Skinks, Wasps, Spiders & More Snakes...

I haven't blogged about any of my little critters lately and with fall here this will give a few highlights of some of my summer critter adventures.  Living in the country I have lots of other living things running about.  I've been able to capture a few pictures during Spring/Summer.  I see skinks quite often, but they don't pose much for my pictures.

I saw one of these little guys on the rocks by my waterfall
 but he quickly scurried into the garden mulch when I got too close.

Here's a second species I saw on the sidewalk while I was watering some plants in another garden area, but he gave me an opportunity for only one picture... then he was gone!  They like to live in dead leaves, mulch and such; and they are very skittish and fast!

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but in early spring of this year, we were bombarded with red wasps flying around and they were brave.  They would even dive at us, as if we were in their space!  It is interesting to watch them land on the water in the pool and somehow they form a little bubble of water  hanging from their mouth about the size of their head and they carry it away.  I assume they take it back to their nest.

Here is one that is permanently grounded, he was big and mean... but Dennis was bigger!

This is only a fraction of the ones Dennis has eliminated.
In early Spring they kept multiplying, I think they hatched news ones as fast as he killed them.
But, thank goodness we do have less now than we did in the Spring and Summer.

This poor tarantula found out the hard way, he can't swim!  ...or not for very long anyway.  We found him on the bottom of the pool!  I have had one living in a flower bed beside the pool for the past two years.  I just left him alone because I knew he ate insects, guess he got a little too close to the water.

...poor little guy 

I found his brother hanging out this past week in an area over by the grill among some acorns.  I just left him alone.

I'm actually thankful for all my bug eating critters and for the most part my gardens don't have bugs.  The grasshoppers do more damage than anything.  My birds should get busy and eliminate them, because I have not found a use for those jumping-leaf-eating little pests yet!

I don't have a picture, but one day earlier this Spring I saw a 3 foot snake crawling up the wall of the house in the patio area.  Yes, he was crawling up the stone wall!  He used the mortar lines as his pathway and he was half-way to the eve/roof area.  I am not sure what specie of snake he was nor do I know what he was after, maybe looking for a bird nest or such.  Lucky for me my A/C repairman was here doing an annual maintenance and with his help, the daring snake was no longer a problem.   I saw this particular snake before I had started blogging about my critters... but, wish I had taken a picture of him on the wall!

I also came across another small Garter Snake, which preferred the wood chips in front of my house.  He may have been on the prowl for my froggies.

I had a clear view of his head, but by the time I got my camera he was slithering away!

This is a picture similar to what he looked like.
There are many variations and colors of garter snakes.

I am afraid of snakes so I do keep my distance!  With the drought this year, I know they came closer to the house for my watered gardens.  I'll hope that next year we will have more rain and they can keep their distance!  On this link "Garter Snake Play Time" you can see where Dennis had fun with a snake on our patio.

I just have to hope with fall here and winter coming that none of them will want to reside in my house! Even with all these little creatures, I do enjoy my country living!

See tab at top for other Critter links or here are the top read critter stories:
Mr. Turtle Will You Be My Friend
The Frog Who Wanted To Be A House Guest
Armadillo Soup