Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, 1200 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, FL 33149
25°40’27.02″N 80°09’29.55″W elev 1 ft

Among the long overgrown campsites where only forgotten trail seekers dare to go…

Giant Zebra Long Wings are everywhere.

And so are Golden-Silk spiders, also known as banana spiders. This one was about 4 inches long. Their bite is less painful than a bee’s, and apparently, “In the South Pacific, females are induced to build webs on bamboo frames, which are then used as fish nets. The natives also relish the gravid females as a protein supplement, eating them either raw or roasted. Different reports say that the flavor is somewhat like mixed raw potato and lettuce mixed, or nutty flavored like peanut butter with a sticky consistency (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/golden_silk_spider.htm)”.

Ficus roots give Ollie a height advantage.

The sable palmetto is not just a tree, it’s a habitat.

One of South Florida’s many thorny vines…

Is no match for Gauthier as he takes a photo of a dragonfly with his Lytro.

A lizard (Eastern Fence?) with a skull pattern on its head reminds vagrant hikers of the dangers of hiking off the beaten path.