wildlife in the summer

Just a couple of photos of backyard wildlife from this last summer . . .

MS. SPINY

One of the spiny lizards that inhabit my back yard. This one is probably a female, she was at least ten inches long (25-30 cm). I think she had molted VERY recently, because I've never seen such intense color on my backyard lizards. Here's a link to a brief video of a spiny on a tree much like this.

 Ms. Spiny was a great subject while I circled the tree to take photos from many angles. She didn't move a muscle, but her eye followed me the entire time.

I spotted this crab spider taking down some kind of bee or fly and I was struck by its color. It was the first time I noticed such a white spider. I thought it was unusual, but from the photos I saw while googling for information, it's rather a common color. Crab spiders depend on camouflage so they can surprise their victims; their venom quickly disables their prey. I guess pale flowers make for good hunting for this little arachnid. The purple flower is a scabiosa, which gives you an idea of how small this spider is.