Field Herp Forum

Some really great photos!

Light years ahead of my point and shoot 3.2 megapixels!

Seeing a Florida panther had to have been a huge thrill with so few left!

Gary

Great post Nigel, looks like you and your son had a fantastic year! The pine must have been your find of a lifetime! Beautiful snake! The timber stretched out in between the railroad ties must have been a thrill to find also! Really liked the odd colored water snake, similar to the one Phil Peak pos...

Really awesome year!

Like many others was impressed with the milk snake variety and the black kings!

And what is with that colorful water snake, Wow!

The copperhead and black king must have been very exciting to see!

Good luck to you guys this year!

Gary

Brad and Kelly---I have found several snakes over the years in the wild that have had that small piece of skin on the tail. Sometimes with the end just barely attached. I used to think it was caused by freezing during Winter. But trouble in shedding makes more sense. That FrogGuy---A good subject to...

Dave---Thanks and yes the red milks are special no matter where they are from! awesome post! made me wanna go do some herping. what was up with the burnt snake, though? -Ian I think since the glade is burned every so often is why this shows up occasionally. I love the pic of the little guy with the ...

You had a great year!

I have had coachwhips also go up cedar trees. Makes for some interesting pics!

Also liked the water snake eating the catfish, strange how they get those down sometimes with the spines.

Gary

Brad-- Thanks for the info! The glade is state land and is periodically burned. Very important for glades here in Missouri! Kevin---We struck out on coachwhips this year! I now know the feeling! :( Just kidding :P , Don't give up, your day is coming! Brandon2daughters---A big congratulations on your...

Wow! Hit the submit before our best friend the preview. Guess it is OK, usually some things to fix! Always worry about losing everything but I used the save about half way through and even though it took about 45 minutes everything was fine. Nothing worse that losing a long post! I wonder how long w...

I posted this Great Plains rat snake a last year with what looked like a burn injury. http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r89/Gary2sons/IMG_5349.jpg Interesting that a year later we found a speckled king snake on that same glade with a similar injury. http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r89/Gary2sons/...

Part one was fantastic!

Really liked the pair of copperheads!

Congrats on your "best find" and best of luck to both of you!

Gary

Truly epic post!

Awesome photography and herps!

I thought the info you gave out was totally appropriate!

Thanks for yet another great end of the year post!

Gary

Totally awe inspiring post!

Field herping at its best! Some really great pics!

A post a lot of us will go to again and again this Winter when things are slow!

Gary

I have thought about this same thing and would say most likely predetermined but then again who really knows for sure. There has to be a study out there somewhere! I have had almost identical snakes starting out as juveniles and fed about the same weight of food for a year and yet one was twice the ...

What a great way to observe and enjoy your herps!

I'm thinking the snakes enjoy the free-ranging too!

Cool post!

Gary

Yes we need a neonate update! :) I see your point Justin on the king! Different snake but I'm still trying to figure out where the black racer's are in Missouri. The big ones around here sure look like black racers. And 75 miles West of here they all look like the Kansas racers. Good subject for a W...

Totally awesome post!

Stunning pics and herps!

Truly enjoyed this entire post!

Gary

Andrew---I agree! Zach---You summed it up well! Bill---Thanks for the comments, always appreciated! Paul---Neat story! Brandon---Yes very dry in the Fall and we missed 3 prime time weekends this Spring due to too much rain. I had a feeling this Fall would have been great if only some rain. Dell---No...

That is one huge Honduran!

Don't know which is more impressive, the girth or length. Certainly took a lot of mice or rats I'm sure!

Would love to see a pic of the mother. Almost 7 feet is a big milk snake!

Gary

The Mexican hog caught my eye too!

Beautiful snakes, has to be a blast to work with that many different hogs. So much color! And a really cool snake all around!

Thanks for posting!

Gary

Really like that python!

And of course the pine too! They must be an extremely tough find in Kentucky. What a thrill it must be to find one! Do you think there numbers are down or the same as say 50 years ago? And just as difficult to find now as then?

Gary

Some really nice snakes! I also like the California Kingsnake with all that bright white! That black rat is really different looking! With all the great looking snakes you post I have to ask the question. Do you have any snakes that are rather ordinary looking? They all seem to be of such high quali...

Went on a short outing the last of September and found a couple red milks and a speckled king. Very dry conditions and only a few small earth snakes were also found. This first milk was a rather average one for this area http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r89/Gary2sons/PICT3256.jpg Typically open Mi...

Always love the Missouri posts! :D Good finds for as dry as the Fall was. Liked the habitat pics. That red milk you found two years ago was really awesome. Just curious how far away from the first time? I've always thought they don't move over a very wide area. It will be a real thrill to find her a...

Great find!

You came across something very unusual, something many will never encounter.

Thanks for posting!

Gary

Dang Dell! That was a fantastic post, lots of good fish and scenery! I have never seen a burbot before but they occasionally show up in the Missouri River here. A really different looking fish. Would have to say the swimming crotalus, the mountain lion up the telephone pole, and the floating osprey ...

Really interesting post!

Mine is very simple, I herp with my two sons!

Gary

Welcome to the forum! Like others said some species not that easy to find. Always thought it interesting how many juvenile coachwhips are found in that area compared to adults. And Great Plains Rats can be very difficult. Some glades have them and some don't it seems. Really nice first post! :thumb:...

WOW! What a day with your son!

Timbers and hellbenders are quite a combination!

Everything else would have made the day alone!

Gary

Lets not forget that there has been a couple fatal coyote attacks in recent years!

A three year old child back in the 80's and a 19 year old hiker in Canada a couple years ago.

Extremely rare but it has happened!

Totally awesome post Matt! :thumb: I was in Joplin about two weeks after the tornado. To see the devastation was something else. You wonder how anyone could have survived in some of those buildings. Very humbling to see the damage up close. Big congrats on the streckeri, that was a great find! Gotta...

Cam, good to see some snakes showing up here in Missouri! :thumb: Nice sized blacksnakes and copperheads are always a great find! We checked the AC on our property last week and even though it is VERY dry had some luck. Although the species count doesn't make any sense at all! :shock: 1 adult red mi...

Great post and stunning pics Carl! Awesome timber pic! Definitely case closed on the hogs, as if there was any doubt. Good luck on the albino! Gary

Fantastic trip!

Great title for the post!

Gary

Just too many great pics for this thread to drop off the first page yet!

Timbers up there are awesome, so much color!

That one adult fox snake has to be one of the best ever!

Great Post!

Gary

Really great herping week!

Even more awesome with the kids!

Lot of great pics but was also impressed with the red-bellied snakes. Looks like some of the best in the country!

Gary

Congrats! I thought about calling the time a couple days ago! :lol: I've had three clutches over the years and all have been 48 to 50 days at only slightly higher temps. It will be tough to wait a while on getting them to feed. Cole Grover gave me advice once to wait at least one shed and sometimes ...

Good to see some snakes here in Missouri showing up after the slight cool down and rain! :thumb: I agree with Dan, the copperhead pic was awesome in situ like that! We found a speckled king under AC last week and Monday I found an adult red milk under AC. Wasn't even in shed phase so maybe it wil be...

Congrats on a great year!

Some really nice looking snakes! Some real lookers!

I liked the way you displayed the juvies on the rocks. Couldn't decide what the larger rock was with the small holes?

Thanks for posting that many pics!

Gary

All my retired breeder rodents get fed off. Never had a problem in over 30 years of reptile keeping. I feed off mice with tumors as well with no problems. Thanks for the comments! I see and have experienced no problems, but I would use caution feeding animals 100% retired breeders. Though, I don't ...

Good luck with the eggs, really a cool snake.

Would really like to see some pics after they hatch!

Didn't realize they got that big and heavy!

Gary

Really awesome pics!

Must be tough waiting 117 days!

Keep us informed!

Gary

Wondered what some of you thought about this. They have a higher fat content but for the average keeper is it something to worry about or not? I keep a couple bulls, a pine, and a couple large corns so they seem to work great for me. My source of feeders charges $.50 each for every size from pinkies...

Paul---Thanks for the complement! Brad---Always value your opinion and what you have to say! Gary, Congrats on getting the critter to come around. It's a rewarding feeling, isn't it? I'm with Monklet (I think...) - adding two grams in that time frame is pretty good growth for a dryland Lampro feedin...

I've only heard of Wild Caught animals doing this. I have also heard that you can actually buy snakes from breeders without affecting wild populations! Justin, you were kidding around, right, surely you can't be serious! :lol: Cam and Paul, I hope you didn't think that I was saying all WC are diffi...

Nice looking tank for the map turtles! They seem to tame down rather quickly. Cool pic eating out of your hand! They are supposed to really like snails and small mussels also. Here is a pic of one I almost brought home but didn't. Would have if much smaller. http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r89/Ga...

Have been feeding frozen skinks since April 1st of this year. The snake has been fed weekly and gone from 7 grams to 9 grams. Got it late last Fall from a pet store. It never ate at all there so I knew it might be difficult. Had heard after a long cooling down period they sometimes take mice. Tried ...

Great looking set-up! The prairie king should do well. I also keep a couple wild caught snakes. My female red milk I've had for about 7 or 8 years now. She is a great feeder but always quits eating about mid August every year. I have heard others having this same problem. Must be something about the...

Really awesome post Brick! :thumb: Nice to see someone else likes taking belly pics of snakes, always fascinating to me! Too much to pic favorites but really liked the pine.....and the milks...... and the red-belly's....... and the really colorful turtles back there..............and the salamanders....

Justin---Those Kankakee bulls are nice! Lots of black! Chris---Thanks and I'll settle for a nice looking normal anytime! Brad---Thanks for the comments and keeping this post interesting! Always find your comments very interesting since you keep several pits and others! Lloyd---Nice looking snake, I ...

What an awesome trip for you and your wife Bill!

Some great finds with lots of miles and scenery!

Must have been something to see special friends after all those years!

Thanks for posting your trip!

Gary