It's too early for reptiles. I'm sure they're awake now, but they aren't moving too much quite yet. The Spring Peepers are out. The turtles are out, but they are out anytime there is sun, even in the dead of winter. Found no bears at all. No bear scat on the trails or roads. There's not a lot of greenery in the fields yet to draw them out. Found two deer, which are actually pretty rare sights there. The bull frogs are out. The fire ant mounds are starting to pop up. I'm looking forward to May when things really come alive. In the meantime, I found this one, very uncooperative otter.





These are not the cuddly critters you see on TV. These things are big, and their heads are like pit-bull heads with huge jaw muscles around their ears. They'll kill and eat small alligators. I've seen them come up with big crabs and crawfish and just crunch into them and eat them shell and all. I would not want to have to fight one off my kayak. I'd rather encounter an alligator than a pissed off otter.

Camera shy, I guess. Whenever I hear someone talking about how cute they are I refer them here -

Otters - necrophiliac, serial-killing fur monsters