Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Almost four inches long, these massive insects come in a variety of colors from light yellow to almost black. Photos taken at Oakland Nature Preserve, Florida.

Banana Spider

Huge but harmless, this lovely lady is about four inches across. A male of the species is only about 1/4 her size. These spiders are commonly called “banana spiders” not so much because they are yellow, but because they are often found among bunches of bananas during harvesting. I originally found this species described as…

Gopher Tortoise

The gopher tortoise is a protected species. They dig burrows which provide shelter for hundreds of other species of animals. I stayed out of his way! Photos taken at the Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, FL.