More Georgia Nature Sightings

A few more nature sightings from our recent trip to Georgia...

The first thing we encountered on our hike at Stillwater Creek State Park was the spider below. I remember seeing spiders like this in a book I had as a kid. The spiked abdomen is really cool. This one is an Arrow-shaped Micrathena (Micrathena sagittata).



Along the hiking trail, we also encountered this Tiger Beetle species. I think it is Cicindela unipunctata. Tiger Beetles, in the family Cicindelidae, are known for their speed, aggressiveness, and predatory behavior. Sorry for the blurry picture, but that little bugger wouldn't sit still. This is only the second species of Tiger Beetle I've ever seen, the other being the fairly common Six-spotted Tiger Beetle.



Finally, there were a ton of these tiny little toads hopping all around along the creek. They were less than an inch long and very quick. My reptile field guide wasn't much use for figuring out what these guys are. My knowledge of frogs and toads is pretty limited, so this may even be a frog and not a toad.