#nature identification

[rebeccathenaturalist]

This FB post (which was public at the time I grabbed this screenshot) is Reason #90510 I teach nature identification classes and am SO adamant that my students look at ALL the details of a given animal/plant/fungus. Also, I ran the photo through iNaturalist just for the heck of it. Its first suggestion was timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), but its second was western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus). This is why you never, ever, ever use an app as our only tool for identification, because you need to also have the critical thinking and observation skills to be able to differentiate between species, to include when the app offers up two similar species where the difference can be a serious matter.

I hope the OP makes a quick and full recovery, because I can't imagine getting tagged by a venomous snake is much fun. Please skip any judgemental comments about Darwin Awards, etc.--I have seen plenty of intelligent people make bad mistakes, and have even made a few myself, though none with quite this level of consequence. It can happen to anyone; thankfully OP realized their error in time to get medical help.

[meltknuckles]

🐛🔍 hi there!! i'm looking for folks who would be interested in some v low stakes beta testing for a website/tool focused on nature identification i've been working on (especially folks who use iNaturalist).

i'm mostly looking for some more external feedback before i fully put it out into the world! feel free to contact me at meltknuckles@gmail.com or message me @meltknuckles on discord if you're interested in helping me out 💚

[niksstuff-foryou]

read.

hi so i got this nice book from my schools library its about plants yes I know astonishing and it has information my brain cant possibly hold so yea bye 😱

[rebeccathenaturalist]

An entire genus, Larus, is known as the "large, white-headed gulls". There are twenty-five species, and all except three of them as adults during breeding season can be described as a "medium to large white gull with a proportionately large plain white head and gray wings". And all but a couple of those have bright yellow beaks, several of which have red spots for the young to peck at.

And then you have the juveniles, which are all sorts of variations on the theme of "dirty gray". Even experienced birders can be moved to tears by gull identification--not because they are so beautiful, but because they are so frustrating.

gulls are proof that a) there is a god and b) that god enjoys the pain and suffering of birders

[hikercarl]

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[gracieellenhazel]

The biggest caterpillar I've ever seen. He crossed the whole road with my supervision. Look at that color!!

Polyphemus moth caterpillar.

Found in NY:)

[lucy-the-pirate]

@onenicebugperday found this cool lookin' bug at my local library the other day. I have no clue what it is, looks kinda like a bee or a wasp but a bit lankier, it looked like it was a bit less than 2 inches long, pretty big for bug standards. I love the white fluff around its neck!

[memoriesofthepark]

Pink cup lichen 》 Cladonia peziziformis

My first cladonia lichen! So gorgeous!!

Found growing on the stones of a fire pit.

Caddo Lake State Park, Texas, 3 Aug. 2024

[koenji]

alien-looking bugs (png).

[orion-starbelt]

Toads I think? I found them while doing lawn work. Anyone able to ID them?

Area is Southern Michigan

Enjoy the little amphibians though

[markscherz]

Found these in my garden and was curious what they are?

I'd say they're "gardenious frogos"

The first is a Pseudacris chorus frog, and the second is an Acris cricket frog. I cannot get any further with an identification without a locality, and even with a locality, some species co-occur, so it can be difficult without having the frogs in my own hands.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

For those who don't know, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) is one of five mushrooms, along with four Amanita species known colloquially as destroying angels, that I refer to collectively as the "deadly Amanitas". They all contain amatoxins that cause massive cell death in your liver within a few hours of consuming them, and half a cap can kill a healthy adult. There's no reliable cure, and all that can be offered is supportive care in the hopes you don't end up needing a liver transplant or simply dying.

This is why I bang the drum of identification so hard in my foraging classes. It is NOT enough to just look at a bunch of photos of mushrooms; you HAVE to be able to carry out a detailed observation of the physical characteristics of a mystery mushroom and then be able to use your observations in conjunction with LOTS of tools (not just one app or one field guide) to arrive at a positive I.D. You don't need to be a scientist to do this; you just need patience, critical thinking skills, and lots of practice.

I also want to emphasize, once again, that you should never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever use an ID app as your only tool, even if it's a really solid one like iNaturalist. Apps can be wrong more than occasionally, and I treat iNat as a way to get some suggested species to look into that might match my mystery mushroom, not the end point of identification.

There's no minimum number of field guides you should use, either; I've heard the assertion that if three field guides agree it must be right, but what if there's been new information that's come out since they were published? Apps, field guides, websites, blogs, journal articles, online foraging groups, other foragers in-person, classes--these are all the many resources available to you, and if you are relying on only one, you're much more likely to end up with a dangerous misidentification.

I see my job as a foraging instructor as doing my very best to make sure you don't end up as yet another cautionary tale, not just show you a bunch of pretty pictures. We have multiple examples of people who, for example, misidentified a poisonous mushroom with an app and ended up seriously regretting it. We don't know the whole story here, but it wouldn't surprise me if that's what occurred in this instance.

Be careful, be thorough, and when in doubt, throw it out. You can also contact me any time if you want my opinion on the ID of a particular mushroom--but DO NOT take my word as your only source!

[milkboxgalore]

Every outtake of these mushrooms.

They are not AI.

Seen on a hike in Hawaii.

[punkgardener]

GUYS I JUST SAW THE WEIRDEST BIRDS? THEY WERE JUST WALKING AROUND

CAN SOMEONE HELP ME FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE

My Artist rendition attached below

They were in a flock

[ostdrossel]

The Ceyomur trailcam has soldiered through some really nasty weather and surprised me with footage of what I believe to be a Hermit thrush. A totally adorable little bird. I wasn't sure of the exact ID at first but you can tell that the tail is reddish and a different color than the rest, which differentiate them from a Swainson's. (I hope I got that right, I looked it up 😛).

[somnambulant-seraphim]

Park fungi from last month. I was lucky to see some shaggy inky caps! <|:)