Perfect Camouflage

photograph of a cricket frog camouflaged in the mud

A tiny Cricket Frog sits still, assuming its nearly perfect camouflage will keep it safe.  I never would have seen it had it not hopped right in front of me as I walked down the lakeside trail.

Five-Lined Skink 1

Five-Lined Skink 1

This Five-Lined Skink frequently hangs out near the gap in this brick wall.  I see it quite regularly and was able to get close enough to take a few good photographs.  Five-Lined Skinks are common in Central Virginia.  You can usually find them on old logs or on rock piles.  They never seem to stray far from good hiding places.

Three Amigos

photograph of three painted turtles on a log in a swamp

These painted turtles remind me of three friends posing for a portrait.  They were basking in the sun, soaking up some solar energy in the Great Dismal Swamp when I took this photo.

Painted Turtle 1

photograph of a painted turtle sunning itself on a rock

This painted turtle was sunning itself on a cool spring day which probably allowed me to get closer than I otherwise might have.  There were a few other turtles nearby but I like the coloration of this one.

King of the Mud Puddle

photograph of a red southern toad sitting up in a mud puddle

 

Walking in a park near the James River on spring afternoon, I stopped to see if there might be anything interesting in a large puddle adjacent to a small pond.  Sitting, quietly a few feet from the trail was this red toad.  It remained so motionless as I photographed it, I began to think it might be a toy frog somebody put there as a joke.

Evening Frog Encounter

photograph of a leopard frog at nightThis small frog was hunting insects in my yard one night.  To get the picture I used a handheld flashlight and the on camera flash with my camera mounted on a tripod.  I think it is a leopard frog.  If you believe differently, please let me know.