Search found 1028 matches

by Kent VanSooy
December 12th, 2013, 12:45 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handful of random pics. CA,AZ, and NV.
Replies: 8
Views: 3808

Re: Handful of random pics. CA,AZ, and NV.

Great stuff Jason! That was too close of a call with the oreganus and the slippers. Loved the look on your son's face with the spider.

Too bad you lost your CA pics - come out next year, we'll get you some more!
by Kent VanSooy
December 11th, 2013, 12:32 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Naturalistic Sonoran Desert Toad Vivarium
Replies: 14
Views: 6971

Re: Naturalistic Sonoran Desert Toad Vivarium

It's kinda amazing how what's normally considered to be a "common" animal can look so stunning when placed in the right enclosure. Having the right picture on the back makes a huge difference! Thanks for sharing, that's super cool.
by Kent VanSooy
December 8th, 2013, 10:35 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping 2013 Part 3
Replies: 7
Views: 4610

Re: Herping 2013 Part 3

Fantastic Will! Looks like alot of the Gilas were on the skinny side in 2013. The bighorn skull was super cool.
by Kent VanSooy
December 5th, 2013, 12:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Today at work...
Replies: 64
Views: 11313

Re: Today at work...

by Kent VanSooy
December 3rd, 2013, 12:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Today at work...
Replies: 64
Views: 11313

Re: Today at work...

That's pretty dang cool! Being an old phart, that song is instantly recognizable (and I always thought it was a catchy tune).

But prettier than Stevie Nicks ?!? She was simply a goddess.
by Kent VanSooy
November 29th, 2013, 6:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Best winter finds?
Replies: 30
Views: 9776

Re: Best winter finds?

New Year's eve, 2012

Image
by Kent VanSooy
November 29th, 2013, 6:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Who's excited about the rain we've gotten this week in CA!?
Replies: 51
Views: 11897

Re: Who's excited about the rain we've gotten this week in C

Amateurs! :P from last weekend. Also saw three helleri and a nightsnake. The king has to be new, because it was, well, new!

Image
by Kent VanSooy
November 26th, 2013, 7:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Thank You to all those that helped with the SSC range Maps
Replies: 8
Views: 1806

Re: Thank You to all those that helped with the SSC range Ma

Very nice Brian, and you're most welcome! That's an impressive list of sources (and I LOVE the Klauber reference...!).
by Kent VanSooy
November 20th, 2013, 7:55 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Contribute Your DOR Info To cal Fish and Wildlife
Replies: 7
Views: 1700

Re: Contribute Your DOR Info To cal Fish and Wildlife

DOR Xantusia ?!? Someone's got very good eyes!
by Kent VanSooy
November 9th, 2013, 4:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Help needed CDFW-Species of Concern Ranges
Replies: 27
Views: 2484

Re: Help needed CDFW-Species of Concern Ranges

I got 'em in the database from a couple different spots in Escondido, but that's inside the current borders. Should we change our old Riverside records from abbotti to variegatus? Or just ignore it for now.
by Kent VanSooy
November 8th, 2013, 12:42 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sing n the Blues (video added)
Replies: 22
Views: 5271

Re: Sing n the Blues

Bitchin! I could feel your excitement in the text Lou - thanks for sharing. Gorgeous animal.
by Kent VanSooy
November 8th, 2013, 12:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2014 Nomination California Chapter President
Replies: 6
Views: 1789

Re: 2014 Nomination California Chapter President

I'll happily second that nomination! I just read about the upcoming CDFW requests, that's FABULOUS - excellent job Brian.
by Kent VanSooy
November 1st, 2013, 12:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Al Hajar Mountains, Oman. Oct2013
Replies: 4
Views: 2961

Re: Al Hajar Mountains, Oman. Oct2013

Beautiful, and I loved the lepidopterans as well.
by Kent VanSooy
October 24th, 2013, 4:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rattlesnake protective gear, thoughts and opinions?
Replies: 64
Views: 49388

Re: Rattlesnake protective gear, thoughts and opinions?

I completely disagree with the idea of using welding gloves to handle rattlesnakes as well. The idea is to provide some degree of protection from an unseen rattlesnake when lifting a rock while looking for other things. I can see where my hand is going, but not necessarily all of my fingers when the...
by Kent VanSooy
October 24th, 2013, 12:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rattlesnake protective gear, thoughts and opinions?
Replies: 64
Views: 49388

Re: Rattlesnake protective gear, thoughts and opinions?

Once bit, twice shy.....I personally cannot tolerate walking in brush or grass during the season without gaiters or snake-proof boots. I used SnakeGuardz for a couple years, but they had an annoying habit of riding up and turning around, leaving a vulnerable par of my boot exposed. I started using s...
by Kent VanSooy
October 4th, 2013, 12:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp stamp
Replies: 20
Views: 5883

Re: Herp stamp

Very few people were interested in it.
I think alot of herpers were interested, but even a lot of herpers are.....very few people. There just wasn't the numbers make it worth CaDFW's time is what I recall.
by Kent VanSooy
October 4th, 2013, 12:31 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: This never gets old...
Replies: 11
Views: 5670

Re: This never gets old...

The demeanor of mine is typically less than stately - the adults are on the nervous side, and the neos typically chomp me every chance they get! I was wondering about the medium too - kinda looks like the eggs are floating on soap suds! Toby, that's interesting you don't let your eggs contact the me...
by Kent VanSooy
October 4th, 2013, 8:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Two Species of Zonata! (L. zonata and L. multifasciata)
Replies: 15
Views: 3458

Re: Two Species of Zonata! (L. zonata and L. multifasciata)

C'mon Steve, are you telling me this doesn't inspire the same kind of wonder: The most appropriate model of nucleotide substitution for each locus was determined using jModeltest. Phylogeographic structure was independently assessed for each unphased locus using maximum likelihood in RAXML, resultin...
by Kent VanSooy
October 3rd, 2013, 12:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Two Species of Zonata! (L. zonata and L. multifasciata)
Replies: 15
Views: 3458

Re: Two Species of Zonata! (L. zonata and L. multifasciata)

hoo boy, I read the paper last night, that one's pretty, uh, thick.........quite a bit of attention is paid to the computer algorithms which sort through the DNA data.
by Kent VanSooy
September 26th, 2013, 12:44 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Photos from Italy, Sep 2013
Replies: 12
Views: 3596

Re: Photos from Italy, Sep 2013

Love the leps! Thanks for the photo tour, David - I enjoyed that!
by Kent VanSooy
September 26th, 2013, 12:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: CA Dept Of Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting 10/2/2013
Replies: 20
Views: 4301

Re: CA Dept Of Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting 10/2/201

NAFHA's first data release was to the CaDFG, hopefully they haven't forgotten about us entirely!
by Kent VanSooy
September 24th, 2013, 12:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Smallest Flipped Item that Produced
Replies: 26
Views: 7379

Re: Smallest Flipped Item that Produced

I flipped a sunflower seed shell with a neonate Crotalus atrox underneath.
Yeah, well, I flipped invisible cover and found.....transparent snakes.
by Kent VanSooy
September 24th, 2013, 8:07 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: RIP Robert Stebbins
Replies: 12
Views: 2738

Re: RIP Robert Stebbins

He has been a fixture in my herping life for the last 50 years. I never got to meet him, but my Dad did, and saved some of the handwritten correspondence between the two of them.

I suppose time must march on, but this one's tough.
by Kent VanSooy
September 21st, 2013, 5:34 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: AZ Republic Story about Herping and Herpers
Replies: 10
Views: 3642

Re: AZ Republic Story about Herping and Herpers

Great stuff, fabulous publicity! It's so nice to see our quiet efforts pay-off in this way.
by Kent VanSooy
September 19th, 2013, 12:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Lifelisting San Diego County – late Spring 2013
Replies: 14
Views: 4667

Re: Lifelisting San Diego County – late Spring 2013

Great stuff Jeff, you've put in your time this year! The iguana pair on the road was neat, the racer in the concrete channel was cool, and that one blindsnake was a MONSTER! Hope it didn't poop on you.
by Kent VanSooy
September 19th, 2013, 8:32 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Four new species of CA legless lizard
Replies: 28
Views: 7045

Re: Four new species of CA legless lizard

I’ll admit to being one of those viscerally doesn’t like the idea of cryptic species. Like a lot of us, I grew up with a battered copy of Stebbins’ guide in my hands, and loved being able to identify animals by the key features he so beautifully illustrated. In the late 70’s at Long Beach State (yes...
by Kent VanSooy
September 18th, 2013, 9:49 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Four new species of CA legless lizard
Replies: 28
Views: 7045

Re: Four new species of CA legless lizard

Thanks for the thoughtful response, Dr. Sweet. Someday I'd like to hear your opinion of a certain Mr. Hoser. :shock:
by Kent VanSooy
September 11th, 2013, 6:38 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

Kelly, that reminds me of the story with the kingsnake in my mouse article.

Toby, yes, the 15 infertile eggs were all in one clutch (but they were clearly smaller than normal, and had the yucky slimy yellowness going). Feel free to use that datum if it's useful.
by Kent VanSooy
September 11th, 2013, 8:04 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

Wow Toby, that's some great fertility! Do you put the pairs back together after the first clutch, or does the female just double-clutch on her own? My biggest clutch to date is 8 good eggs (but last year when the eggs were all bad, there were bunches of little infertile ones, probably 15 or so). My ...
by Kent VanSooy
September 10th, 2013, 5:41 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: 2013 in Review
Replies: 15
Views: 5948

Re: 2013 in Review

Just gorgeous! Lots of mouths to feed....!
by Kent VanSooy
September 10th, 2013, 5:39 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

The adult pair were both up at the same time last night.... http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2013%20critters/bothadultsup.jpg Here's the adult female a little closer. They lose every trace of the neo pattern. http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2013%20critters/adul...
by Kent VanSooy
September 9th, 2013, 5:01 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

Cole, I keep my adults in the "Applegate" drawer-style units. They're fairly roomy, and do have a screened top - I've always been a big believer in adequate ventilation. The adults are fairly skittish, but spend most of their time in the bottom drawer unit (out of sight), and have never ru...
by Kent VanSooy
September 9th, 2013, 9:50 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

They are locality-specific (from the Santa Ritas). The hatchlings are BIG, probably 16". My adult female is 66" long, and lays 6 to 8 large eggs. The neos feed readily on fuzzy mice, pinkies are too small for them. I know Merker has struggled some with infertility, but for whatever reason ...
by Kent VanSooy
September 8th, 2013, 8:10 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

Re: a new nose...

Cole and Kelly, bravo! (and Kelly, I continue to enjoy your far-flung yet spot-on analogies). The neos do indeed look like glossy snakes, but with a slightly greenish tint (which doesn't show up well in the photos). If I were to see a neo on the road, I'd have to look carefully to decide if it was a...
by Kent VanSooy
September 7th, 2013, 5:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Summer- I think chilled Jägermeister might be best for this
Replies: 46
Views: 16872

Re: Summer- I think chilled Jägermeister might be best for t

Holy shit! (can I say that here?). Your focus (both with the camera and on your photography) is incredible, and the use of light is marvelous. I LOVE that head-on shot of the splendida consuming the glossy snake, along with the garters chasing the minnows. Wow! Didn't need a beer to catch a buzz fro...
by Kent VanSooy
September 7th, 2013, 4:29 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: a new nose...
Replies: 26
Views: 9546

a new nose...

...ah, but the question is, what kind of nose? Anyone want to hazard a guess? Not a longnose this time!


Image
by Kent VanSooy
September 6th, 2013, 12:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Fake herp photography
Replies: 85
Views: 21961

Re: Fake herp photography

I'm claiming anti-stress on this one.....it was hot and dry, the snake seemed thirsty, we gave it water, it drank. Didn't seem to mind having a camera pointed at it right then.

Image
by Kent VanSooy
September 4th, 2013, 12:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Fake herp photography
Replies: 85
Views: 21961

Re: Fake herp photography

I also think there's lots of shades of gray here. Consider the image below - the snake didn't move at all (darn thing didn't move all season, actually), but it wasn't sitting like THAT, it was sitting like that under a board. And the board wasn't there until someone put it there. It's "in-situ&...
by Kent VanSooy
September 4th, 2013, 12:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: River Camping in the Klamath Mountains (part 1)
Replies: 8
Views: 2946

Re: River Camping in the Klamath Mountains (part 1)

Great stuff, can't wait for part II !
by Kent VanSooy
August 31st, 2013, 9:04 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Observations book cover?
Replies: 18
Views: 2363

Re: Field Observations book cover?

This one's definitely going into my library too! I've been looking forward to it, Will.
by Kent VanSooy
August 26th, 2013, 12:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A 24 hour Regal Ringneck Run
Replies: 13
Views: 3494

Re: A 24 hour Regal Ringneck Run

A very nice tale, with a gorgeous animal at the end. Thanks, that was a great lunchtime escape!
by Kent VanSooy
August 25th, 2013, 5:59 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Mice Breeding
Replies: 16
Views: 7253

Re: Mice Breeding

Repa, here's that article you may find helpful. Along with the good comments posted above, I can tell you a couple other things that in my experience seem to encourage the females to cannabilize their young. Right after a female has her babies, that's when they're most sensitive to being disturbed. ...
by Kent VanSooy
August 24th, 2013, 10:19 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: SoCal Closeout and Arizona (Same as Main Forum)
Replies: 10
Views: 2321

Re: SoCal Closeout and Arizona (Same as Main Forum)

naherp.com or it didn't happen...
Ha! It was back in my pre-photography days.....these snakes only exist in my field notes. But that's another good reason to submit records to the database, to try and understand these observed abundance patterns.
by Kent VanSooy
August 24th, 2013, 8:00 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: SoCal Closeout and Arizona (Same as Main Forum)
Replies: 10
Views: 2321

Re: SoCal Closeout and Arizona (Same as Main Forum)

Thanks, I enjoyed that! Your second longnose snake was a stunner, and the photos of the coachwhip are really attractive - cloudy days seem great for your diffuse lighting. Back in the 80's, there were a couple years where we'd find several lyre snakes a night. Then, for the longest time, an occasion...
by Kent VanSooy
August 21st, 2013, 12:42 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Tucson AZ crusing?
Replies: 7
Views: 2235

Re: Tucson AZ crusing?

here ya go, this place ROCKS!

32°14'38.45"N x 111°10'5.42"W

Seriously, pay it a visit.
by Kent VanSooy
August 14th, 2013, 7:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hi guys - some ID help!!
Replies: 14
Views: 3822

Re: Hi guys - some ID help!!

Agreed on all counts!
ThamnElegans24 wrote:I think you are correct on all of your IDs, except for the first earless. I think it is a Zebra-tail. And Jeff is right your DOR snake is a Patchnose.
by Kent VanSooy
August 14th, 2013, 7:54 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rattlesnake ID, Sun City, CA
Replies: 19
Views: 7813

Re: Rattlesnake ID, Sun City, CA

Ruber fo sho..........there's like a bazillion of them in them thar hills
by Kent VanSooy
August 12th, 2013, 12:37 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Rhinos
Replies: 10
Views: 3612

Re: Rhinos

Yeah, it seems like if we have coastal glossy snakes, there oughta be coastal longnose too (my captives come from about 10 miles from the beach). Chris, I'm guessing you're talking about clarus phase...? The other interesting difference is that some have definite saddles as compared to others, parti...