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The following may be of interest to anyone who engages in outdoor activities around southern rivers, lakes or reservoirs where alligators are known to live. Q. I belong to a water ski association. We are venturing out again for community … Continued

I have received a version of the following question from people in several states, most recently Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.   Q. We see or hear various frogs and toads in our neighborhood almost year round. This summer, our … Continued

Q. I try to move turtles off the road so they won’t get run over. Box turtles never try to bite me. Snapping turtles always try to bite me. And they never appreciate my help. How aggressive are different kinds … Continued

When spring arrives, I get a steady flow of emails, usually with cell phone photos, about snakes someone wants identified. I recently received the following more generic question.  Q. I understand that most snakes are harmless, but I also know … Continued

Q. We found a snake (photograph attached) in our yard in Charleston, South Carolina, but have been unable to identify it from pictures in a field guide or on the web. Is it an exotic species? A. I get this … Continued

Q. I have seen photographs of alligators with herons standing on their backs. This seems like risky behavior. Why would they do that? Do they mistake it for a floating log? A. I am not aware of anyone testing the … Continued

Q. I know this is a weird question, but I am writing a paper on snake venom and was wondering what would happen if you mixed together venom from two snakes and then injected that into someone? Would the effects … Continued

One of the most commonly seen lizards in the southern states is the green anole, also known as North American green anole or Carolina anole. (Its scientific name is Anolis carolinensis.) Although more than 400 species of anoles are known … Continued

Want to know if you live in a healthy environment? Find a snake. All snakes are carnivores, which means they eat other animals. If their prey is present, it means healthy plants are also around. Snakes serve as touchstones of … Continued

I recently wrote about salamanders, one of the most poorly known groups of animals. Turtles (including about 50 kinds of tortoises) are much better known. But aside from their iconic shell, what sets the more than 350 recognized species apart … Continued