Crawling out of its skin

The caterpillars in the backyard are not the only ones that have been growing too big for their skins.  As I was walking by our fig tree, I noticed something tangled among the aerial roots.

A shed snake skin entwined in a fig tree.

A snake had used the twisting roots, with their rough bark and narrow gaps, to hold back its old skin while it kept on going.  I could not identify the previous owner from the skin itself, but one candidate was a southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) that I had seen in the neighborhood earlier that day.

A southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) sunning itself on a wall.

A couple of days later, I found the southern black racer again (or another very much like it) and this time in our backyard. 

A southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) watching me from the foliage.

Despite its somewhat malevolent appearance, this snake is neither venomous nor aggressive.  It can bite if threatened, but it is much likelier to disappear rapidly into the undergrowth (which is the way that both of my encounters ended).

Soaking up the Florida sun

Eager to spend more time in the Florida sunshine, I followed up my walk to the beach with a survey of our backyard garden and then a walk to a nearby public garden.  Being surrounded by lush vegetation again, I was reminded what green really looks like.  It may be winter, but the plants here are sending out new shoots and leaves, as well as an abundance of flowers.

A waterlily in the public garden.

As will be apparent from later posts, our backyard here is teeming with life.  Nevertheless, the most exciting find of the day occurred in the public garden.  On our way out, I spotted something long and skinny woven through a bed of bromeliads.

A peninsula ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sackenii) in bromeliads.

Since it was still early, there weren't many people around to be startled by my happy exclamation of "snake!".  The peninsula ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sackenii) was not disturbed much either and did not move from its sunny spot when I came close to get a better look at it.

A close-up of the peninsula ribbon snake.