2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photos)

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
Ben
Posts: 26
Joined: December 13th, 2010, 11:40 am

2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photos)

Post by Ben »

Well, this year I didn't move around a whole lot. I was mostly confined within the borders of my own state, so most of this took place in the great state of Texas, and most of that in West Texas... Anyway... Here we go!

Starting off with the first snake of the year, a nice C. atrox hanging out by a cedar. Sorry for the washed-outness.

Image

A nice C. f. testaceus from not long after.

Image

Also:

T. proximus
Image

Took a one night trip down into the Big Bend region in April and found these guys:

H. jani
Image

T. vilkinsonii
Image

Not long after, road cruising started getting fun in the south panhandle. These were found regularly:

R. l. tessellatus
Image

Image

L. g. splendida/holbrooki intergrades
Image

Image

Image

S. c. tergeminus
Image

Image

Image

The rains started coming in and brought out some amphibians:

A. woodhousei
Image

G. olivacea
Image

S. bombifrons
Image

Along with the amphibians, a couple chelonians made it out into the daylight:

T. s. elegans
Image

C. serpentina
Image

Took another trip southwest and had some good luck on a night of hiking:

C. ornatus
Image

A. c. pictigaster
Image

C. l. lepidus
Image

B. subocularis
Image

On the drive home, I finally got my lifer H. nasicus, practically in my driveway.
Image

That was about a week before my big Trans Pecos trip with my friend Saunders. Rains were ridiculous in the area while we were there, but we managed to have an excellent time!

T. vilkinsonii #1
Image

#2
Image

B. subocularis
Image

Image

Image

C. ornatus
Image

Image

Image

C. brevis
Image

C. atrox
Image

Habitat
Image

T. c. cyrtopsis
Image

T. c. cyrtopsis habitat
Image

A. e. elegans
Image

P. bairdi
Image

Image

T. m. marcianus
Image

H. jani
Image

Possible hypo
Image

Image

C. viridis
Image

U. ornatus
Image

R. l. tessellatus
Image

C. l. lepidus
Image

Image

After that fun trip, I headed home and pulled up a few fossorials:

L. d. dulcis
Image

S. semiannulata
Image

T. nigriceps
Image

This large P. c. sayi was a welcome sight:
Image

Image

A couple more toads also showed up:

S. couchii
Image

A. debilis (I hate photographing these guys. They NEVER SIT STILL lol)
Image

In the heat of the summer, lizards were everywhere to be found.

P. obsoletus
Image

C. collaris
Image

Image

P. cornutum
Image

Also managed to find several of these cool guys around the yard and on the dirt road leading from my house.

H. platirhinos
Image

Image

I made a few more trips down to some private land I have access to in West Texas and had some good luck with blacktails. I've found over 40 of these guys this year, whereas they were pretty scarcely found by me the past couple years.

Image

Image

Also happened upon this ugly thing...

L. alterna
Image

This little P. modestum was found in a bush about 2 feet off the ground. Very interesting encounter.
Image

In September I went to Mississippi to do a survey on some land a friend purchased. Nice getting paid to herp. :)

S. undulatus
Image

C. c. priapus eating a juvenile of its own kind:
Image

Image

A. p. leucostoma
Image

Image

H. cinerea
Image

T. c. triunguis (Uncooperative lil' bugger)
Image

C. horridus (Lowland Form AKA CANEBRAKE)
Image

Image

I had a blast herping out that way. Wish I could have stayed longer.

After I got home, things started to slow down here.

C. f. testaceus
Image

Image

A. m. mavortium
Image

L. blairi *Defensive posture*
Image

Image

And now at the last snake of the year, which was also the first:

C. atrox
Image

Image

Thanks for looking! I had a fun year! There was a lot of things I wanted to do this year that I never got around to doing, but there's always next year I suppose. :)
User avatar
Antonsrkn
Posts: 971
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 2:38 pm
Contact:

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Antonsrkn »

That was a great post, the photography was top notch! An incredible amount of finds as well!

These 2 photos blew me away when I got to them, there were others that were very impressive as well but these 2 literally made my jaw drop and I had to sit there and admire for a little bit. Very well done!
Image
Image
some good luck with blacktails. I've found over 40 of these guys this year,
Whoa, I'm not sure that I have even seen 40 snakes this year!
Ben
Posts: 26
Joined: December 13th, 2010, 11:40 am

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Ben »

Thanks! Those two were posers. lol The ornatus in that photo is probably my favorite ornatus I've encountered. It was a stunner.

It was really surreal seeing so many of those guys this year, especially since it was pretty difficult to find at a lot of these locales during the worst part of the drought (2011-12). Hoping I can break that record again next year! :)
troy hibbitts
Posts: 57
Joined: July 20th, 2010, 5:50 pm

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by troy hibbitts »

the toad you've labeled cognatus is woodhousei
Ben
Posts: 26
Joined: December 13th, 2010, 11:40 am

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Ben »

troy hibbitts wrote:the toad you've labeled cognatus is woodhousei
Ah, thank you. Didn't even cross my mind. :)
User avatar
Saunders
Posts: 433
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:42 am
Location: Boerne, Tx

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Saunders »

Great shots man, some of them bring back memories.
Can't wait to do it all again next year.
User avatar
tdimler
Posts: 19
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 5:02 pm
Location: Borden County, TX

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by tdimler »

Looks like you had a great year!

TD
User avatar
justinm
Posts: 3423
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:26 am
Location: Illinois
Contact:

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by justinm »

You have some seriously impressive photo's. Looks like a great year indeed. I'm going to look this over again after I type this.
Ben
Posts: 26
Joined: December 13th, 2010, 11:40 am

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Ben »

Saunders wrote:Great shots man, some of them bring back memories.
Can't wait to do it all again next year.
Thanks man! We always seem to take it up a notch every year, so there's a lot to look forward to. ;)
tdimler wrote:Looks like you had a great year!

TD
Thanks Travis! It definitely was! :)
justinm wrote:You have some seriously impressive photo's. Looks like a great year indeed. I'm going to look this over again after I type this.
Thank you Justin!
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Jeff »

Ben

I have tried (with limited success) to photograph blind snakes. It never occurred to me that a couple of mesquite leaflets would get one to go into portrait mode. I'm going to have to investigate that technique next time I'm not in the swamp.

Jeff
Ben
Posts: 26
Joined: December 13th, 2010, 11:40 am

Re: 2013 EOY Report - Texas/Mississippi (Huge DUW, 80+ photo

Post by Ben »

Jeff wrote:Ben

I have tried (with limited success) to photograph blind snakes. It never occurred to me that a couple of mesquite leaflets would get one to go into portrait mode. I'm going to have to investigate that technique next time I'm not in the swamp.

Jeff
Never underestimate the power of the mesquite. ;) lol Unfortunately it was more patience than anything... Those guys are ridiculously squirmy. Maddeningly so.
Post Reply