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  • Also known as the western funnelweb spider or funnel weaver, the desert grass spider is a large highly territorial member of the Agelenidae family of spiders that can be found in the arid Southeastern United States and Northern Mexico. Although it is called a grass spider, it is most often found in prairies, rock piles and in thorny brush in its very characteristic and large non-sticky funnel web with a tubular "hole" where it waits for prey. This large female was found in a mesquite thicket just south of Mission, Texas using a Christmas cholla cactus to support its web. If you look closely, you can see she's lost a foreleg and pedipalp some time ago, and now they are growing back. Both will get closer to full-length each time she molts.
    Desert Grass Spider 1
  • One of my favorite wildflowers of wet meadows and bogs, the grass of Parnassus is a very striking and delicate native that has a somewhat confusing name, as it isn't even closely related to grasses. That name for the genus came from Greek botanist Dioscorides who described it as a grass-like plant that grew on the side of Mount Parnassus. The description was wrong, but the name stuck. It is found in every state and province in continental North America from the Rocky Mountains and west, excluding Arizona. This beauty was found at a very high elevation in the Olympic Mountains on Washington's Hurricane ridge growing next to some carnivorous butterworts between permanently wet rocks.
    Fringed Grass of Parnassus
  • Also known as the western funnelweb spider or funnel weaver, the desert grass spider is a large highly territorial member of the Agelenidae family of spiders that can be found in the arid Southeastern United States and Northern Mexico. Although it is called a grass spider, it is most often found in prairies, rock piles and in thorny brush in its very characteristic and large non-sticky funnel web with a tubular "hole" where it waits for prey. This large female was found in a mesquite thicket just south of Mission, Texas using a Christmas cholla cactus to support its web. If you look closely, you can see she's lost a foreleg and pedipalp some time ago, and now they are growing back. Both will get closer to full-length each time she molts.
    Desert Grass Spider 4
  • Also known as the western funnelweb spider or funnel weaver, the desert grass spider is a large highly territorial member of the Agelenidae family of spiders that can be found in the arid Southeastern United States and Northern Mexico. Although it is called a grass spider, it is most often found in prairies, rock piles and in thorny brush in its very characteristic and large non-sticky funnel web with a tubular "hole" where it waits for prey. This large female was found in a mesquite thicket just south of Mission, Texas using a Christmas cholla cactus to support its web. If you look closely, you can see she's lost a foreleg and pedipalp some time ago, and now they are growing back. Both will get closer to full-length each time she molts.
    Desert Grass Spider 2
  • Also known as the western funnelweb spider or funnel weaver, the desert grass spider is a large highly territorial member of the Agelenidae family of spiders that can be found in the arid Southeastern United States and Northern Mexico. Although it is called a grass spider, it is most often found in prairies, rock piles and in thorny brush in its very characteristic and large non-sticky funnel web with a tubular "hole" where it waits for prey. This large female was found in a mesquite thicket just south of Mission, Texas using a Christmas cholla cactus to support its web. If you look closely, you can see she's lost a foreleg and pedipalp some time ago, and now they are growing back. Both will get closer to full-length each time she molts.
    Desert Grass Spider 3
  • Blue-eyed grass wildflowers growing in the Everglades National Park. These great little flowers can be found all over South Florida growing in and around the wetlands.
    Blue-Eyed Grass
  • Close-up of a blue-eyed grass flower growing in the Florida Everglades.
    Blue-Eyed Grass
  • Blue-eyed grass wildflowers blooming in the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails in SW Florida.
    Blue-Eyed Grass
  • This absolutely beautiful diminutive wild iris is the only member of the genus Olsynium found in North America (the rest can be found in South America) and can be found growing at mid-level elevations in the rocky slopes and steppes in the mountains of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This one was found on the exposed hilltops above the sagebrush canyon lands just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Grass Widows
  • This absolutely beautiful diminutive wild iris is the only member of the genus Olsynium found in North America (the rest can be found in South America) and can be found growing at mid-level elevations in the rocky slopes and steppes in the mountains of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This one was found on the exposed hilltops above the sagebrush canyon lands just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Grass Widows
  • This absolutely beautiful diminutive wild iris is the only member of the genus Olsynium found in North America (the rest can be found in South America) and can be found growing at mid-level elevations in the rocky slopes and steppes in the mountains of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This one was found on the exposed hilltops above the sagebrush canyon lands just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Grass Widows
  • Considered non-native and invasive from Europe (although there is some speculation that there is an American native subspecies) the elegant and creatively named common reed is an important wetland grass that is found in every state and province in North America except for Hawaii and Alaska, ranging as for north as the Canadian Northwest Territories. Growing to heights of 20 feet (6 meters) this enormous aquatic wetland grass can grow massive thickets providing refuge, seeds and food for wildlife. These were found and photographed in Hidalgo County in South Texas on the Rio Grande, which forms the US-Mexico border.
    Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
  • Grasses and sedges blowing in the wind at Plummer Creek Marsh on Chatcolet Lake in Northwestern Idaho.
    Grasses and Sedges
  • First light peeks over the steep basalt canyon walls to touch the Yakima River in the incredibly picturesque Yakima Canyon at dawn. With this chilly springtime morning, the sounds of bats, frogs and coyotes fade, only to be replaced by early-rising songbirds, blue herons and the splashing of hungry rainbow trout.
    Wild Grasses in the Yakima River Can..Dawn
  • One of the most common on all springtime terrestial orchids in Florida - the grass leaved ladies'-tresses can be found on roadsides, lawns, ditches - both in shade and open places.
    Grass-leaved Ladies'-tresses (Spiran..lis)
  • A beautiful specimen of the common grass pink orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Historically important as a source of basket-making material for Native Americans, the common beargrass (seen here on Oregon's Larch Mountain) is found over much of the Pacific Northwest.
    Common Beargrass
  • Found throughout the higher elevations of the Cascades and Rocky Mountain ranges, the common beargrass is a summer-blooming member of the lily family, particularly common in the sub-alpine elevations.
    Common Beargrass
  • This little skipper species has an enormous range, and can be found from the northeastern United States to just about all of South America to just about as far south of the equator as it lives north of the equator. This active whirlabout (it gets it's name from the pattern it flies when landing and taking off) was found actively feeding on lantana flowers in a park in Harlingen, Texas on a hot, early spring afternoon.
    Whirlabout (Polites vibex)
  • Wheatgrass closeup with morning dew water droplets.
    Wheatgrass
  • The mountain death camas spends much of the year underground as an onion-like corm, until the spring when it emerges as a beautiful, multi-flowered stalk. It is distinguishable from other death camas from the greenish-yellow markings on the petals, and as the name suggests, it is very poisonous to humans and livestock. This one was found growing in the Rocky Mountains, just east of Aspen, Colorado on a chilly subalpine June morning at about 9000 feet.
    Mountain Death Camas
  • The mountain death camas spends much of the year underground as an onion-like corm, until the spring when it emerges as a beautiful, multi-flowered stalk. It is distinguishable from other death camas from the greenish-yellow markings on the petals, and as the name suggests, it is very poisonous to humans and livestock. This one was found growing in the Rocky Mountains, just east of Aspen, Colorado on a chilly subalpine June morning at about 9000 feet.
    Mountain Death Camas
  • This nice specimen of Spiranthes praecox - the giant ladies' tresses orchid was found growing near the Ochlockonee River close to Sopchoppy, Florida. Found throughout most of the American southeast and west to Texas and Oklahoma, this terrestrial orchid is found most often in late spring and early summer in a variety of habitats. I've found them in acidic bogs on occasion, but usually I find them growing in pine forests.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes pr..cox)
  • Early morning photograph of a native Mojave yucca in its natural habitat on a cool spring morning in Mojave Desert in Southern California. These are often found growing among the Mojave's iconic Joshua trees - another member of the same genus.
    Mojave Yucca
  • Photographed slightly from above, this Mojave yucca in the Mojave desert was historically a very important resource for the Native Americans who lived here. The tough yet pliable fibers in the leaves (needles) after beating them to break them apart were braided together to make rope, sandals, and woven together to make cloth.
    Mojave Yucca
  • This Mojave yucca is about to burst into an amazing bouquet of flowers in Joshua Tree National Park in the late morning sunlight of gorgeous April day.
    Mojave Yucca
  • Closeup of the flowers of the Mojave yucca in the late afternoon golden light in Southern California. These flowers are pollinated at night by the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella), a species that depends on this plant for its survival. Not only will the moth  gather pollen, but she will lay her eggs in the ovaries of the flowers, and the larvae will feed directly on the developing fruit of the flowers, leaving some of the seeds to mature for the next generation of yucca plants.
    Mojave Yucca Flowers
  • A Mojave yucca in Southern California's Mojave desert shows already blossomed, flowers, closed flowers, and new buds late in the afternoon.
    Mojave Yucca
  • 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
  • The largest giant ladies'-tresses orchid I've encountered in the wild. This one was photographed on a hot early May,  late afternoon day near Sopchoppy Florida.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses
  • Giant ladies'-tresses found growing in a dried-up bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. Tubular flowers are a key to identifying this species from all the other similar ladies-tresses orchids.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes pr..cox)
  • Eastern ribbon snake lunching on a treefrog in the Florida Everglades. Just in the right place at the right time for this shot!
    Eastern Ribbon Snake
  • Blue-striped garter snake discovered on a trail in the Goethe State Forest in Levy County, Florida. It has the most beautiful turquoise sides and belly!
    Blue-Striped Garter Snake
  • It was a rare morning where the temperature dipped a few degrees below freezing, and the frost on the ground looked a lot like snow in my car’s headlights. It was so worth it, as I was rewarded with the most stunning sunrise I’ve seen in a long time! Winter often offers interesting colors and hues with the first hints of light, but this was something special….. just pure beauty in all its glory!
    Dawn Over the Salt Marsh
  • A beautiful blue sky over Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge where the salt marshes and freshwater marshes meet.
    Clouds over St. Marks
  • Simpson's grass-pink orchid  in the Florida Everglades. This is a subspecies of the common grass-pink, and is slightly larger with wider leaves. It is only found south of Lake Okeechobee.
    Simpson's Grass-Pink (Calopogon tube..nii)
  • One of the two small grass-pink species, the bearded grass-pink is among the first to appear in the springtime in Florida wetlands.
    Bearded Grass-Pink (Calopogon barbatus)
  • Common grass-pink orchid growing in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Chances are that if you find one of these beauties, you are going to find very many of them in the area.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Close-up with details of the common grass-pink orchid.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Common grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. This delicate beauty can be seen nearly all over the state where there are seepage swamps or bogs near pinelands.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • A perfect specimen of the bearded grass-pink orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Bearded Grass-Pink (Calopogon barbatus)
  • White form of the pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    White Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pal..rus)
  • Pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. We found this particularly beautiful and very delicate orchid among several other types of terrestrial orchids.
    Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pallidus)
  • Roadsides are great places to find grass-pink orchids in Goethe State Forest, Florida.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • A grass-pink orchid blooming on the side of a country road in Goethe State Forest in Levy County, Florida. A tiny jumping spider waits in ambush!
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. A good identification tool (not 100% accurate) is that the sepals are curved upward in what I call an "I surrender" pose. Not very scientific, but I think everyone gets the idea!
    Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pallidus)
  • Also known as the grassy arrowhead, the grass-leaved arrowhead is a common native aquatic member of the water plantain family found all over eastern Canada and the United States, and across the southwestern states. It is found in marshes, swamps and along the sides of lakes and rivers with muddy soils, and can reach about 6 feet in height. This one was found growing in the Six Mile Cypress Sough in Fort Myers, Florida on a chilly fall evening.
    Grass-leaved Arrowhead (Sagittaria g..nea)
  • These beautiful tiny flowers of the grass-leaved ladies'-tresses form a perfect spiral in this native terrestrial orchid, found growing along the highway in rural coastal North Florida.
    Grass-leaved Ladies'-tresses (Spiran..lis)
  • Simpson's grass-pink orchid growing in a prairie in the Florida Everglades. The height of these orchids makes them easy to spot over these vast grasslands.
    Simpson's Grass-Pink (Calopogon tube..nii)
  • Sometimes if there are two similar orchids growing in the same region and habitat, hybrids can be found. In this case, a cross between the common and pale grass-pink.
    Grass-Pink Orchid Hybrid (Calopogon ..dus)
  • Close-up of these beautiful delicate flowers in Jefferson County, near the Gulf Coast.
    Grass-leaved Ladies'-tresses (Spiran..lis)
  • This incredibly ornate wildflower grows in standing water in the wetlands of the Apalachicola National Forest in winter. Not the most comfortable subject to photograph , I must say!
    Grass-of-Parnassus
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Marsh rabbit warily munching on new green grass in Moore Haven, Florida near the shore of Lake Okeechobee.
    Marsh Rabbit
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Palm warbler in the Florida Everglades. These tiny and delightful winter visitors are often seen looking for food in the grass and palmettos.
    Palm Warbler
  • Indian Blankets growing in Bokeelia on Pine Island, Lee County, Fl. These are absolutely beautiful when seen in huge patches in the grass!
    Indian Blanketflowers
  • This smallest member of the chipmunk family in North America is found in coniferous forests, juniper woodlands, and sagebrush deserts where it feasts on mostly seeds, but will also eat flowers, buds, leaves, grasses, fungi, and even insects, eggs, and carrion!
    Least Chipmunk
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • 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)
  • The humble eastern cottontail is an explosive breeder. Common all over the Eastern half of North American, this species is quickly spreading not only across parts of the American West, most of Mexico and the Pacific Northwest, but to other continents around the world. This one was found nibbling on fresh springtime grasses and wildflowers in Seattle, Washington.
    Eastern Cottontail
  • The humble eastern cottontail is an explosive breeder. Common all over the Eastern half of North American, this species is quickly spreading not only across parts of the American West, most of Mexico and the Pacific Northwest, but to other continents around the world. This one was found nibbling on fresh springtime grasses and wildflowers in Seattle, Washington.
    Eastern Cottontail
  • The red-shanked grasshopper is a large member of the banded-winged grasshoppers found throughout most of the western United States Mexico, and north into the Canadian Prairies. It prefers open, arid grasslands and prairies where it feeds on a number of grasses and sedges. It is easily recognized by its bold pattern and red rear feet. When threatened, it will take a long "jump" as it flies to a nearby locations with a loud buzzing noise called crepitation. As it flies, it will reveal momentarily its beautiful yellow wings. This one was stalked/chased and photographed near the El Malpais National Monument in Cibola County, New Mexico.
    Red-shanked Grasshopper-2
  • The red-shanked grasshopper is a large member of the banded-winged grasshoppers found throughout most of the western United States Mexico, and north into the Canadian Prairies. It prefers open, arid grasslands and prairies where it feeds on a number of grasses and sedges. It is easily recognized by its bold pattern and red rear feet. When threatened, it will take a long "jump" as it flies to a nearby locations with a loud buzzing noise called crepitation. As it flies, it will reveal momentarily its beautiful yellow wings. This one was stalked/chased and photographed near the El Malpais National Monument in Cibola County, New Mexico.
    Red-shanked Grasshopper-1
  • The red-shanked grasshopper is a large member of the banded-winged grasshoppers found throughout most of the western United States Mexico, and north into the Canadian Prairies. It prefers open, arid grasslands and prairies where it feeds on a number of grasses and sedges. It is easily recognized by its bold pattern and red rear feet. When threatened, it will take a long "jump" as it flies to a nearby locations with a loud buzzing noise called crepitation. As it flies, it will reveal momentarily its beautiful yellow wings. This one was stalked/chased and photographed near the El Malpais National Monument in Cibola County, New Mexico.
    Red-shanked Grasshopper-3
  • A male juba skipper pauses for a moment on a clump of asters on a windy spring day on Whiskey Dick Mountain in Central Washington just west of the Columbia River near Vantage. Similar in appearance to other related skipper species in the sagebrush deserts and plains of the northern western states, this one is dependent on certain native grasses for their young to eat.
    Juba Skipper
  • A young male Columbian black-tailed deer feeds on the mountain grasses and forbs in a subalpine meadow on Hurricane Ridge in Washington's Olympic Mountains.
    Columbian Black-tailed Buck
  • A bold female Columbian black-tailed deer feeds on the wild grasses growing along Hurricane Ridge in Washington's Olympic Mountains. This subspecies of the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) is found only in the coastal temperate rainforests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Washington.
    Columbian Black-tailed Doe
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • A white-tailed ground squirrel peeks out of its burrow among a pile of rocks in Southern Nevada. These tough little rodents live in very hot, dry environments, and get most of their moisture from their food which includes insects, seeds, fruits, cactus, grasses and even sometimes carrion.
    White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
  • Like other members of the Indian paintbrush family, these vibrant, high elevation-loving wildflowers are hemisitic. They feed at least is some part on the roots of neighboring grasses and wildflowers. If you look closely, the bright magenta part isn't the flower, but are colored leaves called bracts. The actual flowers are the tiny yellowish-green tubes sticking out of the bracts. These were photographed in the subalpine heights on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Magenta Indian Paintbrush
  • The incredibly difficult to photograph and super-shy clapper rail hiding among the grasses on Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral.
    Clapper Rail