Here's a small collection of critters found roaming outside the house. Some types have been posted before and some may be new.
A very attentive mantis on the scooter. At first I thought it was some kind of leaf litter picked up on the road, then I did a double take and realized it was a big insect staring at me. Never encountered them before I moved to Thailand. I always thought they were cool and this one followed every move like he was giving it a lot of thought.
A big fat frog of some kind that came in out of the rain.
Another one of those huge scorpions escaping a downpour. This one about 15 cm long. We get a lot of these in the rainy season. As with most critters I encounter, I spare them if possible and in this case I scooped it up in a dust pan and deposited it outside the garden wall.
A rat snake of some sort on the prowl.
A large snail in the garden.
A neighborly tokay gecko.
This one was taken at the Lopburi zoo (I would be a bit alarmed if I found this one cruising through our yard). A several meter long king cobra consuming another snake.