The Carnivorous Plant FAQ Field Trip Report -

Sarracenia alata with a lagniappe, 2005

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This little guy that I found is of course Drosera capillaris. Just to make sure, though, I examined the stipules on a few leaves (this technical detail can help in tricky cases). This is not a particularly good photograph, but it took forever to take because even after I got the exposure, composition, and focus ready, I had to sit on my hands for a long time before I could take it, because fire ants were hustling about everywhere, and I just didn't want them in the photograph. (You can see a few dead ants in the leaves, yum yum.) Finally, I found a moment where all the fire ants were out of the frame. Little monsters.

This was the last frame on my roll and the rest of my film was back in the car. Even though it was just five minutes away, this was irritating and I will let you imagine the cursing that occurred. So I splashed my way along the grassy road back to the car. (Now ankle-deep in water, the road was dry when we first arrived--the flood waters were rising!) I radioed to Beth on my walkie-talkie, and as I was telling her about the flooding I nearly trod upon a watersnake (Nerodia sp.). No, it was not a venomous cottonmouth, but it was still an invigorating surprise. I think my words transmitted to Beth were,
"Really, the water is getting wha-SH-ACK!!! (*click*)"

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Revised: October 2007
©Barry Rice, 2005