Paddleboarding and Reptiles

Sara and I went on a guided, stand up paddleboarding tour today with Chesapean Outdoors. This was our first try at paddleboarding, and I must say, it was some good fun. We really enjoyed ourselves. I could definitely see myself fly fishing off one of those as long as the water was pretty still. We paddled through First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. That place is a gem. We had jelly fish and rays in the water around us and ospreys above. The Bald Cyprus trees fill the swamps and Spanish Moss hangs from Live Oaks. This is the farthest north that Spanish Moss grows on the East Coast. 

Additionally, we spotted a few fun creatures in the park. There was a good sized Broadhead skink (Eumeces laticeps). I'd say about 9 inches. This is Virginia's largest species of skink and is quite arboreal. 

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/lizards/broad-head-skink/broad-headed_skink.htm

A little later on we saw a couple of Eastern Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus). This was pretty neat as, according to my copy of "Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia," They usually avoid dense woods. 

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/lizards/eastern-fence-lizard/northern_fence_lizard.htm

Once again, I must thank Jay from The Naturalist's Angle for providing me with a book that becomes more and more useful as time moves on.