Tag Archives: Juvenile

Leaving a Trail

September 13, 2020 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I heard this young Alligator chirping at the edge of a duckweed covered pond. I’ve seen juveniles in this area off and on over the summer and suspect they are now around six months old and about 2 feet (60 cm) long.

From there he headed out into the pond, using his full body and tail to propel forward. I didn’t hear any more chirping and didn’t see any siblings. Or mama.

Young Alligator Swimming Through Duckweed

Then he made a 90 degree turn.

Finally he straightened out and headed for the other side of the pond, leaving a squiggly trail in the thick duckweed behind him.

Reptiles

Juvenile Five-lined Skink Acrobat

August 9, 2020 Ellen Jennings 8 Comments

I saw this little ( 2 or 3 inch / 5-8 cm) Skink land, and am not sure if he jumped or fell. Whichever it was I think the result stunned him. He stayed in this awkward position for 15 or 20 seconds before leaping off into the interior of the plant.

Reptiles

Juvenile Carolina Anole

June 24, 2020 Ellen Jennings 5 Comments

There were a few young Green Anoles exploring the plants on our patio this morning.

They are about an inch (25mm) long when they hatch, and these were about double that.

Anole juveniles are immediately mobile, with food and self protection their primary needs. Anoles eat a variety of insects and I’ve read they will attempt to eat anything smaller than their own head.

Animals

Juvenile Armadillo

July 10, 2019 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

I wasn’t that surprised to spot this juvenile Armadillo as Ted had just seen an adult in the nearby woods. I was surprised that he didn’t run or jump. He didn’t even seem to know or care that I was there. Not that I was making that much noise but wild things tend to know we are there way before we know they are.

I watched him as he industriously rooted around in the soft ground hoping to get a full body view. The pine cone in the next image was of standard size, maybe six or seven inches (15 – 20 cm), giving a sense of his size.

Armadillos have poor eyesight and this little one never lifted his head to have a look around, just kept on digging and rooting for lunch.

Animals

Surprise in the Hole

June 6, 2019 Ellen Jennings 11 Comments

I’ve walked past this tree that stands less than ten feet (three meters) from a well walked path at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens a hundred times, maybe more. Every time I notice this opening I think something should live there. An owl nest would have been fun to see.

Imagine my surprise when I looked up yesterday and saw this looking back at me!

I saw the ears of a second kit, but only one looked out while mama kept a close eye out.

A smaller side trail allowed me to get further from the Raccoon’s den but still see the opening through some branches. One kit looked out on his own before ducking down.

I continued on my walk and when I passed back by this spot about an hour later there was no movement. For every bit of nature I chance upon like this I wonder how many I just miss.

Animals

Deer Fawn

June 7, 2018 Ellen Jennings 8 Comments

Tucked into the roots of a Cypress Tree this new born fawn was hunkered down, surrounded by water.

I’m not sure how he got there; it would have been interesting to watch and know what was on the mother’s mind.

A few hundred feet away was a watchful pair of eyes and listening ears. This one seemed way to small to be the mother, perhaps it was an older cousin.