MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
MarcLinsalata
Posts: 562
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:50 pm
Location: Los Angeles / New Jersey

MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Post by MarcLinsalata »

Hi! This is the same two part story from the California chapter I created. This year, I had a goal to find a Western Diamond Back rattlesnake in California. Why? I don't know. Since moving back to Cali in 2010 I mostly stuck around my area in Los Angeles County with a few jaunts to the desert. This year would be different........ :beer:

Well, I’ve been putting this off for awhile and it is already 2014 :crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: ! 2013 turned out to be my best year of herping in California since I moved out here and was full of lifers. It started slowly like usual, but a ‘contest’ and personal goals and some free time made herping in 2013 an obsession of mine and became the ‘Year of the Atrox’ as I made finding a California diamondback rattlesnake my goal for the year for no rhyme or reason. I logged on thousands and thousands of miles on my car this year, got stuck in sand twice, slept in rest stops and gas stations across the state including one nauseating retreat of mine near the Salton Sea which reeks of urine during those muggy summer nights. I did a 360 off of a popular Riverside County road on my first time cruising it into the sand, fell asleep one night while road cruising causing me to crash into the sandy shoulder in Imperial County, fell down multiple hills before finally buying hiking boots, and saw 4 Mexicans jumping out of a van in fatigues to run into the Arizona desert right above the border. All in all, it was a fun and interesting year, I did all of my herping by myself (well except for when my girlfriend was with me, but, you know…) and I went out during new moons, full moons, super moons, dry nights, hot nights, cold nights, and windy nights. No animals were collected but some were run over. I never asked for spots as I wanted to adhere to the FHF mantra of “you never know until you go” but did receive a tip or two from some Facebook friends (including Fundad) which mostly consisted of “go east”. I try not to touch anything either, unless I’m with Holly, except all snakes and most everything else are safely removed from the road. :thumb:


Over the year, I stalked every single record on HERP and this forum. In 2013 I became OBSESSED with the desert and pretty much did all of my herping there (yes, my post will be Zonata free). If you have a record in the database in Riverside, Imperial, San Diego or San Bernardino then I have seen it multiple times. If you have an Atrox record, especially in California, I probably have it memorized.


Be forewarned that I did not have a DSLR camera or anything that will provide super detailed, quality shots and nothing is posed. This whole post is going to be a long and winded narrative and I did not include many DORs although some of these were lifers. Any of you who are my Facebook friends have probably seen all of these pics anyway but here we go again. Also, many of these were in the NE Chapter's END OF YEAR posts as well.


My original goal for the year was to find a rosy boa. Same as last year. However, I seemed to have left all of the rain in New Jersey because it has been pretty dry since I moved back to California in 2010. So the rosys had eluded me. Now, I think rosy boas are cool. But my girlfriend, Holly, is OBSESSED with finding one. We went to a hill in Riverside County in late February to look for them but came up empty handed.

HOLLY WAVING ON HILL
Image


“Boa, boa, boa” that’s all I hear out of her. Luckily, after boas, she says “glossy, glossy, glossy” which I can usually provide for her to her excitement. Anyway, after finding my first herps of the year at a popular LA County spot that I drive through every day on my way to work (couple of alligator lizards and side blotches) I decided to hit up Riverside County one day in late March. I think it may have rained that week which caused me to go. I promised Holly I would go scout some areas to look for boas. I ended up above the Palm Springs area scouring rocks one day to no avail. On the way back down the windy road I saw a freshly run over upside down snake that had not been on the road on my way up. I found a turnabout to pull over in and did a hike up the highway to find this.

ROSY BOA
Image


WOW what a bummer!! I texted Holly and she couldn’t believe it. I had found my ‘quasi-lifer’ boa (a lifer to me isn’t a lifer yet until I A: Find it by myself B: Must be alive)!! I posted it on Facebook where Fundad took interest and asked me where my database entries had been. I hadn’t entered anything in 2012 and he called me out on my laziness. He really didn’t, but I called myself out on it and started to get them in. But the DOR rosy kicked off my best year in Cali herping and so my year of lifers had begun……….


So, due to the rosy find, next thing I know we were booked in a hotel in Palm Springs two days later to hike hike hike. Holly likes to stay by the pool during the day so I was a good soldier and was actually relaxed but the boas were calling her name so next thing I knew we were out in the desert hills in the PS area. We were raw in our boa abilities however and we were just hiking around when I took a nice spill in my sneakers down a rocky slide. Bruised and battered I started walking to the car when I noticed my first lifer of the year – a little family of Chuckwallas. Up to this point, I was not much of a lizard guy but these dinosaurs were fascinating to me.

CHUCKWALLAS Sauromalus Ater
Image
Image


Fundad and Zack West offered some more Facebook boa pointers, but we struck out but still had our usual Palm Springs fun.


Back in LA, I finally flipped my first (live) snake of the year, your standard Cali king.

CALI KING Lampropeltis getula californiae
Image


During the week, Zack told me I should try the road that he and Fundad had both suggested. I had read about it before, but little did I know that I would make a weekly 150 mile trek just to get to this road and make it my little pet during the year. I said I would perhaps try it on Sunday. Well Sunday rolled around and I was bored so I decided to try ROAD A we’ll call it.

PART OF ROAD A
Image


I got a late start and really didn’t realize how far that ROAD A would be from Redondo Beach. I got there pretty much after sunset unfortunately and drove down it. I was fascinated by the area, the habitat, and the length and lack of cars especially. But carelessness took over, and as I sucked down my coke through a straw around a curve I took it too fast, hit the sandy shoulder, and spun a 360 in the middle of the road before ending up back on the shoulder. Holy S^%* I thought I’m really lucky there are no cars here. I continued to drive again and realized I had never pulled the soda from my mouth as I spun out of control. I chuckled to myself as I hit the desert flats before finding my first sidewinder of the year. Snapped some pics and had just pulled away when 5 minutes later I was screaming KINGSNAKE in my head!! I hopped out of the car and realized I in fact did not have a king but one of these – lifer number 2.

LONGNOSE SNAKE Rhinocheilus lecontei
Image


Those were the only two snakes I found that night and went home amped about my silly longnose. Seven days later, on Sunday again, I hit the road earlier to go back to ROAD A. Got there maybe an hour and a half before sunset. I drove down the road and took my death curve a lot more slowly and on the shoulder to my right saw a large rattlesnake crossing the sandy shoulder. I hopped out of the car and found my first SPECK of the year.

SPECKLED RATTLESNAKE Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus
Image
Image


I was super excited, and hoped I would find an Atrox because I thought it could be possible here. For some reason finding this snake became important to me. Maybe it was because I had a t-shirt that said Atrox on it. Maybe because my online poker screen names were Atrox*** and **Atrox* so on and so forth. I continued on while the sun was setting. I hit the desert flats again and found a dying patch nose snake for a quasi-lifer. I removed him from the road in hopes he would survive but looking back he was paralyzed from mid body down and I wish I had cut his head off to put him out of his misery. Cutting the heads off of dying snakes was a common thing for me to do this year. So I continued and as I was racing down the street I ran over a stick and saw it fly up in the air in my rearview as I chomped on some chips (yes I’m always eating). I clearly remember saying out loud I hope that wasn’t a snake sarcastically. A big pick-up with a trailer hitch was the only car that passed me before I u-turned. Not a minute later, I came upon a 4 foot DOR bright red coachwhip that the truck must have ran over. Bummer I thought and continued before coming upon the ‘stick’ that I had run over. I indeed had run over a patch nose myself. It was time for me to slow down I learned. I managed some DOR whiptails and another sidewinder that night. Again I went home, stalked the database and hit up Google Earth.


The next couple of weeks I found myself in the San Gabriels during my hikes finding Fence lizards and Side Blotches and the usual.

FENCE LIZARDS Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
Image


I started to figure out that the mountains did not excite me like the desert did but were just much closer. The mountains were also not going to give me my atrox. Me and Holly did take one trip out to ROAD A with plenty of time to kill. My 4WD on my Trailblazer is busted but that didn't stop me from hitting that sand. And as soon as I did it I asked myself what I was doing. Too late.

STUPIDITY LEVEL RED :oops:
Image
A nice lady helped Holly and drove her to where she could receive cell service (not available in the bottom part of ROAD A) and AAA towed us out. But time had been wasted and before I know it the biggest brightest moon I had ever seen was in the sky, ET style. Holly laughed and mocked me because she could tell how frustrated I was. We went to get gas in the town below and on the side of the road we found a gigantic, fat DOR Sonoran gopher snake. It was lovely looking with a big striped tail that some knucklehead had ran over.


Anyway, back to the mountains I was during the week hiking around when I came across a cool stream surrounded by rocks and hills and everything. I thought it might be a good spot to find a mountain king. As I was hopping rocks through the stream a bright white frog had jumped off a rock into the water. Cool! I had another lifer as I went to locate him.

CALIFORNIA TREEFROG Pseudacris cadaverina
Image


I was excited with my find and the next day Holly and I were hiking the San Gabriels together. We found a parking area near a stream which seemed to be a popular weekend hangout for families as the trash and graffiti suggested. We had just walked down the path when I was greeted by a large San Diego gopher snake followed by a large racer which escaped my photo lens. We walked the stream and I thought to myself how garterish the habitat was. Rock hopping I found more Cali treefrogs.

CALIFORNIA TREEFROG Pseudacris cadaverina
Image


I ended up taking a nasty spill on a slippery rock and landed on some sticks which carved up my stomach nicely. I vowed to buy hiking boots the next day. As we walked I saw a small snake take off into the watery stream. OOOOHHHHHH I thought that HAD to be a garter! I crouched above the area I thought I saw it go into and just sat there for about 3 minutes before the snake reappeared and floated away with the current. I snatched at it twice, missed both times, and it went back under. I could tell it did not escape me completely. Holly laughed at my ineptitude as a snake hunter. Two minutes later, it reappeared and I calmly and slowly reached down and snatched my lifer.

TWO STRIPE GARTERSNAKE Thamnophis hammondii
Image
Image

We started to head back as I was satisfied with my find for the day. Holly said she had just seen a baby racer go into the clear pool from the rocks that I had just walked by. I wasn’t sure a racer would hit the water but she said it was in the weeds. We waited and slowly and surely HER lifer garter (the stripe threw her off as she thought racer) started to come out of his hideaway.

TWO STRIPE GARTER
Image
We went home happy.


That Sunday, I went back to ROAD A. I cruised through the dirt roads and found a large house or structure that was in the middle of the desert flats for some reason that had collapsed and now looked like it was used for dirt biking area and stuff. The ground was littered with trash and boards and I flipped my first Cali desert banded gecko and my prettiest to date under a board.

DESERT BANDED GECKO Coleonyx variegatus variegatus
Image

I got skunked for the night except for my first glossy of the year as the temperatures dipped dramatically. Holly was jealous as she has a passion for glossy snakes.


Back in LA on the way to work one day I stopped off at the spot I drive through. I didn’t have much time. I walked a near empty field except for a small road sign that got knocked down into the grass. I flipped this and left it alone but it was a cool photo and got my herp fix for the day.

CALI KING
Image
Image


It was Sunday, May 19th. Boredom crept in but I didn’t have the energy to herp. Yes it was mid May and I didn’t want to herp. I opted to hit up The Bicycle casino and play a poker tournament instead. Long story short I final tabled after luck was on my side all day, until I really needed it. But as I left the casino, it was about 5:30 and I had some cash, some luck and a desire to herp. I slammed on the gas and headed west to Riverside County to ROAD A. As I was driving through the Banning area, I knew I would never get to ROAD A before sunset and my new herping learning and Facebook friends had insisted to get out there before sunset. Shoot, I’m screwed I thought. I guess I’ll have to end up on super popular Palm Springs area ROAD B we’ll call it.

ROAD B
Image


Let me tell you about me and ROAD B. I had never found anything on it while everyone insisted it was alive. I always managed a ruber or two on it right after dark but nothing else. Me and Holly would always cruise it as we were in Palm Springs all of the time. We would always come up empty handed and she hated ROAD B. So I said to myself I’ll go up one pass, if I don’t get anything then I’ll just hit up the surrounding areas. I passed by a white van that seemed to have a bunch of young kids in it that was obviously there for the same reason as me. I drove all the way to the end of ROAD B, saw nothing and u-turned it. 30 seconds after my U-turn, this was in the road.

CALI KING
Image
Image


WOW! A freaking kingsnake on ROAD B! I was thrilled and texted Holly. I continued on, saw my usual ruber, and then another ruber. As I got out to photo the second ruber I was stopped by a ranger who checked my fishing license and flashlighted my car. I told him I wasn’t a collector of anything. We chatted it up, the snake never left the road, and he wished me good luck. I told him about my king, he said that ROAD B had lots of snakes on it, I said I rarely found any but was happy with the king and was probably going home because I didn’t want to bother the van of kids and the king would do for the night. He asked why stop now and I said good point. I left ROAD B so the van of kids would have it and cruised the surrounding areas for just a bit. I came up empty handed, and decided to do one more pass on ROAD B before wrapping it up. Boy am I glad I did! Started my pass again and the van of kids drove by me again. The driver acknowledged me and we waved to each other. 30 seconds later, another king was in the road. NICE!! I continued on and on my left hand side I thought I saw a snake on the shoulder, not really brightly colored or with any kind of pattern. It looked more like a stick, but no stick I had seen previously. I hopped out and BOOM there was my rosy.

ROSY BOA
Image
Image

My hands shook I was so excited. It was so friendly and I knew Holly would be jealous and pissed which made it even more awesome :twisted: . I snapped probably 30 pics and as you can see none of them came out. I placed my buddy on the hillside and opted to go home for the night. Leaving ROAD B I managed ANOTHER king and another ruber.

RED DIAMOND RATTLESNAKE Crotalus Ruber
Image

What a great night. I decided to hit up one more road (ROAD C) on the way out, another road that was suggested to me by Kent Van Sooy years prior but I always struck out on although it was always promising. I did one pass, turned around, and a GIANT glossy was in the road.

GLOSSY SNAKE Arizona elegans eburnata
Image


I had no idea they could get so big. A car behind me on the road was coming quickly and I jumped out to snatch up the snake off of the road. The car ended up being my ranger friend from earlier in the night, and there I was standing with a big and now protected glossy in my hand. He said he had never seen a glossy and I was taken back by that. He also told me I couldn’t be holding it and I said I had only snatched it up because he was driving behind me and I always removed snakes from the road. He checked my car again for any bagged animals and I told him about my great night. I headed home after that completely satisfied although looking back I wish I had kept going until my eyeballs fell out. Reading the forums during the week, I realized that the van of kids had probably been a part of this party http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... =6&t=16397.


My desire for my atrox grew as it seemed I would never find one. The only atrox to my credit was a run over neo years ago near Indio. I stalked HERP again, then realized I would like to try something different. Nevada had some areas that were not herped it seemd and was open for county records and I wanted to go on a road trip. Next stop, Nye County Nevada without a plan or knowing where I would go. That Sunday, I loaded up the car and just headed north to Nye County. I planned on hiking and cruising until I couldn’t take it anymore and wind up at a motel. It sure was hot out in the early part of June and I drove through Inyo County towards Nevada. Right before crossing the border on highway 127 this lizard greeted me. I was still lizard stupid and had no idea what it was at the time but I knew it was a lifer.

LONGNOSE LEOPARD LIZARD Gambelia wislizenii
Image


Cool and I headed into Nevada. I was now in Nye County. I found a long cool dirt road to cruise until the sun came down.

Nye County
Image


I managed a whiptail and a cool horned lizard.

SOUTHERN DESERT HORNED LIZARD Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum
Image


I drove all over the place it seemed and found cool habitats but no snakes and not much else. I decided to head to Pahrump to sleep for the night. As I came into Pahrump, I finally found my first snake, a freshly hit spotted leaf nose – another quasi-lifer now. I slept in, hiked the next day, found not much of anything. Unfortunately, my engine light started blazing and I headed into Las Vegas. A very nice man helped me out at a reputable spot, told me it was nothing and the car was just hot. He did it all for free and he was very nice. I handed him some cash anyway. The sun was starting to set and I knew I wouldn’t make it back to the areas of Nye I wanted to be by sunset. Screw it, I thought – I will just go back to a cool road I went outside of Vegas last year when I met up with Bob Ferguson. The weather was nice, the sun was going down and I did two passes with nothing but a DOR gopher and DOR horned lizard which I fear may have met MY tires. Dammit, I thought, I hope I’m not wasting time. I decided again on ONE MORE PASS and soon came upon my favorite Cali king of the year – Nevada style. A small juvie, and beautiful one at that.

CALI KING NEVADA
Image


I continued on and saw a small snake. Not sure what it was, but I turned around and came upon a snake that never dawned on me to find MY lifer variable ground snake!!

VARIABLE GROUND SNAKE Sonora semiannulata semiannulata
Image

Maybe a half hour later, another one and WAYYYYYYYYY different.....

VARIABLE GROUND SNAKE Sonora semiannulata semiannulata
Image


Sweet. A good trip. And on my way out I decided to go the long way, back through Nye County and back to Los Angeles. I did manage my first county record and my lifer leaf nose snake. A cool snake I thought would be impossible to find but would follow me around all summer.

SPOTTED LEAF NOSE SNAKE Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
Image


The next weekend I went back to ROAD A. It was hot out and I managed a baby speck and some other small stuff. Another atrox-Less night.

I decided the next weekend (when I say weekends I mean Sunday, Monday, Tuesday usually – I bartend so these are my ‘weekends’) that I would go to a different desert. I had not been in Anza Borrego since two years prior when Bill Townsend was nice enough to take me herping that night and was cool enough to let me crash at his pad when my eyes gave out on me. To this day, Billboard is still the only person I have herped with in California. Thanks Bill! Anyway, I quickly managed my standard sun-just-set-Ruber. I continued on and this guy was in the road after dark. I walked right up to him, picked him up, still didn’t know what it was and snapped a pic in my car where he started to wake up. My lifer desert iguana, another species I would become all too familiar with during my year in the desert.

DESERT IGUANA Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis
Image


I continued on and soon saw a squiggly wormy snake frantically going across the road. I was going slow enough to spotlight it quickly and saw my first threadsnake! A car was behind me so I quickly pulled over and ran out with my spotlight and camera but could not find my quarry. Oh man!! I figured I would see another one but still have not. However, I soon saw another wiry snake in the darkened desert flats, and ended up cruising two of these during the night. My lifer Colorado Desert shovel-nose snake…

COLORADO DESERT SHOVEL NOSE SNAKE Chionactis occipitalis annulata
Image


During the week, Holly wanted to go boa hunting. It was mid-June and hot and dry but I said SURE!! Anything to get out and herp. We hopped in the car and headed down to the Temecula area to some spots I had passed before on my way to Borrego. I also Google Earthed some stuff but sometimes Google Earth leads you to private property and fences which always sucks. Anyway, we were cruising down a windy mountain road when I spotted a large board on the side. I said, “Let me go flip that stupid thing”. I was greeted with the largest and most orange Granite Spiny I had ever seen. I tried to take a pic but he was scampering all around. I finally managed to get my palm over him but he ran up my arm and around my back. I could feel him on my back and I walked over hunch backed to the car so Holly could take this cool shot of my colorful friend. Not a lifer, but I love granite spiny lizards.

GRANITE SPINY LIZARD Sceloporus orcutti
Image


We came up empty handed for the day besides some nice scenery. It is usually better to have a plan, but I rarely roll like that. So we headed home.

Continuing on.....

It was another Sunday and I decided to save some gas $$ and go to Orange County. I had a spot in particular I wanted to go, but on my way stopped off where I Google Earthed some walking paths. After not finding anything I ventured on. I thought I was following a road to take me back to my main road but it ended up winding through a small hidden town and up to an awesome road I had never heard of or seen. I felt like I struck gold while I drove up a windy paved canyon road. I happened upon another lifer, things we don't have in New Jersey...

TARANTULA - AWESOME!!
Image

I didn't manage any reptiles on the road so I left, but on the way down back through the town I managed out of the corner of my eye to see this going up someone's driveway :)

RED DIAMOND RATTLESNAKE Crotalus Ruber
Image


Sweet! I found a new super secret spot all by myself!! Later I found out my super secret spot wasn't too secret but either way it was cool and looking forward to going back this year sometime if I'm not feeling the desert drive.

The next Sunday, I wasn't allowed to herp at all. Holly had off from work so she wanted to hang out but not herp. Bummer for me but I'll be the good sport. We went to a Thai restaurant right by the spot in LA County that is solid for herps. There was an unmistakeable call of breeding frogs in the air and I wondered what they could be. As we went in to the small restaurant and into the back the calls got increasingly louder. They were so loud that it was pure comedy - most people were annoyed while others just thought it was funny. I noticed a small flower pot with a fountain in the back of the restaurant on the outside patio and went to look. Inside I found another lifer!!! Two to be exact. No herping indeed today!! These frogs must come from the marsh and enjoy this permanent water source.

BAJA CALIFORNIA TREEFROG Pseudacris hypochondriaca hypochondriaca
Image

During the week of July 21st to the 25th Holly and I stayed at our favorite spot in Palm Springs. I was eager to get in lots of herping and swimming and herping and eating and herping. We got out there late on the 21st, and I got to road cruise for a bit but came up empty handed . The moon was almost full and it was dry. I planned to hike the next day anyway. I got up early the next day and headed out to hike the flats of ROAD A for the first time. I got a nice early start. The flats started getting active with whiptails and side blotches and I hiked up a large desert wash into the rocky hills in hopes findin an early morning atrox. No snakes were seen but I did stumble across this sad sight.

TORTOISE SHELL
Image
Image

The shell was almost fully intact. Perhaps the loser of male to male combat? Who knows but it was still a unique find and a quasi lifer. The weather was getting hot so I zipped out of the area. Out of herp mode, I cranked the stereo but had to slam on the brakes for a large coachwhip that came out onto the road. I swore I hit him but he was gone. DANG! I wish I had a pic!! I hopped back into the car and checked the rearview for traffic. But there was the coachwhip coming across again! We played cat and mouse for a minute or two and I managed a pic of part of his body in the scrub. So my lifer was vouchered at least.

COACHWHIP - THE BEST THAT I COULD DO
Image


Now, Palm Springs goes like this for us mostly. I hike, she sits poolside (and sometimes I have to do that also – PHFFT!!) then we go to a nice dinner and if I’m lucky we can road cruise. She usually lets me go by myself otherwise. Tonight we ate dinner then I was on my own. A large moon was looming and I figured I would just be out for a little bit because I had planned on hiking the next day again. I told Holly to stay behind because I did not expect much. Instead, 15 minutes into cruising, ROAD B provided a mid summer king for me!!

CALI KINGSNAKE
Image


I texted Holly and she was jealous and angry at me because I said I wouldn’t find much. I told her we could go out the next night and I assured her a glossy. She said she wanted more and wanted to find a sidewinder, too. Pheww!! Just when I thought she was going to start screaming boas she whipped out sidewinder!! I assumed I could get us one of those as well.
The next day I played the good boyfriend and we sat poolside all day. But then we ate, downed our tequila and scotch respectively and hit the dry summer night again. I said again not to expect much but I promised I would find her a glossy but kingsnakes were going to be tough. Wouldn’t you know it, 2 minutes on ROAD B and boom I screamed “KINGSNAKE!” and slammed the brakes and Holly was screaming “Don’t hit it - YAYYYYY”.

CALI KINGSNAKE AND HOLLY'S NIGHTTIME SUNGLASSES
Image


Holly was happy and a happy girlfriend is a load off my mind. But she still wanted a glossy of all things. I said no problem. We did two passes, found the usual Ruber, when I noticed a tiny little stick in the ground. I was perplexed, super small but in a straight true to form snake crossing formation. What the hell was that I asked? She said she didn’t see anything. I hopped out of the car to find another lifer, one that NEVER dawned on me to find. Not here on ROAD B at least….

DESERT NIGHTSNAKE Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola
Image
Image


Afterwards, we managed two glossies on my very reliable road that we have always named GLOSSY RD and Holly was pleased. The next night, after more daytime boyfriend duties and a nice dinner we managed Holly’s lifer sidewinder.


The next day I set out to hike again and this would be an infamous day for me. I was still atrox hungry, and I assumed I would never find one, despite my efforts. I got out nice and early around 5:30am and hit up ROAD A. I decided to drive down some of the dirt roads around the flats that I had never been before. Driving along I came upon my lifer living tortoise on her early morning walk…….

DESERT TORTOISE Gopherus agassizii
Image
Image


A few hours later, a speck in a shady lair.

SPECKLED RATTLESNAKE
Image


Back to my earlier notion of my lizard stupidity at the beginning of the year. As the summer waned on and the daytime snakes were hard to find and my atrox was nothing but a myth, the lizards soon became my friends. Another stalk-worthy site, CAHERPS, showed me how much diversity there was in Cali for lizards (NJ – there is not so much). The speed in which they moved made it fun to try to sneak up on, especially with my fading, aging camera. I at first was so clueless on the different species, but eventually became pretty familiar with them and for awhile I could not for the life of me get a close up of a zebra-tail lizard. Anyway, today I chased down and photo’d every lizard I saw and ROAD A was teeming with desert iguanas and whiptails and zebra tails all day long.

DESERT IGUANA
Image


While most iguanas would run, check me out, then dive into their holes, this one stayed still. It ended up being another longnose leopard hanging with its iguana friends.

LONGNOSE LEOPARD LIZARD
Image


The day waned on, and I would stop at different parts of ROAD A and hop out for photos. Eventually, as fate would have it, I got stuck in the sand again in a spot that really wasn’t soft. I couldn’t believe how stupid I could be. To top it off, I was in the bottom canyon part of ROAD A and I had no cell service as I knew from all of my trips out there. So, I locked the car, grabbed my phone and wallet and half a bottle of water I had left and started to walk out to the flats where I would get cell service to call AAA. Maybe 4 cars passed me, I waved at the first to see if they could just drive me the mile out to the flats but they just sped past me. Angered, I didn’t wave down any of the other cars. It was well over 100 degrees at this point when I finally reached the flats. I called AAA but they told me they could not cover me 50 plus feet off of the pavement (I was probably 100). I had to call a local tow, and to 4WD me out of the sand would cost $600!! I was optionless so I said come get me. I told them I wouldn’t have cell service as I had to walk all the way back to my car. I walked back and waited by my car, I had drank all of my water and I was parched. I sat in the shade with some side blotch lizards and a couple of bees before my guy finally came to tow me out. He looked me up and down and said, “Dude, are you alright?” and tossed me some bottles of water. This scene couldn’t be any more applicable to my day’s events.



Back at the hotel, Holly was poolside and I ripped off my clothes and dove right in. A pool had never felt so good. I then realized I had hidden a Vitamin Water underneath my passenger seat that I could have drank the whole time waiting for my tow. It took me 3 months to fess up to her what had happened. We cut our trip short that night and headed home, but not before finding Holly’s lifer longnose on GLOSSY ROAD.

After my $600 set back I decided my herping season was done for a couple of months. I hung up the spot light, the snake hook, headlamps and all my other crap in the garage and cleaned out my car. Between that money, the money I had spent all year on gas, oil changes every couple of weeks I couldn’t afford it anymore. I assumed the atrox would have to wait until 2014. No sooner after my week long in the desert does Jim Bass, (Hellhooks to the rest of us) puts up a post at the end of July that he finally found HIS lifer atrox. WTF??!?!? He’s been stomping all over the desert for decades and he is just finding one now? I’ll NEVER find one I thought!!! I was so annoyed at his good luck and my bad one.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT……….

3 days later on a Sunday some storm clouds were hovering over Eastern San Bernardino County. I wasn’t really a Hi-Desert guy and this would be new to me. And I thought chasing this rain might be fruitful to my atrox hunt. So I unpacked the garage, and threw my gear back into the car as if it had never left and hi tailed it to the 40 East. The storm was brewing and I was in unknown territory. I knew this would be the night. I saw some cool habitat but the temps were dropping quite a bit. The sun was setting and I had only seen a gecko to this point. Lightning flashed across the sky, and it was just all around cool looking. I drove down some random desert road and turned around at the end before I hit dirt (Yes, I was fearful of driving over any dirt at this point). Not a minute after u-turning, a rattlesnake was on the road crossing. YES!!! I did it! My atrox!! I raced out of the car to take a pic. Wait, that’s not an atrox. That’s a helleri. No wait, what’s that other one called? Another lifer, that’s what it is.

MOHAVE RATTLESNAKE Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus
Image


After the lifer scute, I continued on to get gas and found a freshly hit scute. I cut off it’s head and marveled how fresh and intact the body was. Maybe I’ll try skinning a snake for once I thought. I threw the dead, headless snake into the back of the car in a plastic bag and continued on to get gas in Baker. I filled with gas, bought a cooler and ice, and proceeded to put the still writhing body of a headless snake into the ice filled cooler while travelers coming back from Vegas looked at me. The rest of the night turned up not much, a DOR king and a DOR quasi-lifer yellow back spiny lizard. But I was happy with my lifer.

During the week I studied the sites – California Herps, HERP, FHF, Google Earth. I rolled my eyes when I realized I was nowhere near atrox territory when I had driven to San Bernardino County. But being interested in new territory, I decided to go a different route – Imperial County. I hopped in the car during a hot as hell day and headed East (I realize during my previous post I kept saying HEAD WEST when I meant HEAD EAST – being from NJ, Cali and Arizona and everything out here is still WEST to me). I drove through Brawley and kept going. Most of the land was irrigated and farmland for awhile before I hit desert again. It was God awful hot and I managed a few lizards. I eventually crossed into Yuma County, AZ. I figured what the hell I’m here but didn’t have a hunting license so I left after finding a lizard or two there also. Getting back into Cali, I would drive over irrigation ditches and I suspected I could find a softshell turtle in one. Eventually, I happened upon one chilling on some vegetation for my lifer.

TEXAS SPINY SOFTSHELL Apalone spinifera emoryi
Image


I texted Zack West and asked if he had any luck in Imperial. He asked me what in the world was I doing in Imperial County at this time of year. But he knew I was looking for atrox. He said I was in a great area. There was a nice long road where they could be found, so I just waited for the sun to start going down. It eventually did, and I foamed at the mouth knowing this would be my night. It remained hot and dry and I only managed a couple of winders and annoying Border Patrol agents. Eventually, I saw a lizard hobbling across the road in a weird way. I thought it was an injured side-blotch. I got out and walked right up to it and picked it up. I had another lifer, a sad looking, deformed brush lizard.

LONG-TAILED BRUSH LIZARD Urosaurus graciosus graciosus
Image
Image

It was really skinny and I considered killing it but opted not to. It had lived this long so I’m sure it would be ok. I pressed on and on and kept driving waiting for my atrox to appear. I eventually slammed into the plowed sandy shoulder which only had a bunch of rocks and dirt on it. I had fallen dead asleep while driving. It was obviously time to call it a night and I found a parking lot to sleep in – without my atrox again.


Zack had also told me to hit up Arizona though soon. I said I didn’t want to go that far but he promised me tales of Gila monsters, and black-tailed rattlesnakes and coral snakes and too many atrox to be counted. It sounded good, and he lead me to a very popular road. I knew from NAHERP and Hubbs’ jokes that atrox would be plentiful in Arizona so I looked forward to it, but for some reason it didn’t do it for me like the CALIFORNIA atrox would. That Saturday, I packed my bags for Arizona and hit the road.

I was excited to be in Arizona. The landscape was cool looking and had a lot more cactus in it it seemed. I stopped at the Quartzsite General Store to get a hunting license. Shelly, or Sherri, was very sweet and asked what I was hunting. I said I just wanted to take pictures of snakes. She said a lot had been seen lately. I didn't ask any questions, but thought that was great to hear! I was so excited and raced out of the store, because I still had a bit of a ways to go because I wanted to shack up, shower, then be on my road before sundown.


On the first night I got to ROAD D and cruised heavily. I managed only one sidewinder as far as snakes go. I eventually came around a bend and saw a giant rattlesnake in a defensive posture on the shoulder of the road. A car was pulled over, and a father and son team were racing out with cameras. The rattlesnake looked like an atrox, but I didn't want to ruin the fun of their moment so I pressed on. I figured I would find my own.

I did. A DOR. And another DOR. But that was it. I did manage a lifer toad though...

SONORAN DESERT TOAD Ollotis alvaria
Image


I woke up the next day and went out to hike. I covered a lot of area and found a lot of cool lizards - all lifers of course Arizona wise. A lot of my pictures were not clear enough to share here, but I saw so much diversity it was unreal. I hiked and hiked and planned to be back at hotel to shower to get out to road cruise again at night. But during the day here were a FEW finds. I also flipped a baby scute under a mattress and found some DORs.

ORNATE TREE LIZARD Urosaurus ornatus
Image

EARLESS LIZARD Cophosaurus texanus
Image

DESERT GRASSLAND WHIPTAIL Aspidoscelis uniparens
Image


I got back to the room, ate, showered and hit the road. Before I knew it, I had an uncontrollable runny nose. I thought I just had some desert allergies or allergies from the bedding. But as the hours went by, I realized I was sick, probably from cranking the AC down so low in the room. I was really annoyed and cut the night short. I managed some longnose snakes, a nightsnake, and some more DOR atrox. DORs - ughhhhhhhhhhh!!! I went to bed and decided to head home early the next day - BUT WAS GOING TO HERP THE WHOLE WAY HOME with the intent of beating the NE Chapter in the contest.


Woke up the next day and started to make the long trek home. Already the road was lizard friendly and I found a horned lizard and some DORS. I would pull over every chance I got at every little cliff or rock pile or where I deemed worthy. I eventually came and found a great lifer to me....

EASTERN COLLARED LIZARD Crotaphytus collaris
Image


I managed a lot of vouchers and found some cool spots. I also stopped by the Colorado River right off of the 10 to jump in some water. Walking along the edge I spotted a cool Riverside County Record softshell....

TEXAS SPINY SOFTSHELL
Image


I continued on and stopped off at every exit to get some vouchers. I eventually came across a road that blew me away - ROAD E. It was super long and ripped through the desert flats. I COULD NOT WAIT to come back here at night. I wanted to stay, but it was too early, I felt like crap still, and I had to make it home. So I slammed on the gas to get out of the hot desert. Next thing I know I was slamming on the brakes again for a GIGANTIC coachwhip crossing the 144 degree pavement. We both swerved but I KNEW I hit him. I got out - no coachwhip. Again, a coachwhip disappeared underneath my car and was gone before I could get a pic. AMAZING! Also amazing was the dried up, pancaked remnants of a DOR atrox on Highway 10.


Next thing I knew - it had rained heavily in Eastern Riverside County. ROAD A, ROAD B, roads everywhere were soaked. YESSS! I was excited to get out to the desert. I ventured all the way out to ROAD E which would be my spot. I found it by myself, so it was my brand new super secret spot that no other Cali herper had ever found and I was excited. I made the 200 mile trek from Redondo to find ROAD CLOSED signs EVERYWHERE due to flooding!! ROAD A closed, ROAD E closed - I couldn't believe it!! I went on another road, also closed, but I by passed the sign out of frustration to cruise as much as I could. The rains had washed the desert into the road. Unreal, but I did find a zebra tail warming itself on the humid pavement and got my closest photo to this usually wary lizard.

ZEBRA TAIL LIZARD Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus
Image

I left pretty frustrated to my gas costs of a wasted trip.


The next couple of weeks came a new goal. And ironically, for no apparent reason, another FHF member, Matt Gruen, shared the same goal - we were both going to bang out a Los Angeles County sidewinder. I Google Earthed what I thought looked like easy pickings for sidewinders and made a couple of trips to the deserts in northern LA County. I also ventured into Kern County for the first time and found a cool road I hope to go back to. But anyway, the sidewinders never showed up. I found nothing but more of these.....

MOHAVE RATTLESNAKE
Image


I also beheaded another fresh DOR scute and took it home. Holly was not pleased that there were now 2 dead rattlesnakes in the freezer for my future skinning plans. I eventually got around to skinning them one Sunday, and took it to another level.

BBQ SUNDAY
Image


Too many bones and tasted like chicken. The skins were to soak for about 3 days in Glycerine and alcohol, but they have been soaking now for about 5 months. What can I say, I procrastinate.


Like the song goes "SEE YOU, IN SEPTEMBER....................."

September had come and I was still atrox free. And football season was approaching, and I knew my Sunday ventures might not be as often now. Last season, I had vowed to be in Vegas for Week 1 football. I forgot to request off of work however and I had to work the Saturday night before opening day. Screw it, I'll go after work. I planned on leaving Los Angeles around 3:30 am after working all night, getting into Vegas, STAYING AWAKE through the early games, passing out, then road cruising at night. Was I prepared to do it? Yes I was.

I left work around 3:30 and hit the 15 north towards Las Vegas. Rains had hit the area before and I got off to fill with gas by the Outlets and cruised this baby iguana pressing his body and sleeping on the asphalt at 4:30 am!

DESERT IGUANA
Image


I made it into Vegas, and got to watch the games. It was one of those situations where you have stayed up so long that you are so tired that you get into that trance where you are wide awake. I lost my a$$ in the early games so I eventually passed out then woke up and hit the road to areas above Las Vegas I had never been. It was pretty chilly and the only thing I managed was a juvie gopher snake I road cruised in the opposite lane. I pulled over to go get it, but a car following behind me swerved into the opposing lane to safely pass me and ran over the snake - I felt like crap. It then dawned on me that I have only seen DOR gophers in Nevada and this could have been my lifer finally.

GREAT BASIN GOPHER SNAKE
Image

The next day I hiked the hot desert in Lincoln County again. Nothing but lizards and snake tracks, but I eventually was overlooking a wash when AGAIN, all of sudden this giant coachwhip comes out of nowhere and descends the ledge I'm standing on into the wash below. I snapped the best pics I could from a distance, but by the time I could run down the ledge and get down below he was gone. AGAIN!!! The atrox and coachwhip - both white whales elude me!!

I got back into Vegas to watch the Eagles-Redskins Monday night game. If you follow football, then you know how fun it was to watch the Eagles that night, especially wedged between two Skins fans. To set the record straight, I'm not an Eagles fan, but I do follow them. Next thing I knew, though, people were pouring in from outside into the casino soaking wet. It was POURING outside!! Oh man, I thought, I can't cruise now!! But the rains eventually ceased when the sun went down and I was super excited. However, it was freezing outside and all I could muster was a DOR gecko.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

It was time to leave Vegas. Rain had covered the region the previous night. I jumped online. It was going to be mid 80s at most and humid out in most of the region from Nevada to SoCal. I planned on just getting some vouchers in Nevada and was going to go a super long way back to LA. I was going to drive from Vegas, down to Laughlin, and then all the way down to Blythe, then continue on through Riverside County to hit up ROAD E - my previously flooded super secret spot. It was going to be a long journey, but like my trip back from Arizona, I hoped to get a lot of vouchers.


The Highway drive down 93 was filled with side blotches and whiptails at most spots. I eventually made it to a road I had found before, a long windy dirt road that eventually went into the mountains. I hoped to cruise a snake or tortoise. It sure was muggy out but not too hot. I eventually found a lifer and county record....

YELLOW BACK SPINY LIZARD
Image
Image

I also eventually came upon what appeared to maybe be a possible den site as I found a couple of large crote sheds among the rocks. But no snakes unfortunately.

I continued on and pulled over some more. I eventually found a pile of rocks to climb over outside of the Laughlin area. It was still humid, warm, but not sunny. It was great for herping. I eventually made it up and over the ledge before my eyes peeled in on this in the rocks

SPECKLED RATTLESNAKE NV
Image
Image

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I snapped as many pics as I could. I never saw a speck with this coloring. It slept. It never moved. Never flickered. Never rattled or stuck out its tongue. To this day, I'm not sure that speck ever even knew I was there.

I continued on and did not want to get caught up because I knew I still had awhile to go. I traveled down the Eastern most part of Cali and down a very long road through the desert. I assumed this place would be great for road cruising in 2014. But time was against me and my calculations were telling me I would not make ROAD E before sunset. I floored it as much as I could - I usually drive like an old man but I had a goal. ROAD E. Soon!!!

I FINALLY made ROAD E around 7:30. Guess what? CLOSED due to flooding. But I knew it wasn't flooded. They were just still the same signs up from a month ago. I bypassed the signs and took my chances. If I got pulled over I would deal with it. I started cruising. It wasn't even a minute before I spotted a neo sidewinder....

COLORADO DESERT SIDEWINDER Crotalus cerastes laterorepens
Image

Nice - that was quick. Soon, a gecko. Soon, I road cruised this little guy catching some warmth, too.

HORNED LIZARD
Image

Man, there were things all over the place. That was my first pass. It was good enough for me because I wanted to hit ROAD A on the way back, too. But I said, screw it, I'm here so I might as well do ONE MORE PASS. I Uturned and went back for a second pass. All of a sudden, another cool tarantula!!

DESERT TARANTULA
Image

I took a minute with the hairy beast and continued on satisfied. Three minutes later........

NO POSSIBLE WAY IN THE WORLD
Image

I slammed on the brakes and turned down the volume to compose myself. Definitely a Crote. Sidewinder? No - too big, too straight. Ruber? No - too far out of range. Speck? Maybe - it might be a speck so let's keep calm. I got out of the car, slowly as the snake continued to cross slowly, calmly put on my headlamp, grabbed the spotlight and snuck up on.......

WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE Crotalus Atrox!!!!!!!
Image


HOLY S*&!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! NO WAY!! I DID IT!!!!
I was ecstatic! My goal, ACCOMPLISHED, on MY super secret road (that everyone apparently knows about) I found ALL BY MYSELF!!
While everyone else had cool photos of atrox on defensive postures, rattling away, ready to strike it turned out my atrox was unaware of me and then wanted nothing to do with me. Kept trying to slither away slowly. It wouldn't stop. I finally stomped my feet near her to get her to coil after 5 minutes. I felt bad, but I said OUT LOUD to my prize "I've been looking for you all over the place!! Stay here so I can take some pics!!!!" And I did before finally letting her go on her way. I was so happy. I texted everyone. It was immediatly on Facebook. I called Holly screaming inaudibly "I found my atrox I found my atrox!!"" She asked "did you find a boa" - PHFFT!!! Boas? Who has time for boas? Did this girl pay ANY attention to me ALL YEAR LONG!?!?!?!?

I hopped back in the car with a big pep in my step. It was time to go home. I cruised a leaf nose on the way out. I decided I would do a pass on ROAD A on the way back.

Driving on the 10 West I was frantic. All of a sudden, I see a snake in the middle of my lane. Traffic is awful as we all know and stopping for snakes is nothing short of suicide. But It was MY day. I slammed on the brakes and peeled far off onto the shoulder onto sand of course and did a dead sprint onto the 10 with my spotlight and grabbed what ended up being a LIFER!! A very angry little Sonoran gopher who bit me the whole time back to the car after I sacrificed myself for him. Thanks for NOTHING!!!

SONORAN GOPHER SNAKE Pituophis catenifer affinis
Image


I eventually made it to ROAD A. I was so happy I really didn't care if I found anything - plus I just wanted to get home after being out all day. At the very tail end of ROAD A what do I find but this DOR.......

WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE NEO
Image


A lovely looking one. Two atrox in one night now? Go figure.

Holly and I took another trip to Palm Springs a few weeks later. We did manage a sidewinder with a full belly on GLOSSY Rd. and a neo Ruber on a road I always cruised but until now NEVER found a snake on and there were no rocks nearby.

FAT BELLY WINDER
Image

NEO RUBER
Image

We also started to realize that this stupid raccoon was always on top of the dumpster at the end of ROAD C throughout the year.
Image

I made a long trek back to ROAD E again one night. The road closed signs were still up - lol - but the road was lifeless. I turned around to go home - BUT not before getting another lifer. One animal - one lifer = GOLD!!

MOHAVE SHOVELNOSE SNAKE Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis
Image


Herping season was slowing down but I set new goals. I somehow had never seen a Lyre snake all year, and now I also wanted to find fringe toed lizards, a flat tail horn, collared lizards (in Cali) or a banded rock lizard.

I did another trip to Arizona, but it was during the government shut down and I came up empty handed for the most part besides some lizards and a few snakes. I remember on the way in to see Shelly again to get my temp AZ license to I came across my find of the year - an autographed copy of Hubbs' rattlesnake book!!! Best $19.95 I ever spent.

On my way back from getting kicked out of Arizona I did come up through Imperial County to see if I could manage fringe-toed lizards on the sandy dunes. I saw many but their speed was too much for my camera. I did sneak up on a juvie under a bush but the picture isn't worth showing here. But it was a FUN day doing that.

FRINGE TOED HABITAT
Image


In mid-October, Holly and I ventured into Idyylwild for a few nights at a B&B. The weather was cool up there and the air was nice and clean. We did some hiking and photoed a lot of lizards.

GRANITE SPINYS
Image
Image


One night, Holly was of course beckoned by the call of Palm Springs dining. So we hopped in the car and headed down the mountains. Holly told me to drive slow for snakes - I told her it was probably a little too cold for snakes. Sure enough, down towards the bottom of the windy mountain road, I spotted a tiny snake. No doubt in my mind a small snake, no stick. I had no where to pull over however here. The road was windy through the mountains and there was too much traffic to stop. I managed a U-turn at a pullout and drove back up. The snake was there still but cars were coming. I unsafely got out to go find the snake but couldn't without a spotlight or headlamp which were packed away for the year. SHOOT!!! I hopped back in car to turn again and two cars passed and I said to Holly, "That snake is done for". Sure enough by the time I did find it it was a run over neo speck. So bummed out. Holly rubbed it in my face "No snakes huh!!?!" Oh well, I went to do a suicide U-turn on this highway and spotted this guy on the shoulder

SAN DIEGO GOPHER SNAKE
Image

Without a doubt, the most ornery San Diego gopher I ever encountered, hissing away and finally biting me in the face as Holly took pis of us in the car. I finally let it go, we ate an awesome dinner and had some great drinks. I wasn't looking forward to the drive back but Holly said, "lets go road crusing!" I said, well it's pretty late now and it's cold, but I think I can find you a glossy snake. The whole area was dead and we did one last pass on ROAD C. Towards the end when we called it a night I hit the brakes "KKKKKKINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!

CALI KINGSNAKE
Image

So awesome and unexpected! And expensive! Because nowwwww, I knew we had to stay in Palm Springs the next night to herp some more. I took off of work the next night and we packed up Idyllwild and headed towards Palm Springs. However I wanted to turn some rocks at the EXACT area I had scouted for boas wayyyyyyyy back in February. I carefully lifted a cap rock. No snakes, but I did manage a lifer!! There were two of them but one nose dived off of the rocks.

GRANITE NIGHT LIZARD Xantusia henshawi
Image
Image

That night? NOTHING. No snakes. Zero.

Well, I'm at the end of the season, but I got to go to my girlfriend's native lands of Hawaii in December. Time to herp!! She is from Oahu, and we didn't do touristy stuff but went all over the island to random haunts and beaches. Everywhere I went, there were anoles and geckos. I also got to swim with turtles while snorkeling and bought an underwater camera to photo them. Of course, I exposed the film, so I got no underwater pics of the Green Sea turtles I swam with. I did however get pics of two I saw in a small cove. Here are some of my lifer herp pics from the island of Oahu!!

GOLD DUST DAY GECKO Phelsuma laticauda
Image

MOURNING GECKO Lepidodactylus lugubris
Image
Image

HOUSE GECKO Hemidactylus frenatus
Image

COVE AND GREEN SEA TURTLES
Image
Image
Image

BROWN ANOLE Anolis sagrei
Image

GREENHOUSE FROG Eleutherodactylus planirostris
Image

PLAGUE SKINK Lampropholis delicata
Image

END STORY! SO all in all I had a great and fun year. I accomplished my main goal on a road I found by myself which makes it so rewarding! I'm begging for rain and itching to get out. What should my goal be this year? Flat tailed horn lizard? Zonata? Regal Ring Neck?? Don't plan on doing weekly trips again to ROAD A but instead plan farther East trips monthly with a speckling of closer trips during the better season. I would also like to do night hiking, but being by myself, I don't know how safe that is. Who knows - guess we''ll see. This year I learned about weather, moons, humidity and most of all I learned to keep my eyes peeled all over the place. 3 years ago, if it wasn't atleast 2 feet long and in the middle of the road I didn't see it. This year, I stopped for everything!!! Good stuff......

The other day, on January 1st, I wanted to get out and get one single herp to start my year. It was (and IS) bone dry out there. I flipped a side blotch at a somewhat new spot for me, before I did this..............lol :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: Luckily, i didn't get raped by the tow service this time but still costly. Time to get that 4WD fixed. Also, I need a new camera. That is my goal by March.

2014 START TO THE HERP YEAR
Image

Happy herping in 2014!! Sorry for all of the narrative......... :beer: :beer: :beer:
User avatar
Roki
Posts: 199
Joined: January 23rd, 2012, 10:08 am
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Re: MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Post by Roki »

Great post! Loved the story of the year progressing along and congrats on hitting your goal. Cheers
User avatar
klawnskale
Posts: 1211
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:09 pm

Re: MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Post by klawnskale »

Congrats on your Colorado Desert atrox. The desert tortoise shell is most likely from an unfortunate female tortoise that suffered from raven depredation. It's a serious issue in the Mojave Desert. The Thamnophis hammondi is a protected species. Maybe next time show a photo of one you found minus the handling. Cheers.
User avatar
MarcLinsalata
Posts: 562
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:50 pm
Location: Los Angeles / New Jersey

Re: MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Post by MarcLinsalata »

:o Duly noted, klawnskale.

I was completely unaware that they were protected but thanks for the info!

:beer:
User avatar
John Martin
Posts: 515
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 10:57 pm
Location: North end of Lake Okeechobee, Florida

Re: MY 2013 - QUEST FOR ATROX - FULL STORY - LONG NARRATIVE

Post by John Martin »

That was an awesome read! I love narratives like yours :thumb: . And, what can I say, EVERY DUDE NEEDS A HOLLY :lol:
Post Reply