Mike and I went into 2013 determined to herp as much as we could possibly get away with, tacking on even short trips onto visits with family and friends. Of course, we were hoping for some lifers, but had no idea we would do as well as we did.
*Edited out the first picture because it was really irresponsible of me to post. I wasn't thinking. I apologize.*
The first official lifer was found in early April, on a visit to my mother-in-law's place in Eastern NC. We were poking around a rest stop, looking for anoles and tree frogs, and the attendant on duty said we should look around by the toolshed (which we had avoided because of the "No Trespassing" signs). With permission, we went for it!
After finding a couple of Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamanders (a lifer from 2008), we moved towards a spot with lots of downed branches. Mike yelled an expletive, followed by "LIFER!" I didn't know what to expect.
Lifer #1 - Eastern Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula getula.
We drove the rest of the way to Mike's mom's house totally elated, hoping this was a sign that we would have a great trip.
After a few minutes of relaxing and talking to mom and her husband, Jim, it was suggested we go herp the yard. (Mike's mom -- she get it. Jim does, too.)
Lifer #2 - Eastern Glass Lizard - Ophisaurus ventralis.
The next day was a full day of herping, then family time at night. The lifers started coming hot and heavy.
Lifer #3 - Ground Skink - Scincella lateralis.
(This technically may not be a lifer for me, as there was something that always scurried through the dried plantain leaves next to my house in New Orleans that I think were ground skinks. I could never get a good look at them, though.)
Lifer #4 - Chamberlain's Dwarf Salamander - Eurycea chamberlaini.
Lifer #5 - Southern Cricket Frog - Acris gryllus.
Lifer #6 - It turns out that this is Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) and not a River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna). Mike h (who, if you don't know this by now, is my husband), posted a photo with a river cooter in it downthread, which keeps us at 21 lifers!
And the next day...
Lifer #7 - Eastern Worm Snake - Carphophis amoenus.
Lifer # 8 - Corn Snake - Pantherophis guttatus.
Our next lifers were in May, when we visiting Kyle Loucks at his cottage (there's a thread about it here). We actually found a lifer on our own when we made a stop at a park about 30 minutes from his place. We weren't quite sure what we had at the time...
Lifer #9 - Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander - Desmognathus ochrophaeus.
Then we went out with Kyle and Tom (paturtlelover).
Lifer #10 - Spring Salamander - Gyrinophilus porphyriticus.
Lifer #11 - Northern Slimy Salamander - Plethodon glutinosus.
Lifer #12 - Red Salamander - Pseudotriton ruber.
This was just the first day...then came the second day.
Lifer #13 - Smooth Greensnake - Opheodrys vernalis.
Lifer #14 - Long-tailed Salamander - Eurycea longicauda.
Lifer #15 - Timber Rattlesnake - Crotalus horridus.
Since our two big out-of-state trips had netted us 15 lifers, it was time to start focusing on those closer to home. We started making trips out to Western Massachusetts, because we wanted to try out some new spots and also because one spot in particular had two species that had been eluding us.
The first trip didn't net us our targets, but we did find this:
Lifer #16 - Northern Dusky Salamander - Desmognathus fuscus.
We also decided to try out Cape Cod...okay, this one we cheated on, and we went on an official trip through Mass Audubon to find them.
Lifer #17 - Northern Diamond-backed Terrapin - Malaclemys terrapin terrapin.
This one had just laid eggs:
These ones were basking:
I don't know, this could almost count as a "lamest lifer", since it wasn't an adult. We had seen a couple of these that weren't in the wild (so I didn't consider them lifers), but for some reason it's one of those species we just had trouble finding.
Lifer #18 - Gray Treefrog - Hyla versicolor.
We had found a place very close to home (a little over 3 miles) that we were told had blue-spotted salamanders. We couldn't find any when we started looking for them in March, and we figured we were probably SOL until maybe the fall. I was told this was a rare find for mid-August.
Lifer #19 - Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale.
The next lifer is one of the two we have really been concentrating on this year...the one that had eluded us thus far except for a fleeting glimpse of one in July 2011 that must have quickly burrowed underground and disappeared, making us frickin' INSANE whenever we thought about it. I think every herper remembers his or her first...
Lifer #20 - Eastern Hog-nosed Snake - Heterodon platirhinos.
I have no shame:
As if that wasn't cool enough, we later found a hatchling as well:
And look what else we found right after that? An adult gray treefrog!
Those hogs had me in hog heaven for WEEKS...MONTHS...I think I'm still there.
The last lifer was totally unexpected. We went to one of our favorite places and were having kind of a crappy day. The place has been unstaffed for a few years (state funding cuts), and this one place in particular has been having problems with partiers, graffiti, and dirt bike/ATV riders. The sandy beach area (where we know turtles nest) was criss-crossed with ATV tracks, there was a camp fire still smoldering, and the boarded up bath houses had been broken into, again...it gets reported, and someone gets sent out to take a look, but, really, there isn't much that can be done for now.
But there were turtles out, and Mike loves using the zoom on his point and shoot to get pictures of turtles.
He thought he had a really large painted, or even a (sigh) red-eared slider. Nope...
Lifer #21 - Northern Red-bellied Cooter - Pseudemys rubriventris.
Now this was, I thought, just out of their range in Mass., but I have spoken with someone who said it is known that there is a "small population" in this park. We'd been going there a few years, and have taken hundreds of pictures of hundreds of turtles, and thus far had only seen painteds, snappers and musk turtles there.
That park also is alleged to have another type of turtle there...a more terrestrial one, you might say. It's a lifer that eluded us this year, but next year, Eastern Box Turtles, you will be found!
So, it's no "The Big Year", but I have never had 21 lifers in a year before. Also, chew on this: I have now photographed every species of snake that is native to my home state of Massachusetts. I have not, however, photographed all of them in Mass., so I do have some "second lifers" to get here: Timbers, Copperheads, Eastern Worm Snakes, Black Rat Snakes and a (live) Smooth Greensnake are on my life list within the state.
2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Moderator: Scott Waters
- ZantiMissKnit
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
That is some great stuff..and a whole a lot of lifers
- incuhead2000
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
All these year end post are making me miss warmer weather! Congrats on a great year!
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Amazing year! Exciting post!
I so love the shot of the basking diamondback terrapins. That is my absolute favorite. I want so badly to see one.
Congratulations on a stupendous year.
I so love the shot of the basking diamondback terrapins. That is my absolute favorite. I want so badly to see one.
Congratulations on a stupendous year.
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
You two had a fantastic year!! Some cool critters and really nice shots of em
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
These are great shots - what a great year you had! That River Cooter (#6) to me actually looks like a Northern Red Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys Rubiventris). Love the Diamondbacks basking shot.
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Yeah, I wondered that as well when I posted it. That may bring me down to 20 lifers -- OH NO! the year is ruined.sstaedtler wrote:These are great shots - what a great year you had! That River Cooter (#6) to me actually looks like a Northern Red Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys Rubiventris). Love the Diamondbacks basking shot.
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
My fault. I have such a tough time IDing the turtles on long distance basking shots. Heck, I have a tough time IDing them when their in my hands!
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
What are we looking at here? I called River Cooters again, because it was easier than researching it, I guess.
DSCN4393 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
DSCN4393 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Now on this one, to me, the top one could be a River Cooter. Kind of need a closer photo of all of them, but if I had to guess, the top one is a River Cooter. The others are harder to tell. Even this one, it could be a Florida Cooter, since River Cooters and Florida Cooters are so closely related. Without close ups of the face and shells, it is really tough to tell. I wouldn't be opposed to calling the top one an Eastern River Cooter, since I can see some of the lines on its face.mike h wrote:What are we looking at here? I called River Cooters again, because it was easier than researching it, I guess.
DSCN4393 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Cool! Thanks, Steve! So Andrea, take your River Cooter lifer again!
(The truth is, when I took this pic, it was a habitat shot... I couldn't even see this stack with the naked eye!! Gravy Turtles!)
(The truth is, when I took this pic, it was a habitat shot... I couldn't even see this stack with the naked eye!! Gravy Turtles!)
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
I actually do think most of them are river cooters, but it's just hard to tell. I feel much more comfortable about these than #6 on the lifers list.mike h wrote:Cool! Thanks, Steve! So Andrea, take your River Cooter lifer again!
(The truth is, when I took this pic, it was a habitat shot... I couldn't even see this stack with the naked eye!! Gravy Turtles!)
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Having seen a couple up here since that North Carolina trip, I'm inclined to agree with you about #6 being a Red Belly. That wizened face, the stoic, proud profile. Hey, I'm being serious!
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Great post! Amazing pics!! What an awesome season. I'm glad I got to experience some of it with you guys. It was another outstanding year in the Northeast and it is not over yet. Congrats on all the lifers!
Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
An impressive year: So many superb animals. Well done!
JimM
JimM
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Re: 2013 - Year of the Lifer! (x-posted on Forum)
Definitely an awesome year!!! Great work!