South Carolina 2013

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
This was primarily a beach trip, but I managed to turn up a few things. There were a few times when I didn't have my actual camera with me so some of these are via Instagram.

Wish I was still there :)




The low country


mirror pool


boardwalk view


beach treasure


"Angel Oak," one of the oldest live oak trees (Quercus virginiana) in the US








Ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata. These suckers can really move.


Saying hi to an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus




knobbed whelk, Busicon carica




brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis


beach walker


black crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax






tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor








green tree frog, Hyla cinerea




green anole, Anolis carolinensis


This loggerhead sea turtle nest hatched the night before. You can see the babies tiny flipper prints in the sand.


A non-viable loggerhead sea turtle egg. Each morning, approved volunteers would dig up nests that had hatched naturally a few days prior. Sometimes there were a few stragglers still in the nest.


Bucket of babies!






loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta








American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis


I think this is a species of assassin bug, Gminatus australis


orchard spider, Leucauge venusta




Southern house spider, Kukulcania hibernalis


Parasteatoda tepidariorum




Dolomedes? Maybe you guys can help me out here.






golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes. Check out the size difference between the males and females!

That's it! I was hoping to get a few snakes to throw into the mix, but the lone black racer I spotted took off like a lightning bolt. Hope to get back there sooner rather than later.
 
Last edited:

ShredderEmp

Arachnoprince
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
Messages
1,769
Wow. I faintly remember seeing a couple of those pictures when I was younger. Where in South Carolina were you?

I can attest to the speed of the Ghost Crab. They are lightning quick and they pinch harder than anything else that I've been pinched by. Amazing crab species though.
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
Wow. I faintly remember seeing a couple of those pictures when I was younger. Where in South Carolina were you?

I can attest to the speed of the Ghost Crab. They are lightning quick and they pinch harder than anything else that I've been pinched by. Amazing crab species though.
Kiawah. Yeah, I loved watching those ghost crabs. I brought my headlamp down to the beach at night and they were everywhere--a real murderers' row if you're a baby sea turtle.

---------- Post added 08-09-2013 at 09:35 AM ----------

Awesome finds Matt!
Thanks Chad. I only wish I could have spent more time there!

---------- Post added 08-09-2013 at 09:36 AM ----------

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!

---------- Post added 08-09-2013 at 09:38 AM ----------

Great pictures! You weren't near Hunting Island by chance?
Looks like I was pretty close! How's the state park there?
 

ShredderEmp

Arachnoprince
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
Messages
1,769
I want to say I have been there, but the time I went to South Carolina was so long ago I can't be certain.
 

Plissken

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
33
Nice pics! Makes me wanna post some of my pics from Door County and Baraboo Wisconsin! I'm pretty sure that second to last spider is a Heteropoda venatoria.
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
1,598
About 45 minutes from Charleston. Kiawah Island.
 
Top