Our next stop was a short nature trail running along the edge of a cypress swamp. The ground along the sides of the trail was muddy and wet in places, with standing water a hundred feet or more away. The area looked like pretty good habitat for a number of creatures. We looked under logs and chunks of bark as we went along, and scared up a couple Broadhead Skinks, although we couldn't get close enough for pictures.

After a while we came across piles of rocks and chunks of concrete that looked to have been there for years, and we worked these over pretty good. "Mud Snake!" Jim sang out from a pile he was working. "Two Mud Snakes!" Jim had two sub-adult Mud Snakes clutched in his hands. This was a new species for him and one he was hoping for - if we had left for home right then, I think Jim would have been satisfied.

They were beautiful little snakes, to say the least, but very difficult to photograph, as they insist on constantly moving. Of course, everyone wants a picture of the ventrals, and of course the snakes are even less inclined to hold an upside-down position. We were patient and took our time, and I got a few good shots out of the session.

Those snakes turned out to be our only finds on the trail. Moving on, I spotted another little turtle on the road, and this one was a neonate Redear, very far from water and baking on the hot blacktop. We grabbed this one up and let it go in the shallows along Lake Reelfoot.

By now it was late in the day, and time for us to think about getting some supper. We stopped at a grocery store and then headed back to our campground for supper and a beer or two. Jeff was interested in going back out that night and trying to get some video of calling Southern Leopard Frogs. This species does not start calling until late, midnight or later. I was really tired and short on sleep, but told Jeff I'd go along. We headed back close to the spot where we found the big Snapper, and I waited and slept in the car while Jeff slogged around in the water getting some video. I don't know how he did it - I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open. Jeff got some footage, but not as good as he had hoped for. I drove us back to the campground in a semi-lucid daze, and then crawled into my tent and dreamed of Leopard Frogs croaking all around me...