Joey's notes
This moving sure keeps a fellow busy.
Monday (8-1-05), It was a good morning for moths when I arrived at work. Under the big light on campus I was impressed to see a dazzling array featuring 4 Imperial Moths, 2 Luna Moths, and 5 royal Walnut Moths. All huge and All beautiful!
Tuesday (8-2-05), My light at work again drew in some nice moths, but it was the beetles I noticed. A pair (male and female) Reddish-brown Stag Beetles, Pseudolucanus capreolus, and a female Antelope Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelus. After work I spent some quality time with the lawn mower.
Wednesday (8-3-05), More nice moths in the morning, but our focus was elsewhere. Time to do a major cleaning in the outdoor Caiman pen. We moved the Caiman inside, then we drained, scrubbed, dried, filled, and bleached the pool. After work, more mowing. I did glance around and noticed a female Broad-Head Skink on the pecan tree, and several Southeastern Five-line Skinks under tin.
Thursday (8-4-05), My morning take under the light was just a Giant Water Bug (lethocerus) and a Caterpillar Hunter. Big, pretty, smelly Ground Beetle. Later we drained the chlorine water from the Caiman pool, rinsed the pool, air dried it, filled it, and took the Caiman back outside. We also took a few minutes to gather small crayfish in the creek and offered them to the Striped Crayfish Snake, R. alleni, and we were lucky enough to see him feed on one (I really should film stuff like that!).
Friday (8-5-05), New moon, no time to enjoy it.
Saturday (8-6-05), Holmes Photography worked a local outdoor wedding, but it was cloudy with a gentle breeze so we did not die from heat. Suffered, but did not die. Home from the wedding I tinkered around in my basement (I love having a basement). At one point I noticed a squished "bug" in the floor. Upon close examination I found it to be a Tiger Beetle, Megacephala virginica! How about that! At this new house, they come INSIDE to be found!
Sunday (8-7-05), I have NEVER kept venomous snakes inside a "dwelling house." I also have never kept venomous snakes anywhere that I could not lock. At our new house, I have no out-building that I can lock. I have a basement, but it is part of the house (dwelling house). I refuse to keep (just my personal policy) venomous snakes under these circumstances, even with locking cages. Just not going to do it. So I had to make a decision. What to do with my Timber Rattler? I have had her since August of 1981. I remember the day she was born. But, too bad, she has to go. I called a friend, an excellent "hot" keeper who lives near Greenville, and he agreed to give her a new home. I loaded her up and took her to him. I was excited to see his collection (lots of beautiful animals, all well-cared for) and left her in his skilled care. For the first time since the late 70s, I have no venomous snakes under my care. Maybe I can get a place set up here for "hots" but it is no big deal right now.
"Hot-free" but enjoying the moths,
Joey Holmes
|