Search found 74 matches

by joecop
August 30th, 2012, 7:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Just an update---my buddy called and said all of the eggs have finished hatchling that were in the tub pic. Stated all but a few hatched out and he released them close to the stump site. He is checking on the makeshift nest tomorrow to see how they made out. I am hoping they hatched out fine.


Joe
by joecop
August 17th, 2012, 2:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

hahahaha. TOO FUNNY Kyle.. Bet you are not the only one doing that. I know I will be checking them!!


Joe
by joecop
August 17th, 2012, 8:53 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Thanks Joe. Yep, I would bet they are probably laying in that tree. Good stuff.


Joe
by joecop
August 15th, 2012, 2:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

My pleasure Kyle. The fact that you guys like this as much as I do makes it all worth while!! I still cannot get over it. Just crazy to me.


Joe
by joecop
August 15th, 2012, 11:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

John---agreed. Regalringneck---They ALL appear to rat snakes. I talked with him today actually and he has not seen anything but rats. The tub he has, which I thought had 70-80 and counted 77 in the pic, he said has ninety when counted, all are hatching and are all rat snakes. He was shown the differ...
by joecop
August 14th, 2012, 5:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Sean, I have told him countless times how thankful myself and others are that he did this. Mind you, he is NOT a snake guy, and just has asked lots of questions about them over the years because he knows I like them. His wife can't stand them. However, they both took the time and effort, along with ...
by joecop
August 14th, 2012, 5:00 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

The kicker is there were eggs shells all over the place and they had moved tons of hatchlings already that can be added to the over two hundred unhatched eggs. I would have loved to know what the actual total egg count was in that stump.


Joe
by joecop
August 14th, 2012, 3:25 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

I can't see how four to five females laid this many eggs. He removed 210 eggs along with well over one hundred hatchlings. I have been herping around here for 37 years and have seen many black rats with eggs. I did not know about them having laid 44 eggs before, but I have not seen anywhere near tha...
by joecop
August 14th, 2012, 1:49 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Thanks guys! Yeah, the camera thing will eat at me forever. I will get back over there and try to get some habitat shots, as well as shots of the man made nest and hopefully hatched eggs! This is one of those stories that if someone told you this stuff you would laugh when they left and dismiss the ...
by joecop
August 14th, 2012, 5:40 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Your welcome guys! Thought some folks here would find this quite interesting. There is another very large dead tree about thirty yards away from this one that also is hollow at the base. I will have to come back next spring and see if maybe some of the females use that tree now that this one is gone...
by joecop
August 13th, 2012, 10:57 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Re: Black rat communal nest

Wow John. I had no idea 44 eggs had been recorded with a black rat. I was kind of going by what I have seen with ones I had when I was a kid and several gravid DOR's I have seen. I had a clutch of 18 from one when I was young, and two I saw last year DOR had 12 and 9 eggs. I guess there could have b...
by joecop
August 13th, 2012, 8:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Black rat communal nest
Replies: 37
Views: 10247

Black rat communal nest

Last year a buddy of mine called me from Poolsville and told me his neighbor was cutting down a tree and lots and lots of baby snakes were crawling out of the holes near the bottom. He knows I love snakes and tried to move as many a possible. He said there were "hundreds" coming out. LOL. ...
by joecop
August 3rd, 2012, 6:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: June and July- White Sands, West Texas, Arizona.
Replies: 42
Views: 16757

Re: June and July- White Sands, West Texas, Arizona.

Are you kidding me!!!! WOW. I very much enjoyed all of your photos, and as much as I loved the snake pics I must say those first few landscape photos were amazing. I love the mexican wolf and bear pics as well. With the look of her torn up nose I would say she has been doing a little fighting, and i...
by joecop
August 3rd, 2012, 6:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: If I could do it over ...
Replies: 22
Views: 3550

Re: If I could do it over ...

Good question. I would not change anything really, but maybe would not have taken the route I did when chasing the carjacking suspect that ended my career as a police officer.( resulted in me tearing my shoulder to oblivion. ) However, because of the injury I can herp pretty much as much as I want. ...
by joecop
May 19th, 2012, 7:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: your "I wish" finds by State
Replies: 68
Views: 46391

Re: your "I wish" finds by State

Florida: EDB AZ: Coral Ridge nose ratttlesnake MD: Coastal Plains milk Mole King, oh wait, I can mark those off!!! (actually not my find in the pic but one a friend found when I took him to one of my spots, I found one a couple days later) http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/moleking.png
by joecop
April 27th, 2012, 7:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Which Snake has the worst smelling musk?
Replies: 32
Views: 8330

Re: Which Snake has the worst smelling musk?

Great topic. I don't post much but felt compelled to join in on this. I have had the ringnecks, garters, rat snakes, water snakes, ect. from the east coast, but nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to a rubber boa's musk. I tried washing it off with not much luck. The smell is so bad that even I...
by joecop
February 25th, 2012, 4:44 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: First regurgitation now violent tremors and coils...
Replies: 24
Views: 5883

Re: First regurgitation now violent tremors and coils...

Zach, it sounds like some sort of poisoning to me. Maybe you did not get all the bleach rinsed out of a bowl or something. I would sterilize the heck out of that tank and throw away all bedding and bowls ect. Did you check the tank temps? I would think if the tank was steaming hot or something you w...
by joecop
November 9th, 2011, 5:56 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Wow, What a Year!!! It doesn't Get Any Better Than This!!!
Replies: 49
Views: 13068

Re: Wow, What a Year!!! It doesn't Get Any Better Than This

uhhhhh, yeah, I would say its been a good year for you. Holy crap!! Barn owl, canebrake , and the baby indigo were some of my favorites. How big was that one eastern king? (looks like a GA animal and looks BIG) Very impressive photography too. You just made my day :)

Joe
by joecop
October 27th, 2011, 2:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Name that snake...
Replies: 31
Views: 4313

Re: Name that snake...

Gulf hammock rat maybe?
by joecop
October 21st, 2011, 6:02 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Anyone know this guy?
Replies: 73
Views: 19265

Re: Anyone know this guy?

Ugh----I wrote that, not Dragon. No, I was not an eagle scout, but I am a retired police officer. I talked to Nick and heard his side of the story. If what he is saying is true, and I believe it is, then he did absolutely nothing wrong that I can see. Maybe not letting them search his car was not a ...
by joecop
October 21st, 2011, 2:15 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Anyone know this guy?
Replies: 73
Views: 19265

Re: Anyone know this guy?

I think that is fair.
by joecop
October 21st, 2011, 7:11 am
Forum: News
Topic: Anyone know this guy?
Replies: 73
Views: 19265

Re: Anyone know this guy?

I have talked with Nick and it appears to me he has done nothing wrong and I think folks should let him have his day in court before casting judgements. Just my opinion. If they are going to arrest him for what he did ,should they not arrest all the reptile dealers who travel through GA on their way...
by joecop
October 15th, 2011, 8:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica - Amphibians Part 1
Replies: 30
Views: 7938

Re: Costa Rica - Amphibians

WOW!! I shall take my camera outside and smash it now. EXCELLENT photography. Must have taken a long time to get all those shots. As others have stated, thanks for posting them. I am not even a frog guy and I keep going back to look at this post.
by joecop
October 15th, 2011, 8:11 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Artificial Cover
Replies: 19
Views: 3051

Re: Artificial Cover

I prefer plywood. Having said that, tin is much better IMO early and late in the season. One thing to remember about tin----with the economy the way it is ,almost all of my tin sites have been picked up. People are taking the tin for the recycling value. In some spots I have folks have stripped the ...
by joecop
October 14th, 2011, 6:45 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Francisco, East Texas, and the Blue Ridge
Replies: 21
Views: 3219

Re: San Francisco, East Texas, and the Blue Ridge

Your photography is top notch. Hard to pic a favorite but I just love that first shot. I would have been very nervous coming across a bear with her cubs!
by joecop
October 9th, 2011, 6:33 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: This Weekend at Snake Road
Replies: 22
Views: 4048

Re: This Weekend at Snake Road

Tim, looks like you had an awesome trip and congrats on all the finds. As I have stated, and everyone else has too, that red is quite the looker and one of the nicest I have seen posted. I wish the cottonmouths were more plentiful :). Man, is the population that heavy with those there!. Awesome.

Joe
by joecop
September 3rd, 2011, 10:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

Vince, thank you for the appology. I really mean that. I did get offended by the fifth grade science comment and it shows what kind of person you are to man up and appologize. Many would not. I too got hot headed and went on the offensive and am sorry also. My goodness, a happy ending to a disagreem...
by joecop
September 3rd, 2011, 5:12 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

Vince, while on the northeast chapter I could not help noticing your triple flip. (black rat, garter not in photo, and LTT). I also noticed the rat and LTT were in shed. I also noticed the LTT to have all its shed in place in the first couple of shots. I also noticed how the LTT was held up by its t...
by joecop
September 3rd, 2011, 5:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Albino Butlers Garter & Case Closed
Replies: 26
Views: 5665

Re: Albino Butlers Garter & Case Closed

Carl, what an awesome post. Congrats on the albino and on getting permission to raise it up.:) If folks don't think you conclusive proof of nesting sites now then they never will. WOW. When I first glanced at the pic of Dusty with the "neonate" I thought the child had hair standing straigh...
by joecop
September 3rd, 2011, 1:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

You guys posted the same thing I was just going to post. LOL. I know for a fact that flipping boards and handling snakes makes them regurgitate because I have seen it. Do people think when they flip a snake and then pose it for photographs it does not stress the snake out? If you have other evidence...
by joecop
September 2nd, 2011, 7:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

5th grade science? I have been herping for 36 years now and have been studying this certain population for the last five years. I now know where they hibernate (three seperate populations), time to find them, temperature to find them, and many other aspects of their behavior. Most of this informatio...
by joecop
September 2nd, 2011, 2:42 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

Lame? I bet you have never captured an animal that regurgitated a meal. Please. I bet I see her again within the next year and she will be larger and fine. Unless another LTT eats her.

JOe
by joecop
August 31st, 2011, 9:14 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Re: Ltt eating their own

I would not worry about the snake losing that meal. She has plenty of weight on her and is at least two years old. I feel worse for the little female hatchling. I released the larger female today and I have no doubt she will be just fine.


Joe
by joecop
August 30th, 2011, 11:23 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ltt eating their own
Replies: 23
Views: 4012

Ltt eating their own

I am not sure this has been documented before, but here we go. I flipped a hatchling LTT yesterday morning and had noted the markings, then released her under the board where she was found. I don't sleep well so tonight decided to see if I could catch some LTT out on the prowl and under some of my b...
by joecop
August 28th, 2011, 6:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hurricane Irene
Replies: 16
Views: 1999

Re: Hurricane Irene

Pete, very cool you have kept data on those LTT. I plan to do the same thing next year. I have found close to thirty this year and none have been the same animals. So, prior to the storm I made a post and I went out today and flipped the same board lines. I found another LTT (adult this time) , and ...
by joecop
August 27th, 2011, 10:10 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hurricane Irene
Replies: 16
Views: 1999

Re: Hurricane Irene

Vince, interesting you posted this. I am trying to see how this effects my board lines. I went and flipped today, just prior to the storm. I flipped three seperate lines I have on private property and produced three garters, one ringneck, and one milk snake. I am going to flip the same board lines a...
by joecop
August 16th, 2011, 8:18 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: see through egg update
Replies: 17
Views: 6508

Re: see through egg update

Mark, this same animal laid a clutch last year with two good eggs that looked like this, but not quite as clear. One did hatch out and is an awesome male that I still have. This is why I had hope for these, but as time went by and over the 80 day mark, I had a bad feeling. I agree, they can be like ...
by joecop
August 16th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: see through egg update
Replies: 17
Views: 6508

Re: see through egg update

Thanks for the kind words. It does suck, but I am so glad people got to see some of what I witnessed. Very cool to see.


Joe
by joecop
August 16th, 2011, 2:03 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: see through egg update
Replies: 17
Views: 6508

Re: see through egg update

Well, guess I got excited too early. I am sorry to report that both of them died in the egg. I thought maybe I messed with them too much trying to document and photograph the rare event, however they both were very under-developed and kinked up when I examined them. The color on both was all there b...
by joecop
August 12th, 2011, 6:55 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: see through egg update
Replies: 17
Views: 6508

Re: see through egg update

Yeah, she was given calcium ever since she laid these this year. I actually started to give it to all my breeding females after this clutch. Clutch is pretty damn cool though!!

Joe
by joecop
August 12th, 2011, 5:00 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: see through egg update
Replies: 17
Views: 6508

see through egg update

Things are looking good for these to hatch. You can clearly see them move around in the eggs now. Pretty darn cool! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/IMG_7144.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/IMG_7145.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/IMG_7146.jpg
by joecop
July 18th, 2011, 6:55 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: New life.
Replies: 7
Views: 2681

Re: New life.

Awesome animals Jason!! Coast animals are my favorite z's. I just had four santa cruz hatch myself. Congrats.


Joe
by joecop
July 14th, 2011, 7:14 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: See through eggs
Replies: 8
Views: 3125

Re: See through eggs

Hey Zach. The eggs are from one of my Kern County Z's. She threw two like this last year and one hatched out an awesome male. They are so much cooler in person. I try not to mess with them too much but man is it hard not to want to look at them daily!! ( I only take the container out of the incubato...
by joecop
July 14th, 2011, 9:43 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: See through eggs
Replies: 8
Views: 3125

Re: See through eggs

Here are pics from a couple of weeks ago and then the latest ones. Low temperature incubation so things are going a little slow. (78 degrees, not all that low, but 75 days hatch time is about right for that temp) http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/IMG_6928.jpg http://i521.photobucket.co...
by joecop
July 14th, 2011, 9:34 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: See through eggs
Replies: 8
Views: 3125

Re: See through eggs

Nick, I will take some new pics in a few days. These are actually different pics then the first I posted on "the other site". If the pics are next to each other you can see the embryo is much larger in these pics. They are two weeks later in the developement stage then the original pics. Joe
by joecop
July 13th, 2011, 9:55 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: See through eggs
Replies: 8
Views: 3125

Re: See through eggs

Yeah, some calcium issues no doubt. I will pm you.
by joecop
July 13th, 2011, 9:37 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: See through eggs
Replies: 8
Views: 3125

See through eggs

I somehow posted this on the wrong forum once, so I shall try again. Thought some might get a kick out of seeing these see through eggs that were laid by one of my mt kings. I can see the little ones moving around in the eggs now. Pretty crazy!! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w338/jwp9467/IMG_70...
by joecop
July 4th, 2011, 9:49 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Southern Ill, Central/Eastern Ky, Central Fl MEGA POST part1
Replies: 12
Views: 2969

Re: Southern Ill, Central/Eastern Ky, Central Fl MEGA POST p

Cool post Alec. I hope to see you on the east coast in august. That speckled king is awesome!!


Joe
by joecop
June 20th, 2011, 8:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Lifer zonata!
Replies: 13
Views: 2089

Re: Lifer zonata!

Zach, I think for a "normal" year it would be late. Your weather out there stayed cold for a long time so who knows, and I don't know squat anyway!! LOL. Congrats again.
by joecop
June 20th, 2011, 7:52 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A very large meal
Replies: 15
Views: 3790

Re: A very large meal

Puts garters into a whole new light for me! Thanks for sharing that story. I would have never guessed a garter would eat a bird!! Awesome.

Joe