DATELINE – May 22, 2020 – Dallas County
I’m not ordinarily a reptile guy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in all wildlife, but typically when I am in the field it is in pursuit of my favorite subjects—our native mammals.
Even though I naturally gravitate toward mammals—and to a lesser degree, birds—I am always thrilled to encounter a reptile or two—even if just due to serendipity.
The pictures in this set are a perfect case in point. On this day I was in the Great Trinity Forest with a specific project in mind, but it was reptiles that I kept stumbling across.
The first two in this collection of pictures are the relatively common Texas Spiny Lizard, and Yellow-bellied Water Snake. The third find was a little more exciting for me.
This one is a Speckled Kingsnake. Though these snakes are native to North Texas, and I am sure that they are at least locally common, this is the first one that I have encountered in nearly 40 years. I’m very glad to have a chance to see one again after all this time!
