Top 20 photos / subjects of 2013

[Matt Cage]

I’m have not posted much this year, so I’m putting together a year end post of my top 20 subjects / favorite photos. It has been a great herping year. I have really enjoyed all of the people that I have herped with all over the South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the good ol’ USA. A few of these photos and specimens have already been posted, some have not. Here’s to 2014 which already got off to a great start as I’m just back from Peru again. I’ll get a post up when I have time. Thanks!
I’ll start in Baja. Hit the entire peninsula on two different trips this year.



Lichanura trivirgata trivirgata
Mexican Rosy Boa




Pituophis vertebralis vertebralis
Cape Gopher Snake




These were not in full breeding colors, but they were still spectacular.

Petrosaurus thalassinus
San Lucan Rock Lizard



I found this 6 foot monster at night with the tip of it’s tail out a hole.

Masticophis fuliginosus
Baja California Coachwhip




From southern Baja

Lampropeltis getula californiae
California Kingsnake





Bogertophis rosaliae
Baja California Rat Snake







Crotalus catalinensis
Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake







Bipes biporus





Always a welcome sight, from northern Baja!

Lampropeltis getula californiae
California Kingsnake




Phrynosoma blainvillii
Coast Horned Lizard






Here’s a couple from north of the border:



Chionactis occipitalis annulata
Colorado Desert Shovel Nosed Snake





Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca
Coastal Rosy Boa


Colorado:

Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis (or whatever they are going to call it now!)
Central Plains Milk Snake






And Wyoming:

Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
Pale Milk Snake


One from the Caribbean

Ameiva exsul
Puerto Rican Giant Ameiva



From Peru January 2013:



Phyllomedusa tomopterna
Barred Monkey Frog




Dracaena quixensis
Northern Caiman Lizard




Epicrates cenchria
Peruvian Rainbow Boa



And my favorite herp from 2013!


Lachesis muta
Bushmaster




Also, MT Amazon Expeditions has a Facebook page now up and running. Check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/MTAmazonExpeditions

[Daniel D Dye]

Good show, Matt. The Bipes biporus is one freaky looking animal.

[umop apisdn]

Looks like a nice year in the field, and not stuck in any one place too much.

I gotta ask, since I've seen it elsewhere now. Is there anything specifically that made you decide to clone out the eye reflections on the Baja Cali Rat? I've tried it in my own photos before, but it always creates an awkward feeling for me. I understand how reflections are undesirable, but reflections from the eyes in most close shots of subjects are unavoidable, and at least for me lending a sense of something being off. I tend to get a lot of reflection based on the diffuser I use, and anytime I've tried to completely clone out reflections in the eyes, I end up deciding leaving the reflection is best.

[John Williams]

Great photos of some great subjects Matt!

That getula is really interesting looking, especially the facial pattern.

[monklet]

High quality subjects there Matt ..great images too. Thx:)

Is there anything specifically that made you decide to clone out the eye reflections

Not to upstage Matt but I'd like to offer that I do that shamelessly ...and what's more, I will add catch light if missing. It can be a delicate operation to make it plausible though. ..kinda fun. Subjects without catch light are generally a dud.

You might look at it like this ...the photo is an artifact in itself, especially if using strobe. Adding or removing an aspect of that artifact, as long as it doesn't misrepresent the subject, is morally and ethically ok by me ..and it makes for better and more compelling images.

[Zach_Lim]

Gorgeous finds, every single one of them. The CalKing has such an interesting pattern!

Bipes are top of my "lifetime" to see list!

Gorgeous gentilis!

[TravisK]

Bipes are top of my "lifetime" to see list!

^I second that statement.

[Joshua Wallace]

Stunning animals and photos. The Bushmaster is incredible.

[Mike VanValen]

Great stuff all around, but that rainbow boa is stunning!

[socalherper]

Very Pictures Matt. Thanks for sharring. I am loving those baja Ratsnakes!

[FrogO_Oeyes]

Cool images.

The milksnakes would both now be Lampropeltis gentilis.
The kingsnakes are Lampropeltis californiae.
The caiman lizard is Dracaena guianensis. I think there was probably some kinda typo or bad optical character recognition there.
The coastal rosy boa is probably Lichanura orcutti - L.trivirgata only occurs in southern San Diego county inland from the coast.

Bipes have also long been on my "hit list"!

[monklet]

[gmerker]

Some great shots here Matt! Looks like you had a great year, G. Merker

[Ribbit]

The caiman lizard is Dracaena guianensis. I think there was probably some kinda typo or bad optical character recognition there.
The coastal rosy boa is probably Lichanura orcutti - L.trivirgata only occurs in southern San Diego county inland from the coast.

I suspect Matt typo'ed "quixensis" for the caiman lizard because a common Peruvian herp that we saw frequently on that trip is Oreobates (Ischnocnema) quixensis.

The "Coastal Rosy Boa" was in fact found in the small part of San Diego county that Lichanura trivirgata inhabits. (It was my first Rosy Boa, so I was paying attention.)

Matt, great stuff -- may 2014 be even better! (It will be hard to top that bushmaster though.)

John

[moloch]

What a good year! You found and photo'ed some amazing animals. Great shots.

[Matt Cage]

Daniel, Thanks for the reply, yes, loved that Bipes! Hope to see you sometime this year.

ua, I used a dual strobe for that photo (and others in this group). On that particular photo, it left two flash lights very distinct in the eye. I did not like them so I PS'd them out. Check out the same 2 flashes in the eyes of other photos in this batch. They are there but much less impacted in the photo, so they are still there. I generally don't like to take them out but if they bother me looking at the photo, I will do it. Thanks for the feedback.

John W, yes, those S Baja kings are great! Thanks!

Monklet, thanks for the reply comments. I totally agree with what you are say.

Zach, Travis, Joshua, Mike, Socal, thanks for the comments

Gerold, Was a fun year, and this year has started off well. One of these days we will cross paths again.

John S, thanks for the comments! We'll get some more lifers for you in 2014!

David, Thanks for the comments and keep your photos coming. They are getting me through the winter!

FrogO, thanks.............guianensis was a typo. Somehow the cut and paste did not translate correctly. Thanks for catching.

[soulsurvivor]

That monkey frog image belongs in a calendar!

[walk-about]

Matt

Yep! And you saved the best for last - Bushmaster! Damn!!! Fantastic assortment of photography sir. Thanks for sharing this.

Rock ON!

Dave

[dery]

I'm jealous of the Santa Catalina rattler. How many have you seen so far?