Looks like this guy may be deformed in some way. Lead poisoning maybe?Last oct 30 my pup was running and then jumped to side and I walked over to see what he avoided as it was getting dark. It was this rascal crawling up from the nearby wetlands looking for a den for the winter.
View attachment 87316
It was evening and it crawled into a very shaded area at the base of a tree that it blended with very well. Could not see its head and no way was I going to let it escape into a nearby bush pile. I just shot the snakes body up. Not visible, the neck was badly shot up also. A 9mm hp bullet wound through the body of a moccasin will cause it to die.Looks like this guy may be deformed in some way. Lead poisoning maybe?
Note that both leaffooted bugs and wheel bugs are very common in NW FL and can be mistaken for one another. And while leaffooted bugs are a mild, stinky annoyance, wheel bugs are awesome to have in the garden. Just don't try to pet 'em.My first candidate is the banded leaffooted bug. A garden and orchard pest. It stinks when you kill them.
View attachment 87295
Note that both leaffooted bugs and wheel bugs are very common in NW FL and can be mistaken for one another. And while leaffooted bugs are a mild, stinky annoyance, wheel bugs are awesome to have in the garden. Just don't try to pet 'em.
wheel bug, Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus)
entnemdept.ufl.edu
I almost stepped on this day before yesterday. My cat was about 2 ft. away from it. It was curled up under my bird feeders I suppose waiting on birds.
What kind of telephoto lens were you using?
pardon my ignorance but what kind of snake is that?
The older water moccasins often become darker as they age, but not always. When very young they can be mistaken for a copper head. Note the yellow on the tail of the very young moccasin.Thanks. the shape of the head caught my attention. I really hate snakes and have a hard time identifying them.
It is not just the shape of the head, but the narrow neck of the moccasin that accentuates the head shape. Some non-poisonous snakes will flattened their heads when agitated.Definitely a moccasin - venomous. Triangular head is the giveaway. In the pic below, on the left harmless (but can still bite you) black racer vs. moccasin on the right.