Paynes Prairie DUW

[mongoose5971]

Any of the Gainesvillians on this site knows all about this wall. It is the wall to the ecopassage that runs underneath a small stretch of 441 that crosses through Paynes Prairie. It's a great way to go on mini herping expeditions in your spare time. We also rode down Wacahoota Rd, another known herping spot nearby but only spotted 2 DOR snakes. Somehow we managed not to see a single gator, but I'm sure it was because the vegitation was so overgrown. As far as the cottonmouths...we didn't see a single other snake species, most of these pictures are of different animals, and we didn't photograph every one we saw...
Passion flower with and without flash


Cottonmouth coming up on another cottonmouth, doing the "cobra"

Short video of the two interacting

Sleeping cottonmouth

Rabbit foraging

Cottonmouth resting its head

Cottonmouth hiding

Cottonmouth saying "hello"

Another rabbit

Lighter colored cottonmouth

My favorite snake of the trip

HILARIOUS little rat. Directly in front of him is a PVC pipeline in the wall. After we snapped our pictures he tried to take off into the tunnel but his hindquarters didn't fit! He pulled himself back out and ran away as if embarrassed and then proceeded to crash into a tree.

Just look at his beedy little eyes!

Scenery

[Sakara]

I miss that place I miss florida... sucks I'll never be able to move back now maybe get a condo for vacation

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[telefrag]

cool pics!
what a neat little spot.

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[Sakara]

paynes prairie stretch is also a great spot to race

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[Rachel SS]

Originally Posted by Sakara

paynes prairie stretch is also a great spot to race

not anymore cops EVERYWHERE...

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[Sakara]

dang it has been a couple years since I've lived there >.<

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[TammyJamaica]

Wow, this is a lovely place, wish I could be there.

I may visit Florida in July but it's in the South that I will be going. I do have a sister in law in Gainesville but she is NOT into reptiles or other critters either! Weird.

I wish that little rat all the luck in the world, what with all those snakies about! DON"T wakey wakey little snakies!

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[mongoose5971]

I love going there in the summer, right before dusk is the best. There's another spot inside the prairie I'm going to try and hit in the next week or two where there's HUNDREDS of gators, and of course more snakes. More pics to come Anyone ever driving though Florida should definitely stop by, it's just a little boardwalk on the side of the road but if you walk down the wall you're guaranteed a show

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[Ali]

Great finds!

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