NatureNotes

The swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus) is a pernine raptor which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. It is the only species in the genus Elanoides. Most North and Central American breeders winter in South America where the species is resident year round.

The pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a large, mostly black woodpecker native to North America. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific Coast. It is the largest extant woodpecker species in North America, with the possible exception of the ivory-billed woodpecker, which the U.S. Fish a...

The summer solstice, also known as estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky (for areas outside of the tropics) and is the day with the longest period of daylight. Within...

The American green tree frog (Dryophytes cinereus) is a common species of New World tree frog belonging to the family Hylidae. It is a common backyard species, popular as a pet, and is the state amphibian of Georgia and Louisiana.

Lyssomanes viridis, commonly known as the magnolia green jumper, is a species of jumping spider of the genus Lyssomanes, for which it is the type species. The species is native to the United States, being found in much of the Southeastern United States and Texas. It has also been reported from parts of Mexico, with sightings as far south as Guatemala and as far north as Maryland.

Pantherophis alleghaniensis, commonly called the eastern ratsnake, is a nonvenomous colubrid species endemic to North America.

The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. The larvae of most braconids are internal or external primary parasitoids of other insects.

Cemophora coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States.

You can now find 9-banded armadillos in all 46 counties of South Carolina.

Listeners report finding dead snakes that are "torquoise blue." There are no torquoise snakes liviing in South Carolina. However, when a rough green snake dies...

Orgyia leucostigma, the white-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, extending as far west as Texas, California, and Alberta.

The yellow morph of the eastern ratsnake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis ssp. quadrivittata, is sometimes called the yellow ratsnake or the Florida ratsnake.

Eburia quadrigeminata, the ivory-marked beetle or ivory-marked borer, is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. Adult beetles are 12–25 millimetres (0.47–0.98 in) in length. The life span is 10–40 years.

Sambucus canadensis, the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a species of elderberry native to a large area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to Bolivia. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry soils, primarily in sunny locations.

The eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) or common mud turtle[2] is a common species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to the United States. There are two recognized subspecies.

The eastern dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus, is a large insect in the Corydalidae family. It is found in eastern North America in regions with fast-flowing streams where its aquatic larvae develop. These are known as hellgrammites and are among the top invertebrate predators in the streams in which they live. They are used by anglers as bait.

Leptoglossus phyllopus or Eastern leaf-footed bug is a species of leaf-footed bugs in the same genus as the western conifer seed bug (L. occidentalis. The Eastern leaf-footed bug is found throughout the southern United States, from Florida to California, through Mexico, and as far south as Costa Rica.

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is a North American species of rat snake that subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the southeastern and central United States. Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, corn snakes lack functional venom and are harmless. Corn snakes are beneficial to humans by help...

Bittacomorpha clavipes, known as the phantom crane fly (though this name can also apply to any member of Ptychopteridae), is a species of fly in the family Ptychopteridae. It is found in the eastern United States west to the Rocky Mountains. It flies upright with its legs spread apart. The female lays hundreds of eggs by dipping its abdomen in the water.

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The sea pansy, Renilla reniformis, is a species of colonial cnidarian in the family Renillidae, part of an octocoral subclass of Anthozoa that inhabit an expansive range of environments. It is native to warm continental shelf waters of the Western Hemisphere. It is frequently found washed ashore on North East Florida beaches following northeasterly winds or rough surf conditions. It also can often...

The palmetto weevil (Rhynchophorus cruentatus) is an insect native to Florida, but has been found as far as southern Texas to the west and South Carolina to the north. It is the largest weevil in North America and the only kind of palm weevil in the continental United States. It infests palms and is considered a pest.

Rudy shares quotes from Thomas Henry Huxley and Charles Dickens.

Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large trees, deciduous over most of their populations, in the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips. It is sometimes referred to as tulip poplar or yellow poplar, and the wood simply as "poplar", although not closely...

The eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platyrhinos), also known as the spreading adder and many other common names, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.