Blogging from to Z April Challenge: Z is for Zoos for Reptiles

 A zoo by definition "is an establishment that maintains a collection of wild animals, typically in a park or gardens, for study, conservation or display" according to the dictionary on bing. Most zoos or zoological parks have a collection of reptiles. By the definition above Alligator Farms would be considered a zoo.

In fact one of the oldest if not the oldest alligator farm the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm is now branded as a zoo.

Below is a virtual tour..

I have been there several times and would recommend it. Closer to me is an Alligator Farm called Alligator Alley in Summerdale, Alabama.

Me playing with a Carpet Python there, and holding an Alligator

Well until next time see you later Alligator

  

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Y is for Yellow-bellied Slider Turtle

 The reptile for Y is a pretty common turtle called the Y is for Yellow-bellied Slider Turtle. Not only is it common in it's native range the southeastern United States it is also a popular pet. 

Here is a video all about them...

Just one more letter to go on  the  Blogging from A to Z Challenge. come find out what I come up with for Z as it relates to reptiles!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Xenosaurus

 Xenosaurus sounds like a dinosaur. Well it might be a distant cousin. Sharing reptiles like real live dragons, giant sea turtles and tortoises a dinosaur wouldn't be too far off. However, Xenosaurus is a mere genus of lizards native to a small area in Central America.

A video of some kept as pets...

Two more left to go! 

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: W is for Watersnake

 There are several Watersnakes in the United States. The one I see the most is the Banded Watersnake.

In the picture above taken by me there are two Banded Watersnakes. Were they romantically involved? Were they chasing each other? Were they playing? I don't know but I was lucky enough to catch both.

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Above is another Banded Watersnake. The watersnake is non venomous. However it does share the same habitat as the cottonmouth and is sometimes killed by mistake. 

Three more letters to go!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: V is for Vine Snake

 

Above is a picture of a Vine Snake taken by me at Alligator Alley. It was a sunny day so I apologize for the glare.

It is a venomous snake whose venom is not fatal. However, if one was bitten it would not be enjoyable. Symptoms could last three days. Pain, swelling, bruising and discomfort would be the symptoms. 

We are in the final week of the challenge  and I hope to share a few more reptiles with you!

Battle of the Bands Results: Bad Romance

 In this battle Jeff Beck beat Halestorm 3 to 1 covering Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." You probably would expect either contestant to cover Lady Gaga. I don't think the crowd on Jeff's performance new how to react. I thought it was hilarious to perform a pop hit at a classic rock award show. I have also heard Lady Gaga covered by other classic rock artists so she is obviously gifted with some great songs.

Talking about pop music check out this video from the 80's. There are some appearance from some 80's pop stars and pop culture. The song is "Ambitious" off of Jeff Beck's "Flash" album.

What are some pop stars of today that have some great songs that could be covered well by other musicians? 

Anyway I will be back May 1 with another Battle of the Bands.

Battle of the Bands Results: See You Later Alligator

 In this Battle I pitted Bobby Charles original against the more famous Bill Haley version. We ended up with a 2 to 2 tie.

Rare footage of Bobby Charles performing "Way Down in Louisiana" .....

Bill Haley and his Comets "Rock Around the Clock"

This was the battle from April 1 I will be posting the results for the Battle on the 15th soon!

Milestones: A Quarter Million Page Views

 In just less than five years I went from 100,000 page views to 250,000. A steady climb of about 30k a year which isn't bad. Considering I haven't been writing for many outlets letter so the shameless, self promotion has basically left the building. It may return, I am working on a few things. The future isn't promised and it is unknown. I've never been one to plan out my blog. The A to Z, the Battle of the Bands, the random posts pretty much are all winged. A creative collage of passing thoughts. Personal with brief glimpses into my world. Yet drama free unlike reality. Thanks for visiting, reading and commenting. Without you there would be zero views, no milestones reached. Sometimes you are the catalyst for a future post. It is interactive. So passing a milestone and heading off t reach some more.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: U is for Uromastyx alfredschmidti

 Uromastyx alfredschmidti is the scientific name for Schmidt's spiny-tailed lizard which is native to Northern Africa. The lizard is a threatened species due to loss of habitat.

It lives in rocky desert areas and is a herbivore mainly with an occasional bug thrown in.

The final stretch starts Monday!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: T is for Tortoise

 

Above is a picture of a baby Sulcata tortoise also known as the African Spurred Tortoise. You can't tell from the picture that the Sulcata is the third largest tortoise in the world. This little one could grow to weigh 231lbs.

Here is one about 16 years old. They get bigger than that. (picture by me)

If you are wondering the largest tortoise in the world is the Galapagos tortoise, followed by the Aldabra Giant Tortoise.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: S is for Snapping Turtle

 Today's letter is S and instead of going with a snake for my reptile which would be easy I am going with the Snapping Turtle.

All pictures in the post by me. A bigger one below..

Snapping turtles eat plants too! They are scavengers and hunters as well. 

We are coming to the home stretch of the challenge and I have shared crocodiles, lizards, snakes and turtles. I have a few ore so stay tuned!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: R is for Ribbon Snake

 

Above is a picture of a Ribbon Snake taken by me in it's natural habitat. Today's letter is R so it is nice to blog about a reptile I have taken photographs of and have encountered in the wild. The Ribbon Snake is  related to the Garter Snake and is offend confused as one. The snake is non-venomous and does not prey on warm blooded animals. 

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Q is for Querétaro dusky rattlesnake

 No matter what the topic some letters are tougher than others in the A to Z Challenge. Have no fear I did find a reptile for Q. The Queretaro dusky rattlesnake which makes it's home in the highlands of central Mexico.

A short video on the snake...

They are not  huge snake growing just over two feet in length. Well I will be back tomorrow with another reptile.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: P is for Pine Snake

 The A to Z Challenge continues today with the letter P. I am going with a snake for my reptile this time around.  Below is a picture of a Pine Snake.

The Pine Snake is a non venomous snake common to the eastern and southern United States.  The snake feeds mainly on rodents and can grow between 4 and 7.5 feet.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: O is for Otago Skink

 The letters change and so do the reptiles. Yesterday we had had a crocodile and today we have a rare lizard. The endangered Otago Skink which is found in a small range in New Zealand.

The second skink I have shared during the challenge. 

A short video:

Stay tuned, more reptiles coming up next week!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: N is for Nile Crocodile

 The April A to Z Challenge keeps moving and today's letter is N. The reptile for today is the Nile Crocodile. The Nile Crocodile is the second largest crocodile in the world.

Here is a quick video of these apex predators.  

Battle of the Bands: Bad Romance

This time around for my Battle of the Bands I am going with  Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." First off I have a rock group give their take on the pop hit. I follow that up by a guitar great performing the tune at a Classic Rock Award show a year after Gaga's song shot up the charts. 

I provide the original. Then two covers. My readers then vote by telling me which version they liked the best. I count up the votes and announce the winner a week or so later.

                                                 Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"

Contestant One: Halestorm

Contestant Two: Jeff Beck

Let me know which one you like the best!

Blogging from A to Z: M is for Milk Snake

 

Red Milk Snake picture Mike Pingleton, Wikipedia

The Milk Snake is a colorful, non venomous snake that has 24 subspecies. They are opportunistic eaters but mainly eat rodents as adults.

A look at someone's pet milk snake...

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: L is for Leatherback Sea Turtle

 The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the biggest turtle in the world. These giant reptiles like to eat jellyfish.

Below is a video with some quick facts about his large reptile from the sea...

Moving closer to the halfway point. I've covered a lot of reptiles so far and of course there are more to come. I'm trying to mix them up.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: K is for Komodo Dragon

 We went with a smaller dragon for D let's go with the largest lizard for K. The Komodo Dragon can reach 10 feet in length and weigh 150lbs. 

Here is a clip from a BBC "Special Deadly 60"

These giant lizards were called "Land Crocodiles" by the locals. In the wild they feed mainlyon local deer species and carrion. 

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: J is for Jungle Carpet Python

 

Today's letter in the A to Z April Challenge is J. My reptile of the day is the Jungle Carpet Python, Morelia Spilota Cheynei

Picture by Mike Spain

The picture above is one of my personal snakes and is a Jungle Carpet Python. My snake is captive bred and was hatched in Maryland. In the wild Jungle Carpet Pythons are native to the rainforests of Queensland Australia.

Female carpet pythons tend to grow bigger than males. Jungle Carpet Pythons are considered medium size python and average 5 to 7 feet.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: I is for Indigo Snake

 

A news segment on the Indigo Snake to open my post. It is one of many animals to use my G letter Gopher Tortoise burrows for shelter. Like yesterday's reptile the Hawksbill Turtle the Indigo Snake is endangered.

The longest native state in the United States the largest recorded was over 9 feet long. The snake is nonvenomous but eats venomous snakes and a wide variety of small animals.

Some efforts are being made to reintroduce this snake in places where their population has disappeared or has been severely reduced. 

 

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: H is for Hawksbill Turtle

 

Opening up my post on the Hawksbill Sea Turtle with a short video on some turtles in Hawaii. The endangered turtle likes hanging out in tropical reefs.  It is also  a reminder that reptiles don't just live on land. I have been fortunate to see a few sea turtles in the wild but I don't know if they were Hawksbill.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: G is for Gopher Tortoise

 Gopher Tortoise is an important reptile because the holes they make provides housing for other critters. The FWC estimates their burrows creates housing for over 360 species! 

By Judy Gallagher - https://www.flickr.com/photos/52450054@N04/31527638716/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54302550

Some of the animals the tortoise provides homes for include endangered owls and indigo snakes. Certainly an important animal to have around.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Five Lined Skinks

 

Next to Anoles the next most common lizard I run into is Five Lined Skinks. It is pretty common in the Eastern United States. They are relatively small growing between 5 and 8.5 inches in length.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: E is for Egg Eating Snake

 Some people have a fear of snakes or don't like them. A small percentage of snakes are venomous  enough to ruin a person's day(or possibly kill a person) and some snakes are quite large and deserve respect. A lot of the ear comes from snakes having teeth. Not all snakes have teeth or fangs. There are 16 species of Egg Eating Snakes native to  Africa that don't have teeth. Their diet consist of eggs.

These snakes have no teeth or fangs. They are not venomous. Some people keep them as pets however finding proper size eggs to feed the snake can be a challenge.

Thanks or visiting and I will be back with F tomorrow!

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: D is for Dragon, Bearded Dragons

 When people think of dragons they think of mythical, fire-breathing, fierce reptiles. In the real world dragon don't breathe fire, aren't that mythical and some can be fierce, some think they are fierce and some just can't pull it off.

Photo by  André Karwath (CC BY-SA 2.5)

I wanted to write about the Bearded Dragon which is a popular lizard for a pet. Central Bearded Dragons are native to Australia. Bearded Dragos eat mostly insects. They also eats leaves, flowers, fruits and vegetables. It has been my experience that they are easy to handle.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: C is for Cottonmouth

(Cottonmouth photo Mike Spain)

The Cottonmouth is a venomous, pit viper native to the southeastern United States.  Fun fact the Cottonmouth is the only semiaquatic viper in the world.

(Cottonmouth in the water, photo by Mike Spain)

The snake earned it's name due to a defense behavior where it will open it's mouth. It is a warning it might bite. It would prefer the threat would just leave it alone.

The Cottonmouth is known by many names and is also good at hiding.

Can you see the snake in this picture? (picture by Mike Spain)

If you come across this snake in the wild, it is best to observe from a distance. Do not handle! The snake doesn't want to eat you, you are too big and not on it's menu. If the snake bites you it will ruin your day. At the minimum it will hurt and could be fatal. If bitten seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Stay tuned as the A to Z Challenge will resume on Monday. What reptile will I choose for D? 

 

Roy Williams calls it a Career

 Roy Williams the legendary Coach of the North Carolina Tar Heals and Kansas Jayhawks announced his retirement from coaching.

Why is he legendary? He is a Hall of Famer enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame and The Basketball Hall of Fame. Williams is the only Coach to win over 400 games at two Division One schools and the only Coach to lead two schools to at least four Final Fours. Roy coached three National Championship teams at North Carolina. Obviously along the way he was awarded many awards.

His career record 903-264. 46 of his players went into the NBA. He leaves behind an incredible legacy in college basketball. He will be missed by his peers, fans and players. However at the age of 70 his life continues in retirement.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: B is for Box Turtle

 

Photo of Florida Box Turtle by Jonathan Zander

Continuing my way through my A to Z reptiles edition. Today representing B for Box Turtles. Box turtles were once quite common but their numbers have been on the decline.

Here is a short documentary on the Eastern Box Turtle...

The box turtle is a turtle that is terrestrial and is the one any of us have stumbled upon in wooded areas. Hopefully future generations can enjoy Box Turtles as well.

Stay tuned Saturday for my C post.  

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: A is for Anole

 

Picture of a Green Anole (photo by Michael Spain)

Below 6 Facts about Green and Brown Anoles

Green Anoles can change colors from green to brown. The Brown Anole is an invasive species from Cuba and now outnumbers the Green Anole in Florida.

Thanks for joining me on the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge my theme this year is Reptiles.