My Manor

Skinks refer to a group of about 1,275 species of lizards found worldwide. They are primarily distributed in tropical regions, with some species also found in the temperate regions of North America. However, the highest concentration of species is in Southeast Asia and its neighboring islands. The largest skinks can grow up to 66 centimeters, though most are much smaller, typically not exceeding 20 centimeters. The skink Jiang Hai encountered was only about 15 or 16 centimeters, including its tail.

In reality, considering its size, this skink might not seem large enough to soak in wine. But since it was Jiang Hai's first encounter with one, he wasn't about to let it slip away. At Jiang Hai's signal, Xiao Huang immediately hid.

He then approached the stone where the skink was hiding and swiftly slapped it to the ground before it could escape.

Unfortunately, this was the first time Xiao Huang had encountered such a creature. While it was highly intelligent, knowing how to position itself behind a snake's head when capturing it, and how to bite off the neck of a turkey, it still underestimated the skink. Although it struck the skink first, most of the force landed on its tail. Just as Xiao Huang thought he had caught it and was about to call Jiang Hai over, the skink's tail detached, a defense mechanism common among small lizards like geckos.

The skink, having shed its tail, darted away before Xiao Huang could react. As it swiftly moved through the gaps between the stones, it quickly disappeared from sight.

"Damn, it got away." Xiao Huang looked bewildered at the half-broken tail in his paw, while Jiang Hai, who had rushed over, could only smile helplessly. He had forgotten that skinks, like geckos, could break off their tails to escape.

"Good job, you'll get a pat on the head later," Jiang Hai reassured, knowing it wasn't Xiao Huang's fault. The dog hadn't known about the skink's escape tactic. Jiang Hai tossed the broken tail aside and patted Xiao Huang's head with a smile.

Xiao Huang, feeling somewhat embarrassed, stuck out his tongue in response.

Soon, nature gave him another chance to shine. The weather that day was perfect—sunny with the sun high in the sky, which was ideal for cold-blooded animals like skinks.

Less than five minutes later, they spotted another skink. This one was slightly larger, about 21 or 22 centimeters. Without waiting for Jiang Hai's command, Xiao Huang crept up, then swiftly pinned the skink under his claws. The skink, startled by the sudden attack, tried to flee but struggled helplessly. This time, Xiao Huang had learned from his previous mistake. He immediately pressed the skink's head, making sure not to let go despite its attempts to escape.

"Well done," Jiang Hai praised as he approached, patting Xiao Huang's head. He grabbed the skink and stuffed it into his backpack. Unlike snakes, skinks need to be soaked to death before they can be dried and used for soaking in wine. Thankfully, with the current sunny weather in Boston, the skink would dry out in a few days.

With this skink, Jiang Hai's mood lifted. The group continued their trek into the mountains. Soon, they encountered several more skinks, which mostly fed on bird eggs, frog eggs, small fish, and insects. These animals weren't particularly rare in the mountains, especially near water and grass.

In no time, Jiang Hai had caught five large skinks. Realizing that the population of skinks in the area wasn't abundant, he decided to stop catching them, allowing them to reproduce.

If skinks were no longer on his list, Jiang Hai turned his attention to finding snakes. As if fortune was on his side, less than ten minutes later, Xiao Hei discovered a gray figure coiled in the sunlight.

"It's a mud ball!" Jiang Hai exclaimed as he slowed his pace.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hei and Xiao Huang immediately wanted to approach, but Jiang Hai called them back. Unlike previous encounters with non-venomous snakes, this was a venomous mud ball (pit viper). If bitten, it could pose a serious risk. So, Jiang Hai motioned for the others to retreat and slowly approached the snake himself.

The mud ball, scientifically known as the pit viper or spotted snake, is a venomous species with many variations. They are distributed worldwide, with some famous types including the pit viper, intermediate pit viper, and short-tailed pit viper. The well-known bamboo leaf green pit viper in China is also a variety of pit viper. In the Americas, the copperhead is the most common pit viper, though North America has relatively few truly venomous species compared to other regions. Australia, on the other hand, is home to numerous highly venomous creatures.

Jiang Hai carefully handled the pit viper, placing it into a ventilated cowhide bag, which kept it from suffocating while preventing it from biting through the material. Once secured, Jiang Hai tied the bag to his backpack.

The successful capture of the pit viper made Jiang Hai very happy. His goals for this trip were skinks, snakes, and antlers. With skinks and snakes already in his possession, he was well on his way to completing his mission.

Perhaps the mud ball brought him good luck. As he ventured further into the mountains, Jiang Hai encountered two more pit vipers. These two appeared to be a male and female. However, during mating season, they were... well, let's just say, occupied.

At this point, Jiang Hai didn't intend to catch the female snake. It was common for snakes to mate for extended periods, sometimes even up to an hour or two. He couldn't help but feel a little amused. After separating the pair, he released the female and placed the male in his bag.

Not long after, Jiang Hai encountered three more snakes. With those added to his collection, he had completed two-thirds of his mission.

"It's getting late; let's head back," suggested Kama Clive, noticing the time. Unlike Jiang Hai, who was always full of energy, the others were exhausted after hours of trekking through the mountains.

Jiang Hai looked at his watch and realized it was already 4 p.m.

"Do you think we can make it out before dark?" he asked Bell. Although they hadn't yet found any antlers, Jiang Hai and his team hadn't brought any camping gear, so they needed to leave before nightfall. While wild beasts weren't a big concern, venomous insects could pose a danger.

Bell took out a compass and map. "We should still have time. The skinks and snakes you've been looking for don't require much water, so you've been heading deeper into the forest. To find the deer, we can follow the water source."

Bell knew that although Jiang Hai had already achieved two of his goals, finding antlers wasn't particularly difficult. With the plan in place, they headed out of the forest.

The three girls sighed in relief, happy to be heading back. While they enjoyed the forest, they were growing tired, especially with all the lizards and snakes Jiang Hai kept catching. Like most women, they were not fond of these creatures, and they were no exception.

As the group walked, their steps lightened. Rather than retracing their steps, Bell suggested they head downstream along the river, hoping to encounter deer near the water.

By 5 p.m., as the sun began to set, they finally spotted a large herd of about fifty white-tailed deer. These deer were the most common species in the Appalachian Mountains.

Unlike elk or reindeer, which have large antlers and pose a greater threat, white-tailed deer are smaller, with adult males weighing around 100 kilograms. Their speed and reproductive rate make them the dominant species in the area. With the extinction of wild wolves and mountain lions in this region, white-tailed deer have become a major ecological force, often disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.