Creatures in My Garden........

In the last few days I have been having fun watching interesting, pretty and some not so pretty creatures in my yard.

 

 

In times past I have chased Zebra Longwings around trying to get a picture and could never get them to be still long enough. They are very flighty! It is a very long and narrow butterfly.

 

 

The Longwing happens to be Florida's State butterfly.

 

 

 

It was feeding on a wildflower in the back yard while mosquitoes were feeding on me. I had to stand still for a long time to get more than one picture. I know I was making it nervous. It wouldn't stay long and would come back, fly very close to me and then take another chance and land on the flower for a few more sips.

 

 

The dragonflies have a different personality - calm and still. I can get very close and even walk around for different angles and it will stay right there.This one was not the prettiest I have ever seen. They always choose a pinnacle for their resting place.

 

 

 

The dragonfly wings are very transparent as shown here with the green leaves showing through. They have an iridescent shine which can be seen according to how the light is hitting them.

 

 

 

Speaking of light.....this is the same one and my first picture. I had the camera setting wrong but I love this picture, too.  Now on to the next.....

 

 

 

......a Gulf Fritillary. It is feeding on a penta in the front yard.

 

 

I don't see this kind as often as several others.

 

 

 

This old guy looks like he doesn't have a care in the world sitting here on this strange-looking seed pod (or whatever it is) right in the middle of a big cardboard palm. He has a different color and look from most lizards that hang around in my yard. He seems to have lost the end of his tail.

 

 

Chameleons are plentiful here. They don't bother me, in the least, and I don't bother them. They never purposely get on you. In fact, in all the years of living here, only one time did one jump on my leg and it got off faster than it got on!

 

 

 

This one has a still different look. I don't recall ever seeing one with a red head. The bright green ones are not plentiful like they once were, at least not around here. I see one occasionally.

 

 

 

 

Now, here is a critter I don't like to see! I usually just see the signs of where one has been in the garden during the night. They dig and leave many mounds of sand.  Their tail leaves a line in the freshly dug sand, a positive clue as to what is tearing up the yard! He was yanking up the sweet potato vine with a fury, which made me furious! He is about two feet long, not counting the tail.

O.K. this is enough wild critters for one post and I will say goodbye with this:

 

 

 

 

With one addition, SCRAM, Armadillo, or I might  killo!