Pets/Wildlife

Sandra Vann, of Lutz, saw this yellow rat snake crawling up a tree and snapped the photo from the boardwalk at Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa.

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals that raise their body temperature by lying in the sun or lower it by crawling into the shade.

Sandra Vann, of Lutz, snapped a photo of this Roseate Spoonbill at Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa. Some consider the spoonbill to be a gorgeous bird, at a distance, but bizarre up-close. Spoonbills feed in shallow waters, walking forward slowly while they swing their heads from side to side, sifting the muck with their wide flat bill, detecting prey by feel.

Sharon Thompson caught this mockingbird on a roof in Country Walk, down the street from where she lives, in Wesley Chapel. A mockingbird is ‘a skillful mimic and incorporates memorized phrases as part of its song.’ The bird can have dozens of songs in its repertoire, including an imitation of a frog or cricket. In just an hour of singing time, one mockingbird reportedly imitated 55 species of birds.

One of five kittens in an alley cat’s litter, little Miss Princess is aptly named. Besides her gorgeous emerald green eyes, she is confident, serene and has a regal demeanor. Miss Princess loves to be outdoors and she reigns over all she sees. Curt Kibbe, of San Antonio, is her proud owner.

Charlie is a Lhasa mix and is 1 ½ years old. He enjoys playing with his owners’ grandson, Carter. He also loves the water and chasing lizards. Charlie lives with his family, Jim and Cheryl Cole, in Land O’ Lakes

Marjorie Hoffmann, of Lake Padgett Estates in Land O’ Lakes, took this photo of a wind-blown snowy egret in Belleair Beach. During the breeding season, adult snowy egrets develop long, wispy feathers on their backs, necks and heads.

Lauren Harkness took this photo of a baby alligator lounging at the pond on Sotogrande Loop in Country Walk, in Wesley Chapel.