Some Belated Favorites from 2012

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kcmatt
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Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Just a smattering of 2012 animals as I didn’t have time to post many during the season. Some (mainly Costa Rica) were part of earlier posts. No time for the more enjoyable true narrative here, just some memorable animals and moments for me this year. Happy to elaborate on any if they beg a question. You will find that although this only includes a fraction of the Costa Rica herps, there are still many as it comprised many of my favorite finds of the year. I apologize in advance for the several images that are lying on their side, Pbucket randomly does that to me.

Images come from Missouri, Kansas, Alabama, South Dakota, and Costa Rica.

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Western KS Rhino
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Big fan of basiliscus so have to include a few of my favorite lifer plumifrons...

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Finally ended my Micrurus DOR/got-off-road curse, though nearly lost this one too, M. alleniImage Image Image Image Image Image

Another one I am obligated to include more than one of, a much anticipated lifer in triplicate (and many more if you count eggs!)...
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Black and Prairie Kings from a short evening work trip frolic in northern Alabama
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Lifer Black Hills Redbelly Image Image Image Image
Custer State Park, SD Pitouphis, in situ
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An unfortunate syspila

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In situ board flipped syspila
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Obligatory fishing snippet
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Fishing buddies in the mist
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Kent VanSooy
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Kent VanSooy »

Fabulous as always! Love the moth/flower shots (are those Luna moths?)....and the yellowfin tuna! They pull harder than bass.
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Norman D
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Norman D »

Very nice Matt! Loved the variety of photos and it is cool that you involve your family. Those fish are making me hungry.

Any massasaugas on your milk hunts? I need to see some saugs this year, and CR is tempting me for Crotalus simus!

Thanks for sharing
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walk-about
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by walk-about »

Matt,

Awesome post. It looks like you lived the dream again. I love how you mix these trips with family and make time to take incredible shots. Those frogs are incredible. You are one of just a handful of herpers that love to fish and apparently pretty dang good at it. Is that last shot a German Brown? My dad and I used to catch rainbows and rarely browns in the White River in Arkansas back in the day. Thanks for posting.

Rock ON!

Dave
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roosters977
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by roosters977 »

Really nice photos! Wooly buggers are the best btw!
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MichaelCravens
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by MichaelCravens »

Matt,

Splendid, as usual. Beautiful herps, beautiful fish, and a beautiful family! You're a lucky man.

Michael Cravens
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natrix
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by natrix »

Great pictures and what a wonderful clarity and light. Which places in Costa Rica did you visit? And what time of the year? CR is still the best place for tropical herping.
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Soopaman
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Soopaman »

Nice stuff, I really enjoyed all the Lampropeltis!
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by davhug1 »

great shot, love the black rat in the tree. (If its not a black rat, please correct me).
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justinm
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by justinm »

MichaelCravens wrote:Matt,

Splendid, as usual. Beautiful herps, beautiful fish, and a beautiful family! You're a lucky man.

Michael Cravens
I couldn't have said it better. And my my you guys found some whopper sized Milks, they're huge.
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Thanks, guys.

Kent, there is a luna moth, a cecropia moth and a polyphemus moth in the photo mix, all giant Saturniids. We ate on that and another similar sized yellowfin most of our Costa Rica trip. Thanks for the comments.

Thanks, Norman. Herping is at its best with the fam engaged. We do see saugas when out in central KS after gentilis and other herps. They are commonly road cruised but we also flip one or two each time we are out there. Good luck getting one this year (and that simus!), if you find yourself out this way, it will be pretty easy.
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Dave, thanks for the comments. The very last photo is a brookie. The monster before it is a brown, and actually from the White River. There are big boys in that river-- that area is where the world records come from.

Rooster, buggers are definitely a widely applicable fly and oft the safest go-to. Thanks for the comments.

Thanks, Mike. I am lucky/blessed. You are in pretty good shape too, love this area but would be great to get back west some day...

Natrix, thanks for the comments. We visited both sides in June last year. Manuel Antonio/Dominical on the P side and Puerto Viejo on the C side. The posts are still on the forum if you want to get more detail/photos.

Thanks, soopaman. Lampros are great animals.

davhug, thanks, yes its a black rat.

Justin, I wondered if someone would recognize the syspila size. One of those in particular was a true monster, not the norm for the ssp. Its colors were very good for the size also. Thanks for the comments.
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Cole Grover
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Cole Grover »

Dude. Nice 2012 wrap-up! Obviously, I love the milks. Are those cactus spines and glaucoids in that syspila's face? Ouch! I really dig the Cruziohyla and the various Basiliscus, too.

That's a monster hook-jawed brown, man. Wow!

-Cole
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Roki
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Roki »

Awesome Post! These pictures are great! You guys really found a lot down in Costa Rica it looks like (frogs and snakes). Felt like I did ok on the frog this time, but hardly found any snakes so bravo to you guys. Super jealous of all the vipers you found and the awesome green basiliscus. Glad you had a great time.
Cheers,
Roki
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Jeff Lemm
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Jeff Lemm »

Great stuff Matt! Love seeing the family out there and the fishing shots too!
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Thoughts that come to mind, in no particular order but the first:

1. AWESOME.
2. When do you find time to work in between herp/fishin' trips? :lol:
3. I was going to invite you to the Ft Leavenworth herp survey because you live within reasonable distance and it's good for kids, but based on the pictures, after Costa Rica I think they'd be bored!
4. Speaking of kids, enjoy the herpin' now, because they probably won't have time once the girls discover them in a few years...photogenic family (intended in the most non-creepy way I can possibly convey).
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natrix
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by natrix »

Thanks Matt
I have visited the same areas in Costa Rica and found a lot. However, I was the in March both times (spring break), which is during the dry period when herp activity is presumable supressed. I am interested in opinions about the best seasons to visit Costa Rica because I suspect the rainfall and temperatures are important. I found a nice interactive Costa Rica rainfall map:
http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap.html

Tom
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Cole, yes, I don't know what that syspila was up to (perhaps chasing prey), but it definitely got a faceful. I tried to remove the prickly pear spines as best as I could before releasing it. That was probably the biggest kipe I have seen on any trout I have beached. The picture really doesn't do that hog justice. Thanks for the comments.

Thanks for the comments, Roki. Costa Rica was indeed kind, esp. since it was a family trip first and herping during the fringe/minority time. Most of this trip's targets gave themselves up, but Costa Rica is a place that doesn't feel like it will ever be "exhausted."

Thanks, Jeff. I enjoy seeing your family herp adventures also. I'll bet our boys could clean up in a place like CR in a father-son trip!

Thanks for the comments, Chris. Govt leave schedule/quantity certainly helps! I also travel for work a fair amount and use every minute of evening time when I do. The kids are itching for spring, when is the Ft. Leavenworth survey? I am trying to bias them against girlfriends early, we'll see how long it lasts. I have put $1K on the table for each of them if they make it to 18 without kissing a girl...
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Tom, haven't seen that map, interesting. I think the P side (esp. NW) has the most distinct dry/wet activity differential but I'm not an expert in CR climate and herp activity. March would be tougher than when I was there on the Pacific side. On the other hand, fishing is supposed to be phenomenal then for the fishermen out there-- I have heard of 10 sailfish days in that timeframe, even with a fly...
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by chris_mcmartin »

kcmatt wrote:The kids are itching for spring, when is the Ft. Leavenworth survey?
April 20th, 10-2, rain or shine. Setting up two additional board/tin lines this weekend.
KevColubrid
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by KevColubrid »

Matt,

That milk snake is an absolute python! The one your boy is holding, wow....what a bruiser! Great post overall, thanks for sharing.

Kevin
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regalringneck
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by regalringneck »

... nice work Matt, 1stly by your lads, 2ndly by that gorgeous gnarly brown, and of course the herps via the camera, i have a suspicion, perhaps by her smile, that seldom seen lady of yours, probably has alot to do w/ your obvious enjoyment & successes. Good on the both of you.
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Ben »

Awesome stuff! I especially loved the numerous Saturniids in your post. I think Cecropia larvae are some of the coolest looking caterpillars in the world, and they get huge too! Great variety and great photos!
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Belated reply, thanks for the comments.

Chris, thanks, I have talked to the kids about it and I think they are interested. I'll have to track it as it gets closer.

Thanks, Kevin. It was a monster syspila, very cool animal.

John, thanks for the comments. She does indeed.

Thanks, Ben. We love the cecropia also. Glad to see someone else out there enjoys the Saturniids.
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Zach_Lim »

I keep coming back to this thread to get blown away from the excellent photography and amazing, amazing, amazing herp finds.

Perfect photo thread.

Those Lampropeltis are killer- especially that high white Milk.

Do I spy a Sibon? Crazy cool snakes.
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Zach, a belated thanks for the comments and a reply. Yes, we did see Sibon. Unfortunately, the nebulata that was a target of mine and that is in the post was clipped and expired. I'm a fan also. A couple of the snail eaters are very common in the Yucatan, where I have traveled several times. Never get tired of seeing them.

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Even though I think it is Tropidodipsas now, I still associate them with Sibon, the snail eaters.
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Brandon D
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by Brandon D »

Some nice shots in there Matt, I especially liked the triangulum of course lol, Looks like you had a great year :thumb: I am transferring to weeknights and quitting my second job. So You Chad and I can probably make one of those trips we were talking about this year.
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kcmatt
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Re: Some Belated Favorites from 2012

Post by kcmatt »

Brandon, didn't see your post when you made it. Congrats on having some of your time freed up-- we'll have to get that central MO trip arranged... I wish there were more weekends in what always feel to be the shortest months of the year, April and May.
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