An Emergence Event

Over the past couple of days I've continually gone out sampling. While out and about, I found a baby water snake and managed to catch it after a few tries. While handling it, I found a bulge in its side. I felt it and found it to be conicle and quite sharp at the end, and so I believe it might have eaten a snail...which is kind of strange.

Aside from my snake encounter, I managed to acquire quite a few specimens. I actually found one of my favorite kinds of Trichoptera (caddisfly larvae), it looks quite similar to a spider with long thin legs that were black at the joints.

I was so fascinated by this little guy that I couldn't stop taking pictures of him, and since he was one of the few who decided not to scurry under rocks the moment I placed him in the tank, he was quite photogenic.

Since the water was down I was more able to explore the river this time around, and found quite a few unique areas. A little hollow under a tree was the most promising, except I was suspect of there being a snapper hidden there. Most of the areas I found were full of crayfish, which usually isn't much of a problem, but they were so dense that every rock I picked up was hiding one or two.

Later in the evening, I found that one of my mayflies had molted and become an adult. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I opened the lid to the tank and it flew out before I could take a picture. I guess I know now that the mosquito net needs to be put in place.