Four participants enjoyed splendid weather for this final survey of 2012; the morning began with temperatures at freezing but quickly warmed up in the sunshine. We occasionally find the shed skins of snakes. This time we found a perfect example (see below) that even preserved a hint of the living animal's coloration. When snakes shed, the outer epidermal layer loosens, splits at the mouth, and the reptile then wiggles and rubs it off, frequently leaving the entire skin intact but inside-out. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: hoarfrost on bluebonnet leaf photo by Val Bugh Aon noctuiformis (moth) photo by Val Bugh Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue larva) photo by Val Bugh Chlorostrymon simaethis (silver-banded hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Danaus gilippus (queen, male) photo by Val Bugh Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary) photo by Val Bugh Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary, female) photo by Val Bugh Apis mellifera (honey bee) photo by Val Bugh Sternidius mimeticus (long-horned beetle) photo by Val Bugh Coccinella septempunctata (seven-spotted ladybird larva) photo by Val Bugh Gonia sp. (tachinid fly) photo by Val Bugh Eupeodes volucris (flower fly) photo by Val Bugh Camptoprosopella sp. (lauxaniid fly) photo by Val Bugh Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper nymph) photo by Val Bugh Panorpa nuptialis (scorpionfly, female) photo by Val Bugh Chinavia hilare (green stink bug) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (harvestman) photo by Val Bugh Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas patchnose snake, shed skin) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mammals: Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) Reptiles: Texas Patchnose Snake (Salvadora grahamiae lineata), shed skin Misc.: Harvestman (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Phyciodes phaon   Phaon Crescent       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Vanessa virginiensis   American Lady       Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Euptoieta claudia   Variegated Fritillary       Libytheana carinenta   American Snout       Danaus gilippus   Queen    pieridae   Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur    lycaenidae   Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue       Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)       Leptotes marina   Marine Blue       Chlorostrymon simaethis   Silver-banded Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper    noctuidae   Aon noctuiformis   Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult & larva)       Cycloneda sanguinea   Red Ladybird    chrysomelidae   Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle       Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle    cerambycidae   Sternidius mimeticus   Long-horned Beetle    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle hemiptera   miridae   Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug       Halticotoma valida   Yucca Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Chinavia hilare   Green Stink Bug (adult & nymph)       Thyanta custator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Neokolla dolobrata   Leafhopper       Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper (nymph) hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    halictidae   Halictus sp.   Sweat Bee       Unknown sp.   Green Sweat Bee    vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Eumenes bollii   Potter Wasp diptera   syrphidae   Dioprosopa clavata   Flower Fly       Copestylum tamaulipanum   Flower Fly       Eupeodes volucris   Flower Fly       Allograpta obliqua   Flower Fly    lauxaniidae   Camptoprosopella sp.   Lauxaniid Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    anthomyiidae   Unknown sp.   Root Maggot Fly    calliphoridae   Cynomya cadaverina   Bluebottle Fly    sepsidae   Unknown sp.   Black Scavenger Fly    tachinidae   Gonia sp.   Tachinid Fly odonata   libellulidae   Sympetrum sp.   Meadowhawk orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph) mecoptera   panorpidae   Panorpa nuptialis   Scorpionfly araneae   thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider    anyphaenidae   Hibana sp.   Ghost Spider    oxyopidae   Oxyopes salticus   Striped Lynx    araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider (eggs)