An hour in Alabama

[russ]

Went out to Redstone Arsenal the other day and had just enough time the first day to bolt down to Bankhead NF for about an hour before dusk. They had had some torrential rains that day with more in the area. I stopped at this rill to flip a couple of rocks.
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This P.mississippi was under the first branch I turned.
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I found this unidentified larva in the open, and cupped it for a better pic. I'm guessing it's a Desmognathus based on the faint line from the eye.
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I found this dusky after a couple of rocks, also cupped for a better pic. Any guesses on the species? It had no pattern, though this may be due to age.
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The rill fed into this stream.
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I "shined" some cracks and crevices in the rock overhang seen above. There were P.ventralis, E.l.longicauda and A.aeneus present. The A.aeneus (fully protected in AL) was the only species I was able to coax out for a pic before the rains hit again and I had to call it a day.
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Short but sweet.
RUSS

 

[russ]

Thanks. Base on Conant's field guide the dusky should be fuscus. If I didn't know better I'd swear I took a wrong turn and it was a brimleyorum. I use to see a lot of them in the Ouchitas and this one is a dead ringer for one. I'm leaning to monticola based on its uniform vent. I must have been on the western edge on their range.

RUSS

 

[joeri]

Cool pics, I love the P.mississippi

 

[josh]

russ, excellent pics and excellent animals as always! those A. aeneus are sooo cool!