can you spot – Syndication Server

Can you spot and ID the ‘slithering critter’ in Georgia forest?

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Monday asked social media followers if they could identify a ‘slithery critter’ photographed recently in a pine forest.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Monday asked social media followers if they could identify a ‘slithering critter’ photographed recently in a pine forest.

For some, it took a while to spot the snake as it blended with pine needles and cones.

“Finally found it,” reads one of more than 135 comments beneath the Facebook post. “I’m rethinking all my playing out in the yard plans.”

The DNR does not identify the snake in a description that provides hints:

“I spy with my wildlife eye a ssslithering critter!

“You can quickly identify this venomous critter by the series of large, black, chevron-like crossbands down its body and the reddish-brown stripe that runs down the center of its back.

“This critter may actively pursue prey by following scent trails, but more commonly acts as a sit-and-wait predator, ambushing prey at the base of trees or next to fallen logs.”

The snake is fairly easy to spot after a scan of the image, captured by Berkeley Boone.

“While you’re unlikely to find this critter in an urbanized environment, you may encounter it in lowland cane thickets, high areas around swamps and river floodplains, hardwood and pine forests, mountainous areas, and rural habitats in farming areas,” the DNR continued.

“Most individuals are docile when encountered in the wild and will remain coiled or stretched out without moving. They may also rattle their tails as a warning, producing a loud buzzing sound. If provoked, however, they will not hesitate to deliver a serious bite.”

Obviously a rattlesnake, but what type of rattlesnake?

Viewers are asked to click on this link for the answer and to learn more about the species.

Can you spot both bobcats photographed in Wisconsin forest?

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two camouflaged bobcats in a wintry landscape and asked its Facebook followers if they could spot the animals.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two bobcats camouflaged in a wintry landscape, and asked its Facebook followers:

“There are two bobcats in this snapshot from Lincoln County! Can you find both?”

It’s probably not so much a matter of if viewers will spot both bobcats, but how long it will take them. (One bobcat is clearly more visible than the other.)

The top two images – the same image in different sizes – show how well these predators blend in with their surroundings, and how thick their coats become as winter sets in.

The bottom image provides the answer, with both animals circled.

The WDNR wrote on Facebook: “Bobcats are crafty hunters, and with small prey, they will wait motionless and then pounce. Bobcats hunt small mammals, like eastern cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, as well as birds and even reptiles.”

The image was posted as a promotion for the Snapshot Wisconsin program, which allows schools and the public to participate in research by hosting trail cameras that help the state monitor wildlife activity.

Can you spot the weather balloon amid the clouds?

The accompanying image was shared via Twitter on Monday by the Little Rock, Ark., office of the National Weather Service, along with the question: “Can you spot the Weather Balloon?

How many relish the challenge when a nature or weather quiz appears in your social media feeds?

The accompanying image was tweeted Monday by the Little Rock, Ark., office of the National Weather Service, along with the question:

“Can you spot the Weather Balloon? This was about 1 minute after release, nicely camouflaged beneath the altocumulus this evening.”

As quizzes go, this isn’t a difficult challenge for anyone with decent eyesight. But perhaps the point of the NWS Little Rock post was to reveal the beauty of altocumulus cloud formations, parallel bands or clumpy mid-level, gray-shaded clouds typically associated with settled weather.

The formations, which can be strikingly beautiful, sometimes span enormous swaths of sky at an altitude between 7,000 and 23,000 feet.

Writes the U.K.-based Weather Online: “They are white and/or gray in color with generally shadowed parts or undersides and often show a waved aspect.

“They may be well shaped by high winds into lentels or rippled wave patters and might appear as a pancake tower or like an UFO, often sharply outlined, but they may also become partly fibrous and diffuse.”

The quiz answer, if anyone should require confirmation, appears in the image posted below.