After years of contributions, with a post nearly every Sunday, John Avise has run out of pictures to contribute. He mentions this below, but I’d like to thank him for his herculean efforts to keep his series going.  I am hoping that, as time passes, he’ll take more photos and we’ll see him again. Thanks, Dr. Avise!

John’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.  The subject is turtles.

Turtles and Tortoises in SoCal.  This week I conclude my photos of reptiles in Southern California by showing turtles and tortoises (order Testudines) that can be found in this region.

This post will also conclude my longstanding series of Sunday posts on PCC(E)’s entertaining and enlightening site.  Our collaboration all began about six years ago when I started sending Jerry pictures of a wide variety of duck species that I had photographed over the years.  It then proceeded through a long and eclectic series of wildlife topics: birds from various sites around the world (notably including Antarctica); odd or particularly funny wildlife photos; miscellaneous special topics; followed by butterflies in North America; dragonflies and damselflies; whale-watching trips; and, most recently, various reptile species in Southern California.  Altogether, PCC(E) has posted a total of about 4,500 of my wildlife photos across nearly 300 successive Sundays.  So, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to Jerry for providing such a stable and inspiring platform for showcasing my photographic efforts.  And I would also like to give special thanks to many readers for your encouraging comments over the years.  Together these joint factors have kept me fully engaged on this most enjoyable enterprise!

Spiny Softshell Turtles, Apalone spinifera [This distinctive species is native to the Eastern United States, but has been introduced into California]:

Spiny Softshell Turtle, closer up:

Spiny Softshell turtle, headshot:

Spiny Softshell Turtle, posterior view:

Spiny Softshell Turtle, frontal view:

Western Pond Turtle, Actinemys marmorata [This is the only species of turtle native to California.  This specimen is covered with algae]:

Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans [This species is native to the central United States but is widely used in the pet trade and escapees have invaded California]:

Red-eared Slider, group basking:

Red-eared Slider with legs retracted:

Yellow-bellied Slider, Trachemys scripta scripta [This is another subspecies of the pond slider; it is native to the southeastern United States but has been introduced to California and elsewhere]:

Yellow-bellied Slider, frontal view:

Another Yellow-bellied Slider:

Desert Tortoise, Gopherus agassizii:

Desert Tortoise, frontal view:

This is the next-to-last contribution out of several hundred sent over the years by biologist John Avise. and he’s coming to the wire with lizards:

More Lizards in SoCal.  This week’s post continues my photos of various lizard species that I’ve encountered over the years on nature hikes here in Southern California.

Western Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris:

Orange-throated Whiptail, Aspidoscelis hyperthyra:

Another Orange-throated Whiptail:

Yet another Orange-throated Whiptail:

Common Side-blotched Lizard, Uta stansburiana:

Another Common Side-blotched Lizard:

Yet another Common Side-blotched Lizard:

Common Side-blotched Lizard, headshot:

Southern Alligator Lizard, Elgaria multicarinata :

Another Southern Alligator Lizard:

Southern Alligator Lizard, headshot:

Western Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis:

Another Western Fence Lizard:

Western Fence Lizard, headshot:

Zebra-tailed Lizard, Callisaurus draconoides, male:

Zebra-tailed Lizard, female:

Well, John Avise, who has the longest unbroken record of submitting photos in the history of this site, has finally run out of material.  He tells me he has enough for two weeks after this, and then it’s goodbye (perhaps until he gets more photos). We will have a small celebration in two weeks.

Today John gives us photos of lizards. His captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.

Lizards in SoCal.  On my nature hikes in Southern California, lizards are by far the most abundant reptiles that I encounter (snakes are much rarer).  This week’s post shows several of the lizard species I’ve managed to photograph over the years.  More lizard species in the area will probably be shown in next Sunday’s post.

Coast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma coronatum:

Coastal Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri:

Common Chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus:

Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis:

. . . another Desert Iguana:

. . . yet another Desert Iguana, longitudinal view:

Desert Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus magister, adult male:

. . . .another Desert Spiny Lizard:

. . . yet another Desert Spiny Lizard:

 Desert Spiny lizard, headshot:

It’s Sunday, and that means that we have photos by John Avise. He’s onto a new subject now: rattlesnakes!  John’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.

Rattlesnakes in Southern California:

When hiking canyonlands and other landscapes in Southern California, it’s best to watch your step, if for no other reason than to avoid stepping on a venomous rattlesnake.  This week’s post shows several species of rattlesnakes that I’ve encountered on my nature hikes in the region. Now I don’t mean to imply that rattlesnakes are common or of great concern; in 15 years of hiking the region, I’ve seen perhaps a dozen of them.  But I never pass up such an opportunity to get photos.

Red Diamond Rattlesnake, Crotalus ruber:

Red Diamond Rattlesnake, another view:

Red Diamond Rattlesnake, head and rattle closeup:

Sidewinder Rattlesnake, Crotalus cerastes:

Sidewinder Rattlesnake, head closeup:

Prairie Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis:

Prairie Rattlesnake, closer-up:

Prairie Rattlesnake, rattle closeup: