Maui Time (Pictures) -2

[Codeman]

That is so cool...

 

[Kiessling]

How big do they become?

And what about those worm with mouthes and teeth and such? I really find worms disgusting and of course I need a picture

bk

 

[McGizmo]

Bernie,
From HERE, I quote:

Adults are small and thin, averaging between 6.35-16.5 cm (2½ to 6½ inches) in length. The head and tail-tip look much the same, with no narrowing of the neck. The rudimentary eyes appear only as a pair of small dots under the head scales. The tip of the tail ends with a tiny pointed spur. The head scales are small and resemble those on the body. There are 14 rows of dorsal scales along the entire body. The coloration of the adults varies from shiny silver gray to charcoal gray or purple. The venter is grayish to brown. Juveniles are colored much the same as the adults.[3]
The tiny eyes are covered with translucent scales, rendering these snakes almost entirely blind. The eyes cannot form images, but are still capable of registering light intensity.

The worms I mentioned are skinny and similar in size to this small blind snake but you can see its head that looks kind of like a hammer head shark head and a mouth that opens and closes!?! I don't know if it is a worm or some kind of terestial leach and I admit I have avoided them as much as posible!! :green: Next time I see one, I'll consider trying to photograph it.

 

[StrikerDown]

I never thought about snakes eyes, except while playing with dice!

I googled Snake Eyelids:

a snake's eyes are always open, protected by immobile, transparent scales.

Snake (reptile), legless animal with a long, flexible body covered with overlapping scales. Snakes are reptiles, a diverse group of animals that also includes lizards, turtles, and crocodiles. Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards and share many characteristics with this group—particularly the so-called legless lizards, which have tiny, almost imperceptible legs. But unlike most lizards, snakes have thin, forked tongues, and they lack external ears. And while most lizards have movable eyelids that periodically close to protect and lubricate the eyes, a snake's eyes are always open, protected by immobile, transparent scales.
Source(s):

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_7615…

I didn't know that, but I must admit I have never seen a snake wink at me!

 

[lightheway]

bvh check your messages

 

[McGizmo]

When I was a kid and kept snakes in my room, I recall when they were in the process of shedding that their disposition could get quite cranky. I was told by someone that part of this was due to their impaired vision because of the old skin breaking clear of the eyes and clouding them up. I seem to recall being warned that a rattle snake could be down right inhospitable during the process! :green:

 

[jch79]

Don, can't believe you spotted this little guy (guy-girl is more like it!)... talk about needle in a haystack - this guy doesn't look to be too much bigger than a needle! :laughing:

 

[Codeman]

... I seem to recall being warned that a rattle snake could be down right inhospitable during the process! :green:

You recall correctly, sir. I saw this at least twice when I was growing up. Given an out, they will usually try to flee. Not so during a shed, probably because they can't see where to flee to.

 

[McGizmo]

Ray,
More has come back to me (funny how the brain cells fire; or don't). I seem to recall with snakes that often a milky looking eye was one of the first indications of a shed in the works. The other recollection that came back was that I wouldn't bother trying to feed a snake with milky eyes; especially the constrictors that I would give mice to. Presumably the impaired vision put them off feeding and probably also added to their less than optimal disposition. I don't know if it was a king or gopher snake but I remember one case where the mouse was riding around on its back and maybe even trying some nibbles. Agitated snake though!

With the anoles over here, as often as not, I have seen one (male or female) bust out of their old skin in the process of mating. Since they don't have any skin over their eyes they don't have the same problem as the snakes. They can also use their feet and digits to aid in shedding and getting the old skin off. Snake basically has to crawl out of its old skin and I can remember some intact skins with no tears or missing sections.

 

[Codeman]

That makes sense, Don. The only reason that I know what I do, was that it was necessary to know on my family's farm. Between a large, shallow pond and a large grove of trees, we had to constantly be the lookout for rattlers and cottonmouths. It didn't help that my uncle kept a few hundred head of cattle in the pasture behind the pond and buildings. The cattle had the effect of keeping the snakes close to the pond, trees, and the buildings. When cattle come across a snake, they stomp. And they don't stop when the snake is dead - they keep going until they're completely flattened. Snakes that wondered into the pasture rarely wandered back. So they tended to stay close to the humans, on the other side of the fences. It wasn't unusual to walk up to the front door and have a rattler or cottonmouth curled up on the steps. An old broom hung from a nearly tree, so that we could shoo them away.

Now that I think about it, this whole thing with snakes was the beginning of my interest in flashlights. Even on a full moon, we never walked to the barns, store, nor houses without one. It wasn't a matter of seeing where we were going so much as it was seeing everything within a few feet of your path so that you made it safely. We also had to keep an eye out for snapping turtles and fireants. Simply put, getting around his place in the dark without a light was dangerous. He gave me my first few flashlights (RayOVac chromies, I call them) for just this reason, and thus a hobby was born.

 

[socom1970]

Don,

I am always refreshed when I read your Maui Time thread. I have been to Hawaii once about 13 years ago for two weeks and I miss it so much.

I often look forward to reading your posts and responses to our posts, and seeing your world-class photographs of amazingly beautiful sea-life.

Thank you for keeping the thread on-going and sharing bits of your paradise with us!:thanks:

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

on the topic of snake eyes, my cat has strange secondary eyelids that remind me of alien eyes! I only really see them when I'm messing with him in his sleep. I'll wave food in front of his nose and move his arms and legs around, but when I open his eyes I see some crazy-looking white membranes, two of them, instead of seeing his eyeball. crocs have these too to protect their eyes when they go underwater, though I don't see my cat going underwater anytime in the near future. Or ever.

Still amazed at how small that little critter is

 

[McGizmo]

On the subject of small, many years ago, I came across a little frogfish while diving over here and unfortunately I didn't have a camera. I have always hoped for another chance to photograph one of these because they have a uniform and bright color making it easier to "see" them. I had hear of numerous sightings of just such frog fish out at the edge of the reef I visit all the time and after probably an accumulated hour of numerous searches from 25' above, I spotted one yesterday.

My sinuses and ears are not conducive to repeated dives down to these depths but this little guy beckoned! I'll probably go for a visit sometime this week with my scuba gear so I can spend some quality time at his displeasure. :green:

 

[London Lad]

He looks quite grumpy !

 

[London Lad]

Do you use a weight belt to get that deep Don ?

 

[Data]

WOW, great photos! Thanks so much.

 

[McGizmo]

Do you use a weight belt to get that deep Don ?

Unfortunately I am no longer negatively buoyant but I don't use a weight belt. The deeper you go, the less weight you need and I am neutral if not a bit negative down where this frogfish was. My problem is staying down now in the shallow water. :green:

 

[London Lad]

Think yourself lucky! I have never been negatively buoyant and can only just manage to swim down to my 'sinking point' but then I am rather err........ large

 

[Kiessling]

He looks somewhat grumpy indeed

What does all that talk mean? Negatively bouyant means going up automatically like fat swims on soup? Or vice versa? And what's that talk about bouyancy changing with depth?

bernie

 

[McGizmo]

At any level under water, if you are neutral buoyant, you stay where you are, positive buoyant you rise and negative, you sink. As you go deeper, the external pressure increases and in many cases, this pressure reduces your volume which in turn reduces your buoyancy. Scuba divers wear BC's (buoyancy compensators) with which to adjust their buoyancy at the various depths they wish to remain at without need to be swimming up or down to hold their position in the water column. A wetsuit has closed cells of air in it which compress under pressure and consequently the wetsuit looses its buoyancy as you go deeper. You inflate your BC to compensate for this as you increase its internal pressure of air so that it occupies a larger volume and displaces more water.

One of the reasons you need to get certified for scuba is because of this pressure change and how it effects physiological volumes in the body as well as gas bubbles in your blood stream. If you take a breath at 60' down and hold it when you rise to the surface, your lungs can burst from the expansion of the air. Conversely, take a full breath at the surface and dive down to 60' and your lungs have been compressed by the pressure and your lungs no longer have the same "full volume" of air that they occupied at the surface.