These were taken at Sawgrass Lake Park.
There were so many butterflies on this bush, mainly bright yellow ones, but they were so flitty and refused to stay in place for a picture. This is a white peacock, slightly worse for wear.
We saw several soft shelled turtles. They have odd little tubular noses, which lower their cuteness factor significantly in my opinion.
These tilapia (which looks generically fishy to my untrained eyes) flash pink from their lips when they snap at food.
While not looking generically fishy, we couldn’t figure out which breed of gar these were. Gar can breathe by gulping air, probably an asset in the slow moving water at this park.
My guess is that the top is a great blue skimmer and the lower is an eastern amberwing, but dragonflies are harder to identify than butterflies. There was also a really cute catfish flipping about in the marshy area. It would poke its little barbels out and then duck back under the surface far too fast for a picture, though.
I wish more of my pictures turned out like this skink.
The difference, far away, between an alligator and a log is that at the correct distance away from the main protrusion is a much smaller break in the water surface for their nose.
They swim entirely with their tails, their feet tight against their body. One long line of chompy.
Wow, what great pictures! I agree with your comment about soft shelled turtles. Not as cute.
And what great pictures of alligators!!! And skinks. I just love em. I guess this blog really is about verdure.
Wow. Just love these photos.
ps: the alligators are so cute. They just want cookies. Just like Sid.
The cuteness fades in relation to distance. 3000 miles away they may look super cute. 50 feet, not really cute at all. Not even a little.
Hee hee hee. I am so enjoying this.
I think I should have sent a huggable alligator plush.
http://www.thejunglestore.com/Gift-Catalog/Alligator-Stuffed-Animals?gclid=CO2wgYqLmp0CFSNQagodc0YzAA
Poor lil guy, just wants some food. Just one lil chicken is all. You can even leave the feathers on. He’s not picky.
Those plush toy people suffer from the same 3000 mile away syndrome as you do. Particularly around the teeth area.
And the not being picky part is exactly the problem! Fishie, chicken, you, it’s all the same to an alligator.
I think what it wants is a hug. it looks so sad and lonely.
ps: Ellen has suggested that I am clearly in the wrong about this issue. I guess its time for another therapist.