Rick - Photo Albums

Aquarena Springs - San Marcos

21 images

The abundance of fresh water made these Springs a mecca for Indians who inhabited Central Texas and later for the European explorers and settlers who followed. The name San Marcos was first given to a Central Texas river by the Alonso de Leon expedition on April 26, 1689 (St. Mark's Day). The name was not applied to the present river, however, until 1709. Other explorers inspected this area and in 1755 it became a temporary site for several Spanish missions.
Other (shots that don't fit anywhere else)

23 images

Odds and ends.
Spiders and Scorpions

29 images

Scorpions are eight legged venomous invertebrates belonging to the class Arachnida, and the order Scorpiones. They are related to spiders, mites, ticks, and harvestmen as well as other members of the Arachnida class. They possess an extended body and a segmented, erectile tail ending with the telson (the sting). There are roughly 1,300 species of scorpions worldwide.

About 90 species are found in the U.S. All but four of these naturally occur west of the Mississippi River. Scorpions are most common in southern Arizona and in parts of Texas and central Oklahoma.

Most species of scorpions reach adulthood at a length of between 2 and 3 inches.The longest scorpion in the world is probably the African Scorpion (Hadogenes troglodytes) which grows to over 8 inches in length. In the U.S., members of the genus Hadrurus (giant desert hairy scorpions) are probably the largest, growing to a length of about 5 inches.

Behavior
Scorpions are nocturnal. They often ambush their prey, lying in wait as they sense its approach. They consume all types of insects, spiders, centipedes, and other scorpions. Larger scorpions may feed on vertebrates, such as smaller lizards, snakes, and mice if they are able to subdue them. They capture their prey with their pedipalps, paralyzing them with their venom as well if necessary. The immobilized prey is then subjected to an acid spray that dissolves the tissues, allowing the scorpion to suck up the remains.

Life Cycle
The pedipalps are used in scorpion courtship behavior. The male performs a kind of dance with the female, grabbing her pedipalps with his own and dragging her across the ground until he locates a preferred place to deposit his spermatophore, which is then drawn up into the female's genital pore, near the front on the underside of her abdomen. Some species' courtships include a sexual sting of the female by the male.

Scorpion gestation periods vary from several months to a year and a half, depending on the species. Each brood will consist of about 24-35 young. They are viviparious - the young develop as embryos in the female's ovariuterus. The young scorpions are born two at at time, climbing onto their mother's back to be carried there until their first molt in about two weeks, when they will be large and strong enough to take care of themselves.

Scorpion lifespans range from three to five years, though some species are thought to live 10-15 years. Some kinds of scorpions show more sophisticated social behaviors, like colonial burrowing, and living in familial groups that may share burrows and food.

Scorpion Venom
Scorpion venom is used to subdue prey and to defend against threats, as well as in the mating process. The composition and action of the venom varies from species to species. The venoms are mixtures of salts, small molecules, peptides, and proteins. The peptides are specialized; some act against invertebrates and some against vertebrates, and some target both. This complex formula results in a neurotoxin which depolarizes the nervous system of the victim.

Scorpions are apparently able to regulate the delivery of the venom in scale to the size of their target. Some scorpions are known to produce a transparent prevenom in addition to the more potent opaque venom which is loaded with additional toxin. The use of the prevenom occurs at the initiation of the threat or opportunity. If the action persists, the opaque venom is released. These abilities enable the scorpion to conserve the venom for use when it is needed most, for larger predators or prey.

Only one species of scorpion in North America and about 20 others worldwide have venom potent enough to be dangerous to human beings. The North American species, Centruroides exilicauda (formerly called C. sculpturatus), is found over much of Arizona and Mexico. It is also known as the Arizona Bark Scorpion. A small population occurs in extreme southeastern California, and a few records exist for southern Utah and small parts of Texas, New Mexico and Nevada. The venom of this scorpion can cause severe pain and swelling at the site of the sting, numbness, frothing at the mouth, respiratory difficulties, muscle twitching, and convulsions. Death is rare, especially in more recent times.

Ancestry
Scorpions have been found in many fossil records, including coal deposits from the Carboniferous Period and in marine Silurian deposits. They are thought to have existed in some form since about 425–450 million years ago. They are believed to have an oceanic origin, with gills and a claw like appendage that enabled them to hold onto rocky shores or seaweed.
George Ranch, Houston, TX

16 images

Historical Park
Discover an unforgettable experience: the traditional life of a cowboy! You will see barns, corrals, chicken coops, roping, cattle chutes and the dipping vat.
Avery Island

23 images

Avery Island is a salt dome located in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, about three miles (5 km) inland from Vermilion Bay, which in turn opens onto the Gulf of Mexico.
Avery Island is famous as the home of Tabasco sauce, which has been manufactured on the island by McIlhenny Company since 1868. Avery Island is also home to Jungle Gardens and a well-known bird sanctuary called Bird City, where each spring thousands of snowy white egrets and other migratory water birds return to nest.
Owls

14 images

Guess I will start their own album and add more when the babies come out.
For Poet

20 images
Not my Photos but odd or funny anyway.

77 images
Pets

26 images
Galveston

14 images
Chickens

24 images

Some people don't get it. Watching chickens can be the greatest thing for your health. You would be suprized at how much of a stress relief it can be.
Pretty Places

23 images
Skys

39 images
Old Places

49 images

An old or abandon building can say soooo much.
Animals

59 images
Flowers

30 images
Flight

7 images

I stopped along the highway one afternoon to snap a couple of shots of a guy in power sail. He landed and after we talked for a while, he invited me to go up with him. Well, I am getting old anyway. Might as well take the risk