Spotted on bank of cattle pond and then scurried into the water. No fencing or containment.

Note: To clarify, all signs indicate this is either a

1. Uncontained pet on private property
2. Deliberately abandoned pet
3. Escaped pet that has managed to travel to this location (if this option, not likely to have traveled far due to rural setting with few homes spaced 1/4mile to 1 mile+ apart and scarce water sources)

Three shots include: (1) a younger larvae, (2) a larvae at metamorphosis, and (3) a metamorphosed adult. Metamorphosed adults are relatively uncommon in the population. The cave is managed by the Nature Conservancy and these images were taken during a survey of the salamander population. The species is so far recognized as a single site endemic.

This male mountain lion - a migrant from South Dakota - was infamously struck 41-miles east of Greenwich, CT. This was the first verifiable documentation of a cougar in Connecticut since the 1890s. The attributed location and time is from where it was struck by a car. There is no breeding population of cougars in New England, though they historically occupied every continental US state.

Photos supplied with permission from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), Wildlife Division, courtesy of Cyndy Chanaca.
Individual photo credentials: Paul J. Fusco/ CT DEEP-Wildlife

Further reading:

• Mountain Lions in Massachusetts: Distinguishing Fiction from the Facts by Tom French
• Confirmed Reports of Mountain Lions in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (archived from the original)
• Genetic Testing Reveals Mountain Lion Killed in Milford Originated in South Dakota by CT DEEP (archived from the original)

This hatchling was found on the edge of a paved roadway under cool conditions, 60° F with light cloud cover. It was measured, identified as a male, and released. A note has been submitted to The Southwestern Naturalist for review. The last documented record in Oklahoma for this species was in 1990.

Around 5pm today in the middle of the road. Large 3ft or more snake. Hisisng, loud, almost like a rattle noise. But no tail rattle. Defensive while I kept distance. Aggressive. Never took its eyes off me. Opened mouth often. No teeth. Black eyes. Black tongue. Large center. Moments prior a large barred owl flew past my windshield and watched me as I approached snake. An epic moment in my day. I was going to pick up my son who was with a native medicine woman.

Observed crossing sand road in Sand Prairie habitat (see other pics). There is a theory that this is an introduced population, as this species was not recorded in extreme eastern Illinois prior to 1980. Many believe this is not the case, as there are similar natural populations in other counties not far to the West.