What a pleasant surprise it was to find this beauty hiding in the rocks at my community pool.
My daughter Kiko and her friends were chasing lizards (Brown Anoles) when she saw this hiding in the rocks. She thought it was some sort of shell or ball at first and then realized it was moving!
Unfortunately I did not have my Nikon and had to use my Galaxy S9+ to take pictures, but it all worked out in the end. What an amazing creature!
I had to look it up, but was able to quickly identify it as an Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes Tityus). No two shells are alike - they are unique to each individual. Close inspection of this shell certainly supports that theory.
He started to walk towards the pool and we carefully placed him back under cover. I hope we see more in the future, they are fascinating to watch!
All pictures taken by 