Everglades day trip, post Peru

[Joezilla]

I had made plans to stay a day in Miami, and rent a car to go down to the everglades after the Peru trip. (You bet your tailbone I was tired, but oh the power of snakes and coffee). I also had to put the final touches on some InsectShield mosquito product testing. My patience was rewarded, as I caught three everglades racers, a dead on the road garter, and a very motivated Florida Cottonmouth. I also saw Hercules, the resident American Crocodile at the Flamingo arena, along with a manatee. I had a chance to walk on a few trails where I've had many fun rompings with fellow snake nuts, and rented a canoe to go say hi to some slithery watersnakes and gators hanging out on the canal banks. It sure beats rotting away at the airport! I have a video of the cotton mouth, I'll have to post it later though.

Ok, back to real life now...sigh.

 

[Joezilla]

woops, can't forget my little 12 foot friend

 

[fishshooter]

Great pics Joe! That's a healthy friend you got there. I just got a bunch of FWC hunting maps/regs in the mail. One of them was for the Glades and it got me pondering a trip down there. Also in the package was a reward for info on who shot and killed a panther down that way, did you see anything about that?

 

[kgd]

Man - I didn't even see this thread before I made the herps & perps crack.....That is hilarious! Lets get an ID on that spider - it is very intimidating looking. What's its natural prey? I'm guessing small fish or something like that.

 

[mtnfolk mike]

very cool pics Joe..:thumbup: that gator looks huge...

i would also like to know what kind of spider that is... it looks like the one in the 4th Harry Potter movie..

 

[matthewdanger]

That is a good looking gator! I haven't seen one that large outside of a zoo since I was a kid. Florida has it's own unique wildlife. It was a fun place to grow up.

 

[TheGame]

I've always like gators, and to see one in their natural habitat is something I must do someday. Thanks for the pics, Modzilla.

 

[De4thStr1ke]

Man..... I seriously hate you right now! Haha, just kidding, glad you got to have two awesome outdoor trips..... I haven't been able to do any camping for almost a year, and it's driving me nuts! And, as a fellow snake lover, where are the pics of the reptiles?

 

[heavy_-j]

Im actually pretty sure thats some sort of spider looking scorpion......a cave scorpion if I remember right? anybody confirm this?

 

[WolfTracker]

I think that is a whip scorpion.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

Manatee through the water was my second trip thread pic favorite, my first was the gator.

 

[Marcelo Cantu]

I think that is a whip scorpion.

Yeah me too. I think they are relatively harmless to us.

 

[fishshooter]

You guys sure that is a gator?

 

[riz_aaroni]

Yeah me too. I think they are relatively harmless to us.

Me three. A quick search turned up a lot of pictures of whip scorpions that look very similar to the one pictures above.

Cool photos though. Was a fun trip visiting the everglades when I went a long time ago.

 

[Scott Free]

That's not an alligator. It's a crocodile. The former is common. The latter is not.

 

[Calebklyne]

thats one hell of a bug

 

[PayetteRucker]

I have a little 12 foot friend too, but it is NOT a crocodile.

 

[C_Kyle]

That's not an alligator. It's a crocodile. The former is common. The latter is not.

I think you're correct. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like the snout narrows and is more pointed. There are around 1,000 American Crocodiles in south Florida, the only place in the US they're located.

I'm not very familiar with them, so, I'd like to see more pics to be sure. Maybe there are other features that ID it as an American Croc?

 

[tonym]

Well thats my idea of a layover!! Great stuff bro, I look forward to the video!

 

[C_Kyle]

OK, there are other parts that ID it as an American Croc; the hump of the bridge of the snout, and the small bump just before the nostrils.