iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Getting out on a different pair of wheels today, finally. #motorcycle #vulcancustom

Blue jean clad leg with black boot on the brake pedal of a black motorcycle.

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Texas Cooters (Pseudemys texana) are interesting because of the non-sex related variation in eye color. I saw two turtles today with different eye color. Some of the texana also have a brilliant blue color. One of these turtles has a more subtle blue coloration while the other is an amber #turtles

Texas Cooter in the water. It has a light blue eye

Texas Cooter in the water, this one has a more amber colored eye

0151

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Is it a common thing for graduate level textbooks to be over 10 years old? I've encountered a few things in my books that are already out of date. It's for a biology program too.

310

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

So ready for the Iron Maiden show! Probably close to the 20th with the first one in 1988.

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Internally laughing at the people wearing a Metallica shirt to a Megadeth show😂

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The only Gopherus tortoise I have not personally seen.

121

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

New term started. Exciting to be taking a wetlands class. First challenge...find a wetlands in the San Antonio area to write about.

040

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

One of the great things about having a herd of tortoises is people give you fruit and vegetables that go bad for people but are good for tortoises. They prefer over ripened fruit. A friend donated a bunch of mushy strawberries and the redfoots love them! 🐢🐢 #tortoises

Three Redfoot tortoise eating strawberries

0143

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Found these weird objects on branches of Sargassum fluitans. Does anyone know what they are? They do rub off so I'm thinking it's maybe an egg mass or something like that. Anybody know? I sure don't. #Sargassum #oceanlife

Some weird scale thing on Sargassum fluitans.

close up of the weird scale thing on Sargassum fluitans. I don't know what this is

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Turtle presentation next weekend! Yours truly presenting on Alligator Snapping Turtles! Victoria, Texas #herpetology #turtles 🐢

Flyer for Texana Nature Day, Turtle edition

040

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I usually cannot get a decent picture of warblers. Today, this Northern Yellow Warbler sat for a few seconds where I could get a clear picture. Thanks little one. #birds #birding

A Northern Yellow Warbler poses in a spiny tree (I can't remember which kind). The branch it is sitting on has a few big thorns.

040

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Dam Turtles Two Guadalupe Spiny Softshells and two Texas Cooters (both endemic) basking on Espada Dam on the San Antonio River. #turtles #herps

Two softshell turtles and two Texas Cooters basking on a concrete dam with the San Antonio River on the right side of the picture. The dam is covered with bird crap.

060

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's not very often that I learn about a group of terrestrial animals I've never heard of before. Today I did...the Anomalures

001

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Had the honor of visiting a bat cave and watching the emergence of about 4 million Mexican Free Tail bats at Eckert james River Bat Cave outside of Mason Texas. Incredible experience.

Mexican Free Tail bats emerging en masse from a cave near Mason Texas

263

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day! Here's my ginger girl that was found as a little kitten crawling under my fence 14 years ago. She is demanding I show my appreciation now and go feed her.

An orange ginger female cat glares at the camera

0112

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I've been seeing a lot of pictures here lately of some outstanding birds. I have to get some love out there for my South Texas favorite. The Green Jay! I need to go back to The Valley and get pictures with my new camera. #greenjay #birds #wildlifephotography

A Green Jay perched in a tree with some yellow ball flowers, of which I can't remember the name.

160

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Yes, I'm procrastinating again

000

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

When a tortoise I used to take care of shows up on your feed. Ede is a very sweet tortoise. Her unusual name does have a meaning that many 5 people know, including myself of course!

030

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I had to look this bird up to make sure the video is real. This bird IS real! Incredible! I still love the Green Jays, but damn. This bird is beyond outstanding.

000

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I always thought it was interesting that two "symbols" of the American West, wild mustangs and tumbleweeds, are invasive species.

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Me being here and not working on a paper seems to be a trend. So here I am again. This is from a kayaking trip in the Big Thicket last weekend. A Sabine Map Turtle (Graptemys sabinensis). Picture was taken with cellphone from a moving kayak. Not bad. #herps #turtles #wildlifephotography

A Sabine Map Turtle sits on a branch over a river. another branch is holding up the one the turtle is sitting on

080

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Procrastinating on a school project to post some stuff for World Snake Day. Snakes are definitely my favorite non-Chelonian reptile Something so awe inspiring about the abilities snakes have. They can do so much inside just a tube. Just fascinating animals that deserve much more appreciation! #herps

Face on picture of a black tailed rattlesnake with its tongue fully extended.

0181

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Listening to @commondescentpod.bsky.social podcast on vipers while cleaning snake tanks and this dude looks on.

Close up of a Sidewinder rattlesnake face

140

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Advertise your Bluesky account with a Simpsons GIF Aside from the dentures, basically me. An old man chasing turtles

static.klipy.com

Grandpa Simpson Chases Denture-Wearing Turtle

Alt: Grandpa Simpson Chases Denture-Wearing Turtle

020

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Just returned from a week long trip to Washington and Oregon Main purpose was to take care of a few things at school #GoBeavs another reason was to find Northwestern Pond Turtles! Happy to say that was a great success! Such a fascinating species, I hope to work with them more 🐢 #herpetology #turtles

Three Northwest Pond Turtles basking. two are facing the right and are lower and one is higher on another log facing left

070

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Literature Review almost done. Time to procrastinate at the lake with the subject 🐢. #herps #redearedslider

A large female red eared slider basks on a log. There is a mirror like reflection in the water below. A tree is behind the turtle

0101

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Two male Red-eared Sliders basking. One melanistic, one normal. Took a break from my paper on invasive Red-eared Sliders to go photograph native Red-eared Sliders. #herps #turtles 🐢

melanistic male red eared slider basking on a log in front of a normal colored male red eared slider.

071

Reposted by Sal

Riley Black 🏳️‍⚧️ 🦖 @restingdinoface.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

A fossil thought to be key to turtle evolution turns out to be something else - which clarifies where our shelly friends came from. Today’s free newsletter is out (short article + my latest writing + upcoming events + ear perks from the week).

buttondown.com

Friday Fragments #15

Turns out a proposed turtle ancestor isn't, but that makes the origins of our shelly friends clearer.

27222

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I posted about the box turtle and the bees I saw during my Texas Tortoise field survey (under TPWD permit). Here is one of the tortoises as first observed. Gives you a good idea of Texas Tortoise habitat. Scrubby plants and cactus. 🐢 #herps #tortoises

A Texas Tortoise in bottom right of picture on red sandy soil. There is a prickly pear cactus in the top right. Various scrubby plants are behind the cactus behind a few strands of a wire fence.

0112

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Another cool bee observation from the tortoise weekend. There hundreds of tiny holes in the ground and flying about an inch above the ground were a lot of Cactus Chimney Bees. I read that when the females emerge, the male bees swarm them. I was able to get a picture of this behavior. #WorldBeeDay 🐝

a swarm of Cactus Chimney bees on red dirt, apparently they are swarming around a female bee.

160

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Guess it's #WorldBeeDay. While looking for tortoises this weekend, I checked the flowers to "see who is home". I found this pair of what iNaturalist says are Fairy Bees. It appears they are having a delicate moment. The flower they are on is a Maroon Blanketflower.🐝 #insects #bees

A pair of Fairy Bees mating on a maroon blanketflower.

050

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I always find it funny that there are so many European cultures that important foods for groups are actually from the Americas. I'm especially thinking about potatoes and tomatoes.

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Three days wandering the South Texas scrubland looking for tortoises. Not many out moving but did find a beautiful Ornate Box Turtle and that made everything worthwhile while.🐢 #herps #turtles

An ornate box turtle is still behind a green prickly pear fruit on the ground. He is sitting in front of a large cactus

0242

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I'm doing a graduate paper on Invasive Red-eared Sliders in Oregon. One of the native turtles there is a Western Painted Turtle. The other day I found an introduced WPT in a pond where Red-eared sliders are native! The tides are turning! But seriously, don't release pets 🐢 #herps #turtles

A non native Western Painted turtle basking on a log in a lake where there are native Red-eared Sliders

0102

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Most Species Observed...San Antonio!

020

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Sometimes you get lucky and get to see nature in action. Got to see a breeding ball of Diamondback Watersnakes. Better pictures later. #herps #snakes

A larger female Diamondback Watersnake with two males in a breeding ball

091

Reposted by Sal

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Our warmest and wildest 100th birthday wishes to Sir David Attenborough, vice-patron of our Society. Today, we are celebrating Priam's Birdwing, which he said he would include in his "ark" to protect from extinction. This illustration is from E Donovan's "An Epitome of...Insects of India" (1800).

06021

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Watching his shows right now

030

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Figured it was time to update my profile pictures.

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Found a Red-eared Slider (it's ok, they are native here!) today with a fish hook in its mouth. Fortunately I was with a friend who is a veterinarian. We took the turtle to her clinic, sedated it and she was able to remove the hook! Took an x-ray just to make sure there were no more. #herps #turtles🐢

Small Red-eared slider with a fish hook in his mouth on the left side. The turtle's shell has algae on it

Turtle in a clear plastic box on a metal veterinarian table. it is being sedated to remove a fish hook lodged in its mouth

Success! The hook that was removed from the turtle's mouth

All clear. X-ray of juvenile Red-eared Slider with NO fish hooks. You can tell it is a juvenile because the bones on the carapace (the dark areas one the sides of the turtle) have not fused yet.

090

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

While I am a Star Wars fan and all for celebrating 5/4, nothing beats the unbalanced rhythmic heartbeat in Mars, The Bringer of War by Gustav Holst. youtu.be/Jmk5frp6-3Q?...

youtu.be

Gustav Holst - Mars

YouTube video by HDclassical

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

One of the benefits to having a large TBR books stack is your spouse doesn't realize when you add to it.

020

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

It's funny when someone is mad at you (for a stupid reason) but they still watch every reel you post.

010

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I went to a nearby park with the intent to hike & make more observations for the City Nature Challenge. I got to a river crossing. It looked so inviting. Drove back home and got my kayak. Soon I was on the creek. Saw this absolutely beautiful Texas Cooter basking amongst the duckweed🐢 #herps

A large female Texas Cooter turtle is basking on a log. The log, the turtle, and the water is covered in duckweed.

06012

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Did a deep cleaning of my Tokay Gecko tank today. Might as well continue annoying her with a photo shoot. She did great and got her payment at the end. #herps #gecko 🦎

Tokay gecko looks directly at photographer with a slightly open mouth

Tokay gecko has a Dubia roach in her mouth. The roach is perpendicular to the gecko and facing away from the camera

0181

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

The first turtle survey of the year was a big success, all 93 pounds of it! There were 3 other turtle species seen this weekend and one snake! Great start to turtle season! #herps #snappingturtle #herpetology

A large male Alligator snapping turtle is sitting on a leaf covered bank. Behind him a small creek curves to the back. Green trees are on the opposite bank. The turtle is looking to his left with his mouth agape.

0101

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

The drought in South Texas has been really bad. While we were supposed to get good rain today, the .02 inches I got today isn't going to help. Imagine my surprise when I found the Gulf Coast Toad in my yard tonight. Hopefully that means rain is on the way.

A toad sitting next to rocks and grass behind it

020

Sal @thesalamander.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Finally got to name a new species! Introducing to the world, Terrapene stultusquartimensisi, the Green Spotted Box Turtle 🐢#herps

0121