's Avatar

@ron-kichurchak

I'm a wetland ecologist and conservation biologist with the NYS DEC. Obsessed with reptiles, amphibians, spiders, insects, and other creepy crawlies.

5,668
Followers
5,157
Following
164
Posts
14.11.2024
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by @ron-kichurchak

I've worked with pygmies and I've encountered one in the wild in FL. Very cool little snakes. Their rattle is barely audible and sounds like the wing beats of a bumblebee. I've only seen massasauga in zoos. We have easterns here in NY, but only in two small isolated populations.

05.03.2026 11:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Very cool. I'll have to check this out.

05.03.2026 00:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I'm jealous. I'm too far north for them.

05.03.2026 00:48 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Most snakes are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for.

03.03.2026 00:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Pygmy rattlesnake?

02.03.2026 14:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They're pretty docile. They just hang out in the water pretending to be leaves.

02.03.2026 14:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

This is probably one of the coolest reptiles. The tentacled snake is an aquatic southeast Asia native. It uses its tentacles to sense prey.

01.03.2026 23:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 152 ๐Ÿ” 17 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Post image
24.02.2026 18:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 22 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image
23.02.2026 17:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 17 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They're pretty much harmless.

23.02.2026 17:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Brazilian jewel tarantula (Typhochlaena seladonia)

22.02.2026 18:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 29 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Everything is edible at least once.

20.02.2026 22:45 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Fried egg jellyfish. A short-lived species that's harmless to humans.

19.02.2026 22:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 70 ๐Ÿ” 10 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Post image

Psychedelic frogfish

15.02.2026 19:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 73 ๐Ÿ” 8 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

McCoy's elf skink from northeastern Australia. Look at those stubby little arms, likely an adaptation to its burrowing lifestyle.

07.02.2026 18:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 606 ๐Ÿ” 67 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 16 ๐Ÿ“Œ 11
Post image

Mantis spp in the genus Empusa, I believe

05.02.2026 11:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 40 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It's not my pic, but they're found in New Guinea. This one is likely a pet, though.

03.02.2026 18:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

A beautiful boelen's python

02.02.2026 13:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 71 ๐Ÿ” 11 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I love furry critters, too. But I also love scaley, slimy, and creepy crawly creatures. They're all fascinating.

29.01.2026 19:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Pinocchio anole. A rarely seen species from Ecuador.

27.01.2026 15:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 406 ๐Ÿ” 63 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 17 ๐Ÿ“Œ 5
Post image
27.01.2026 15:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 42 ๐Ÿ” 16 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

This is what happens when a frog and a giraffe have too much to drink. Not my picture. Dendropsophus reticulata

21.01.2026 16:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 54 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They have a safe word.

18.01.2026 18:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hispa atra, I believe. It's found throughout Eurasia.

18.01.2026 18:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

This might be the most metal beetle I've ever seen.

18.01.2026 17:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 425 ๐Ÿ” 86 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 10 ๐Ÿ“Œ 7
Post image
18.01.2026 17:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 38 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Gaboon viper, I believe. Or possibly a rhino viper. They're in the same genus.

13.01.2026 17:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Very cool. The world needs more entomologists, especially ones with a conservation mindset.

13.01.2026 17:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Very cool antlion species

12.01.2026 16:30 ๐Ÿ‘ 42 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Post image

Not my picture. I just love frilled dragons.

06.01.2026 14:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 46 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1