On my way out from the creek today noticed several very large, mature milkweed plants.  On them were a number of catepillars and they appeared to be feeding on them. I hadn’t really noticed them on other milkweed plants befreo usually see the monoarch larva and not hese guys. As it turns out they are not butterfly larva but instead moths known as milkweed tussock moth caterpillars

 Queen snake and what I believe may be a juvenile three lined or possibly a longtail salamander-Eurycea genus. The snake was found under a rock along shaded stream bank. The salamander was under a rock but in a  shaded tributary of Popes Head Creek.

Queen snakes prefer eating molting crayfish are a very sensitive species to change in their environment.  I have sen an abundance of crayfish in Popes Head but don’t often encounter these gentle snakes as much as I did in the past.

Close up of the queen snake.

Profile shot of same Salamander

top view of the Salamander