Alabama Reptiles and Amphibians

This gray rat snake slithered into my family room tonight. I have no idea how it got in. Otis, my dog, went nuts and chased it under a desk in another room where it was cornered. It rattled its tail, hissed and struck out in a great imitation of a rattle snake. It was at least 5 feet long. Once I got Otis shut in another room, it took me awhile to figure out how to get it out of the house. I finally got it to crawl into a black cloth shopping bag, carried it out, and turned it loose outside, but not before I took a ton of pictures. Once I got it out on the patio, it calmed down, wasn't in a hurry to leave and let me take a lot more pictures, before I prodded it to leave. Etowah County, Alabama. (IMG_5859)

This gray rat snake slithered into my family room tonight. I have no idea how it got in. Otis, my dog, went nuts and chased it under a desk in another room where it was cornered. It rattled its tail, hissed and struck out in a great imitation of a rattle snake. It was at least 5 feet long. Once I got Otis shut in another room, it took me awhile to figure out how to get it out of the house. I finally got it to crawl into a black cloth shopping bag, carried it out, and turned it loose outside, but not before I took a ton of pictures. Once I got it out on the patio, it calmed down, wasn't in a hurry to leave and let me take a lot more pictures, before I prodded it to leave. Etowah County, Alabama. (IMG_5861) Another Link in the Chain - From a black racer to a gray rat snake

Male green anoles (anolis carolinensis) have a flap of skin under their chin called a dewlap which they will stretch out when excited or threatened. In my garden, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_2449)

The tail of a five-lined skink. The skink was trapped in a bowl on my deck, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_6253)

On my patio barbeque grill, Etowah County, Alabama (DSC05570)

Found among weeds I was pullong in my garden. By moving very slowly, I was able to get my camera quite close. Etowah County, Alabama. (IMG_1385)

Desoto State Park, DeKalb County, Alabama (IMG 7643)

It was in the middle of the road not far from my driveway but some distance from the creek. Taken with my cell phone after which I put it into a water filled drainage ditch. Etowah County, Alabama (0411031237)

It was in the middle of the road not far from my driveway but some distance from the creek. Taken with my cell phone after which I put it into a water filled drainage ditch. Etowah County, Alabama. (0411031235)

It was in the middle of the road not far from my driveway but some distance from the creek. Taken with my cell phone after which I put it into a water filled drainage ditch. Etowah County, Alabama (0411031236)

It was in the middle of the road not far from my driveway but some distance from the creek. Taken with my cell phone after which I put it into a water filled drainage ditch. Etowah County, Alabama (0411031238)

Something got his tail which appears to be already regenerating. On my patio, Etowah County, Alabama (DSC04955)

On my patio table, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_7341)

Plethodon glutinosus on a hosta leaf in my front yard, Etowah County, Alabama (DSC05191)

Plethodon glutinosus on a hosta leaf in my front yard, Etowah County, Alabama (DSC05202)

Plethodon glutinosus on a hosta leaf in my front yard, Etowah County, Alabama (DSC05195)

On my house, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_0570)

On my house, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_0567)