covered with tiny white speckles along the sides of its body and face. It gets its name for its long fourth toe on its hind feet. Native to the Pacific Northwest , it can be found in all of Washington, and parts of Oregon, Northern California, Northern Idaho, Western Montana, Most of British Columbia and the southwestern edge of Alberta. This one was found hiding under a log in Maple Valley, Washington on a warm early spring afternoon.
    Long-toed Salamander
  • An adult Cuban treefrog actively hunting late at night for prey among the foliage in Fort Myers, Florida. These aggressive and voracious natives to Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas are wreaking havoc among Florida's native species of treefrogs, and are outcompeting them in terms of resources and habitat.
    Cuban Treefrog
  • An adult Cuban treefrog actively hunting late at night for prey among the foliage in Fort Myers, Florida. These aggressive and voracious natives to Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas are wreaking havoc among Florida's native species of treefrogs, and are outcompeting them in terms of resources and habitat.
    Cuban Treefrog
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found on the sand above the surf line at low tide near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found high and dry at low tide near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found high and dry at low tide near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found just under the water's surface in a tide pool near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found just under the water's surface in a tide pool near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A possibly abandoned yearling California sea lion on a beach in Los Angeles, California shows that it is far too thin. This has been a common sight in recent years with far too many pups and yearlings not getting enough food to eat. Warmer waters in recent years means that the mother has to venture out further to sea to get enough food to nourish her young.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tide pool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! This one was seen under a few inches of water in a tide pool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Star
  • A fantastically camouflaged western toad comes out from under cover on a rainy summer day on Washington's Rattlesnake Mountain.
    Western Toad
  • The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Florida Panhandle is a sanctuary for a very delicate ecosystem comprised of freshwater ponds and rivers, salt marsh and a large portion of the Gulf of Mexico coast. Just above the brackish water region, thousands of these fragrant waterlilies can be found in full bloom, all at the same time!
    Fragrant Waterlily
  • Despite it not actually being a crab, the completely harmless Atlantic horseshoe crab is an ancient marine arthropod more closely related to spiders and scorpions. Extremely common in Florida, this big female was in the shallows on the northern Gulf of Mexico on Bald Point, just outside of Ochlockonee Bay.
    Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
  • Unusual as it sounds, this Pacific treefrog was found under a rock in a sagebrush desert in Central Washington as I was looking for snakes and scorpions. While normally associated with damp forests, this highly adaptable amphibian can be found from sea level to alpine mountain habitats, and is very common in the Pacific Northwest. Considered a keystone species, their abundance in the wild is important to many other species that rely on the Pacific treefrog as a food source.
    Pacific Treefrog
  • Close-up of a red-spotted toad, one of the few amphibians found in the deserts and plains of the American Southwest. Because water is scarce in these areas, they can be often heard after a heavy rain as a piercing high-pitched trill that means the males are calling for females, as breeding opportunities are few and far between. Eggs are laid singly and fertilized, and will hatch within hours. Six to eight weeks later, the tadpoles (if they survive and the water lasts long enough) will reach adulthood.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • At home in the heat of the American Southwest, this red-spotted toad slumbers throughout the driest parts of the year, and emerges with the rains that come in spring and summer. This one was photographed in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • This southern cricket frog (probably the subspecies called Florida cricket frog) is nearly perfectly camouflaged in the thick, humid undergrowth of South Florida's inland wetlands near Immokalee, Florida where there are plenty of insects and plenty of cover from the numerous snakes, birds and alligators that share its habitat.
    Southern Cricket Frog
  • California sea lions and Steller's sea lions share space and safety as a storm rolls in on Oregon's Simpson Reef in Coos County. These huge marine mammals will regularly group together in bad weather and take shelter on the numerous rocks found just off the beach all along the West Coast of North America. The lighter brown sea lions are the Steller's sea lions which are on the endangered species list, while the dark brown sea lions are the common California sea lions.
    Sea Lion Colony
  • Very similar to its cousin, the green treefrog, the squirrel treefrog is a very common inhabitant of wetlands across the Southeastern United States.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • Native and endemic to the Southeastern United States, this squirrel treefrog clings to cypress twigs on a cool autumn day in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • A large squirrel treefrog rests during the day on the trunk of a bald cypress tree in Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • Very common across all of Florida, as well as in lower elevations along the Georgia, Virginia and Carolina coasts, the Florida cooter is a medium to large freshwater turtle. Known for its large social groups these turtles are often seen basking together on logs in large numbers in the sun - often alongside alligators.
    Florida Cooter
  • One of the most common fiddler crab species in North America, the Atlantic sand fiddler is a very colorful and common species found from Massachusetts, south around all of Florida and west into Texas. These mangrove and estuary-loving crustaceans have also been found in the Bahamas and parts of Western Africa. This male sports the typical enlarged claw that is used for fighting and establishing territory.
    Male Sand Fiddler Crab
  • A female American bullfrog cools off in a pool of water on the edge of the Middle Saluda River just outside of Cleveland, South Carolina on a hot spring day.
    American Bullfrog
  • A dense mass of scouring rushes (also known as horsetails) grow along the shore of Trillium Lake on Mount Hood's Southern face in Oregon. Native tribes have historically used a tea from this plant to treat venereal disease and for use as a diuretic.
    Scouring Rush
  • One of the more interesting plants found growing in the Pacific Northwest is the yellow skunk cabbage - also know as the western skunk cabbage or swamp lantern. These stinky water-loving plant blooms in the late spring and early summer in wet bogs or swamps and actually produces enough heat to melt snow away from it. Bears are known to eat the roots after their winter slumber to induce a laxative-like effect. While it is potentially toxic to humans, the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest used the large leaves (largest in the PNW) for lining the insides of baskets and for wrapping salmon before cooking them.
    Yellow Skunk Cabbage
  • The Cascades frog is a high altitude-loving frog found in both theCascade and Olympic mountains of the Pacific Northwest. This one was seen in August in Washington's Stevens Pass near the edge of a beautiful and remote subalpine mountain lake.
    Cascades Frog
  • Three of the ten "first year" whooping cranes flying to their wintering grounds in St. Marks - part of the extensive efforts of Operation Migration.
    Whooping Cranes in Flight!
  • A close-up of a wild manatee photographed in Citrus County, Florida.
    West Indian Manatee
  • A very common find in some of the seepage bogs of the Apalachicola National Forest, the leaves of these beautifully colored butterworts are covered in tiny sticky hairs that trap and digest unsuspecting insects.
    Chapman's Butterwort (Pinguicula pla..lia)
  • A tight cluster of panhandle butterworts growing among some small pond cypress trees in Liberty County, Florida.
    Panhandle Butterwort (Pinguicula ion..tha)
  • The yellow butterwort - the only one with a pure yellow flower, blooming on a cool spring morning in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Yellow Butterwort (Pinguicula lutea)
  • The beautiful and unusual purple bladderwort grows among the flooded swamps in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Purple Bladderwort (Utricularia purp..rea)
  • A chapman's butterwort growing in Liberty County, Florida alongside another unidentified butterwort - perhaps the green form of the same species. In this photo, you can see the fine short hairs on the greasy leaves that attract and trap flying insects.
    Chapman's Butterwort (Pinguicula pla..lia)
  • The submerged leaves of the purple bladderwort have small, basket-like bladders with sensitive hairs around a closed trap door. When small swimming animals make contact with one of these hairs, the bladder sharply expands, sucking the prey inside where it will be digested slowly.
    Purple Bladderwort (Utricularia purp..rea)
  • The delicate and beautiful small butterwort is often found growing out of flooded prairies and cypress domes of the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Small Butterwort (Pinguicula pumila)
  • A single lotus flower on a hot summer morning.  Most interesting about these flowers are the leaves, which will not get wet, but instead repel waterdrops in such a way that they just form "beads" on top of the pad-like structure. Lots of fun to play with when the fish aren't biting!
    American Lotus
  • American lotus seedpod growing in a lake in Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida. These are often found in dried floral arrangements.
    American Lotus Seedpod
  • One of america's most endangered birds..... this image is featured in the National Audubon Society's 2011 Calendar.
    Whooping Crane
  • A common moorhen walking on floating reeds at Wakulla Springs, in North Florida.
    Common Moorhen
  • A limpkin photographed on the western shore of Lake Okeechobee in Glades County in central Florida.
    Limpkin
  • The incredibly difficult to photograph and super-shy clapper rail hiding among the grasses on Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral.
    Clapper Rail
  • A wildly colorful and extremely noisy purple gallinule walks among the reeds on the edge of the Myakka River in Sarasota County, Florida.
    Purple Gallinule
  • A water lily with lilypads on a hot summer day on Lake Jackson in Leon County, Florida.
    Water Lily
  • American lotus growing in a lake in North Florida. In mid-summer, these very large flowers can be found in the hundreds on Lake Jackson in  Tallahassee, Florida.
    American Lotus with Bee
  • A wild American lotus blooming on a Tallahassee, Fl lake.
    American Lotus
  • Water Lily with Fire Ant
    Water Lily
  • American lotus opening at first sunlight.
    Enchanting Lotus
  • Dramatic photograph of a lotus with approaching storm.
    Stormy Lotus
  • Glowing sunlight in the salt marshes and a great white egret is already on the hunt in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Gulf Coast.
    Great Egret in the Morning Dew
  • Close-up of water-spider flowers growing in a ditch in Liberty County, Florida. This orchid is most often found among reeds and wetland grasses, and is very easily missed.
    Water-Spider Orchid (Habernaria repens)
  • A bit of risk was needed to get this photo in the Corkscrew Swamp. I had to board a floating log in an occupied alligator pond to get this shot!
    Water-Spider Orchid (Habernaria repens)
  • Water-spider orchid in full flower on the side of the highway in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Water-Spider Orchid (Habernaria repens)
  • A squirrel treefrog (individuals can change their color from green to brown based on their environment) found among the cypress knees in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida. These frogs are most active at night.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • A well-fed green treefrog perfectly camouflaged among the cattails in a wetland in Sarasota County, Florida.
    Green Treefrog
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • Smallest of all the world's loon species, this red-throated loon in non-breeding plumage found here close to the Del Rey Lagoon in Los Angeles, California winters regularly in California and south, but will spend most of its life in the arctic where it breeds.
    Red-throated Loon
  • Smallest of all the world's loon species, this red-throated loon in non-breeding plumage found here close to the Del Rey Lagoon in Los Angeles, California winters regularly in California and south, but will spend most of its life in the arctic where it breeds.
    Red-throated Loon
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tidepool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! These were spotted in a tidepool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Stars
  • A red-spotted toad is reflected in a rare pool of water - a leftover from a massive storm that passed through the Moab Desert the night before. The brilliant blue sky reflected beautifully from this angle.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • The delicate and beautiful small butterwort is often found growing out of flooded prairies and cypress domes of the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Small Butterwort (Pinguicula pumila)
  • With a beak that is anything but common, this common moorhen is catching fish and insects in the floating vegetation at Wakulla Springs, in North Florida.
    Common Moorhen
  • The invasive water-hyacinth while beautiful, clogs many wetlands and canals and is now designated as a federal noxious weed.
    Water-Hyacinth
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