Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

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Saunders
Posts: 433
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:42 am
Location: Boerne, Tx

Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by Saunders »

Well as the title says I went on two different trips this summer, one was with my university down to Belize to do some research in the rainforest and the coral reef, and the other trip was my annual June trip to West Texas.

I'll start off with Belize: we didn't see many herps because they weren't the focus of our trip, but a few did show themselves.
The hike into the research station.
Image_DSC0033 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

From the top of the observation tower.
Image_DSC0258 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Mexican Treefrog at the base of the tower
Image_DSC0247 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Howler Monkey
Image_DSC0232 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Pygmy Gecko (This guy was unbelievably small)
Image_DSC0192 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

This pair of Cane Toads hung outside the kitchen each night,
Image_DSC0184 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Black Striped Snake
Image_DSC0182 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0175 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Brown Vinesnake
Image_DSC0159 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image10256706_10202052453648484_7516768613284378673_o by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Ghost Anole
Image_DSC0150 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Tree Skink
Image_DSC0147 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Yucutan Banded Gecko
Image_DSC0089 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Massive spider eating a Brown Basilisk
Image_DSC0062 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Ghost Anole
Image_DSC0039 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Red Eye Treefrog
Image_DSC0025 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Morlet's Crocodile
Image_DSC0023 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0022 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Mexican Treefrog
Image_DSC0022 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Red Coffee Snake
Image_DSC0018 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Slug Eating Snake
Image_DSC0008 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

There are some non herp animals from Belize that I'll show at the end of the post.

But now for West Texas.

The trip started off with two Trans Pecos Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster)
#1
Image_DSC0085 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

#2
Image_DSC0050 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0066 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Texas Horned Lizard
Image_DSC0108 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Sonoran Groundsnake
Image_DSC0100 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Here are multiple Atrox from the trip
Image_DSC0086 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0206 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0055 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0050 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

A terribly uncooperative Texas Coral snake that would not sit still
Image_DSC0041 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Emory Ratsnake
Image_DSC0010 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Texas Banded Gecko
Image_DSC0015 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

A lot of you know this spot
Image_DSC0121 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

And this one
Image_DSC0008 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Nightime long exposure of the Pecos River Bridge
Image_DSC0202 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Blacktail Rattlesnake
Image_DSC0215 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0211 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

And another one
Image_DSC0023 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Mottled Rock Rattlesnake
Image_DSC0182 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0171 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Bairds Ratsnake
Image_DSC0138 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

River Road Pictigaster
Image_DSC0104 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0107 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Mexican Hognose snake
Image_DSC0076 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Now for those who are interested here are links to videos from both of the trips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGK3hHK ... eURjm2S2og

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztkSPex ... og&index=1

Now, if you like birds and inverts, stick around cause here they are in no particular order.
Ruddy Turnstone
Image_DSC0198 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0160 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

The resident dog of the island we stayed on in the Belizian barrier reef
Image_DSC0155 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Some sort of Grebe
Image_DSC0141 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Neotropical Cormorants
Image_DSC0137 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0134 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0091 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0109 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0124 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Boat Billed Heron
Image_DSC0128 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Sandwich Terns
Image_DSC0120 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0082 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0099 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Pale Billed Woodpeckers
Image_DSC0121 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Roadside Hawk
Image_DSC0119 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Brown Jay
Image_DSC0116 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Montezuma's Oro Pendula
Image_DSC0112 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Leaf Katydid
Image_DSC0095 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Orb Spider
Image_DSC0087 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Young Katydid
Image_DSC0083 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Jumping Spider
Image_DSC0073 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

I can't remember the name of this woodpecker
Image_DSC0056 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Brown Pelicans
Image_DSC0047 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0046 2 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0042 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Image_DSC0036 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Yellow Legged Honey Creeper
Image_DSC0033 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Common Tent Making Bat
Image_DSC0014 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Long Tongued Bat
Image_DSC0008 by Saundersdrukk, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!
User avatar
DracoRJC
Posts: 335
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 3:15 pm
Location: The beautiful Texas Hill Country

Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by DracoRJC »

That post was rad. At snake days, all Ben would talk about was how lame Saunders is, but he might have been slightly wrong :P When will you be back in Texas?

Ryan
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Kelly Mc
Posts: 4529
Joined: October 18th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by Kelly Mc »

Belize is a dream destination. Awesome life. Love the copperheads. All of it really :D
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Saunders
Posts: 433
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:42 am
Location: Boerne, Tx

Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by Saunders »

DracoRJC wrote:That post was rad. At snake days, all Ben would talk about was how lame Saunders is, but he might have been slightly wrong :P When will you be back in Texas?

Ryan
Im back in Texas now for a few days before I head back off to school in TN, I'm hoping to make one more trip to South Texas before I leave though, it will all depend on the weather.
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chrish
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Location: San Antonio, TX
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Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by chrish »

Great post, great series of pics.
That big spider photo creeps me out. I've seen that species (?) before, but never eating something that large. That is simultaneously cool and creeps me out.


Your grebes are Least Grebes.
Male Yellow-legged (aka Shining) Honeycreepers have yellow legs. Your Honeycreeper is a Red-legged Honeycreeper, thus the red legs ;) (and black back).
Your woodpecker is a Black-cheeked Woodpecker.
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PrimitiveTim
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Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by PrimitiveTim »

The herps were of course really cool but I think my favorite was those bats! Those guys are freaking sweet!
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Saunders
Posts: 433
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:42 am
Location: Boerne, Tx

Re: Summer 2014: Belize and West Texas.

Post by Saunders »

chrish wrote:Great post, great series of pics.
That big spider photo creeps me out. I've seen that species (?) before, but never eating something that large. That is simultaneously cool and creeps me out.


Your grebes are Least Grebes.
Male Yellow-legged (aka Shining) Honeycreepers have yellow legs. Your Honeycreeper is a Red-legged Honeycreeper, thus the red legs ;) (and black back).
Your woodpecker is a Black-cheeked Woodpecker.

Red legged right, I thought it was that but I couldn't get yellow out of my head, although I suppose I could have just checked my field notes.
Thanks for the ID's
PrimitiveTim wrote:The herps were of course really cool but I think my favorite was those bats! Those guys are freaking sweet!
The bats were super cool, we found a few more species, no pics though sadly.
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