Label: Seymour Photographs
February 27, 2010
Snowfall in the country
Wet, soft snow sticks to the branches of trees and coats them until the temperature rises and the snow melts and softly falls to the ground.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
February 23, 2010
CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH IGUANAS IN ARUBA
Seymour Simon recently visited the island of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean Sea. Seymour takes his camera with him everywhere he goes, because you never know when you might find an interesting creature like this iguana.
The iguana is a protected species on the island of Aruba, and once the warm sun rises in late morning, it is not hard to find an iguana. On the tree trunks, in the bushes, or sunning on the warm tiles by the pool, iguanas seem to be everywhere in Aruba!
This is the iguana that Seymour was photographing.
You can see the row of spines along his back and tail - they help to protect him from predators. You might also notice that this iguana has a pouch of skin underneath his chin. This is called a dewlap, and he can make it seem much bigger than it really is, which is very useful when he is trying to ward off predators. Males use the dewlap to intimidate rivals and also to attract females during the mating season.
Some of the other lizards Seymour saw on Aruba are called Pega Pega - a cousin of the Gecko. They they have suction pads on their feet that allow them to climb straight up the side of the buildings!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
March 31, 2009
Meet the Author - Seymour Simon
Meet the Author - Seymour Simon
Posted by: Seymour Simon
February 13, 2009
Why does a water moccasin cross a trail?
I was walking down a trail in a swampy area near the shore in a National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia when this poisonous snake, a water moccasin, crawled out of the grasses on one side of the trail and headed across to the other side. Naturally, I had no objections. Why does a water moccasin cross a trail?
To get to the other side, of course. 
A water moccasin is also called a cottonmouth or a black moccasin. It’s called a cottonmouth because it will stand its ground and open its jaws, exposing the white lining of its mouth. Adult water moccasins are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite, but their reputation for attacking people without warning is not exactly accurate.
Water moccasins live in the Eastern part of the United States, usually near slow-moving streams and shallow lakes. They are strong swimmers and will even enter the ocean where they will sometimes swim to nearby islands.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
January 2, 2009
SEYMOUR PHOTO: Marsh near Bear Mountain
January 2, 2009
