Corn Snake - Whitfield County

The Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is one of the most strikingly patterned colubrids of north Georgia. Individuals vary greatly in color. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats. This one was discovered along the edge of a pine woodland. It was very defensive upon my arrival, striking at me several times. Corn Snakes are often found in trees, searching for arboreal prey such as birds, bird eggs, lizards, and treefrogs. Apparently, the name is a holdover from when these snakes were commonly found in southern corncribs. They were drawn in by the abundance of rodents that were foraging on the stored crops. Farmers began calling them "Corn Snakes" and the name stuck. It is one of the more common snake species in Georgia but its overall range is somewhat restricted to the southeast.

To learn more follow the link below:

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/elagut.htm

Red-tailed Pennant - Murray County

                                

While conducting a bird survey in southwest Murray County, Max Medley and I stumbled across  Georgia's second record for the Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymeseia furcata). This dragonfly is a tropical species with most US records originating in the southern portions of Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Claifornia. Apparently, it has been expanding northward over the last few years.  Giff Beaton discovered Georgia's first in July of 2009 in Fulton County. Here is a photograph of that specimen on Beaton's excellent website: 

http://www.giffbeaton.com/otherskimmers.htm

Max and I first observed this pennant on September 12th, 2012. There were three adult males and one juvenile male present. They were found along the shoreline of a large reservoir. We have since observed this species again at this location on three more occasions. We have not been able to estimate the size of the entire population. The total length of the shoreline here is approximately 2.75 miles.  We have only walked a small portion of the lakeside, but have observed at least ten individuals in all. It's a beautiful skimmer and we were excited to happen across it. This is the most northern record in the eastern United States thus far. Considering that there are juveniles here, would suggest that there is a reproducing population here. If this assumption continues to be supported by future observations, this would constitute Georgia's first known thriving population of Red-tailed Pennant.