Exploring Texas 2014: An East Texan forges new Trails (EOY)
Posted: December 12th, 2014, 6:27 pm
Once again it's that time of year to summarize and show off our finds from the more productive seasons. Starting this year, I didn't expect to be able to top last year's results, but after nearly doubling the amount of snakes I've seen and greatly expanding my lifelist, I believe I have.
This year I've done a lot more traveling to herp than last year. I've spent quite a bit of time in the northeast quadrant of Texas, instead of my southeastern home. In the early season, some friends and I went south to the southern tip of Texas and along the coast, making the most of warmer weather in the southern latitudes. In May I went to herp west Texas during Snake Days, a completely different kind of herping for me (and one I don't quite enjoy), and met and made many friends in the process. I spent a time herping the northwest portion of the state, on my way to Denver for some concerts this summer, as well as herped southern Colorado for a couple hours on my way up. I ventured further east to Louisiana, again, and made the jump into Mississippi in search of Eastern Diamondbacks. I've forged new trails outside of my little SE Texas bubble, and I'm sure I'll explore these and more in 2015.
Before we get started I'd like to extend a general thanks to all those I got out in the field with this year and had the pleasure of spending time with. I'll name a few folks through the post that are involved here on the forum, but there's many others who I had the pleasure of herping with that are not involved here. It's a great community and always enjoyable to have some like-minded companionship when engaging in this hobby, and interesting to see the different philosophies everyone takes with them to the field.
I'll be doing this post mostly chronologically and break it into sections of Spring, Summer, and Fall.
All photographs are sized at 1024px on the longest side. It's recommended to view the post with your monitor's resolution set to 1280x960 or higher.
Spring
Around the house, itching with excitement to photograph some snakes, I practiced on some smallmouth salamanders found in the yard and on the trail I walked my dog:
Ambystoma texanum (Smallmouth Salamander) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The first snakes of the year were in early January. We had a few days of 70's and I went to flip things, eager for spring to start. I only found a few Rough earth snakes, but did not photograph them. On January 22nd, I found the first large colubrid of the year under some tin I laid out in late 2012. It's not unusual for rat snakes to be some of the first and last large snakes active for the season.
Tin Site by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early February we had some more warm weather roll through, so I decided to check some copperhead spots. I'm not a big fan of these snakes, but they're exciting to see early in the year. I didn't have any luck at this point, though they usually are found in large numbers at this spot:
Abandoned Home by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coastal areas can be productive sooner than in-land spots. One weekend I spent a couple hours at the beach looking for diamondbacks. This small yearling WDB was all that turned up.
Upper Texas Coast by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The inner coast of Chambers County produced this rat snake:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
From this field:
Coastal Field by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the latter portion of the month we had a couple of days in the 80's right before a cold front would knock us back down. I took advantage of the weather and found a few early birds at one of my favorite spots:
East Texas Dump by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This rather haggard looking buttermilk racer was one I found in 2013. It needed a shed, badly:
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This LA milk was a nice surprise that day:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A few days later, west of Houston, this cottonmouth turned up:
Agkistrodon piscivorous leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
While herping was slow still, I was able to capture some of the natural beauty of the environment, something I often ignore when herps are out in full force later in the season:
Crataegus sp. (Hawthorn) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crataegus sp. (Hawthorn) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
More texanum showed up and I played around with some white posterboard and new camera equipment:
Ambystoma texanum (Smallmouth Salamander) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Early March brought spring break. It was a break from school, and a chance to take a herp trip to some new frontier for me and my friends, Armin and Brennan. We'd all wanted to journey to south Texas to see the monstrous diamondbacks and the even more impressive Texas indigo snakes. We planned and planned, and had set almost the entire week aside to herp east Texas, south along the coast, then finally the Rio Grande Valley.
However, I myself couldn't contain my excitement, and before they had come down, I did some central Texas coast herping myself, turning up some of the incredibly colored coastal milk snakes, as well as the exquisite Schott's whipsnake, among others.
Here's a few of the noteworthy finds I had, which really whet our appetite for the coming south Texas trip:
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
It was almost time for Armin and Brennan to arrive, but much to our chagrin, the weather turned sour quickly! A few days before they were set to arrive, east Texas was covered in ice! Something I haven't gotten to see but a couple times in my life.
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Luckily, within a few days the ice had melted. Temperatures were still quite cool, and the ground was wet. It was in this cold wet muck that we started our trip. Beginning on the upper coast, we started in some fields with dense clay soil, only to get skunked there. The water retention was too high and all the boards were soaked underneath.
Coastal Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Within a couple of hours we moved on to sandier, loamy fields, and Brennan found our first snake:
Farmland by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla gracilis (Flat-headed Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Not long after in a nearby field, we turned up several king snakes, mostly yearlings and one young adult:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Shooting the King by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We finished the day off with some rough earth snakes and a handful of Texas rat snakes, not photographed.
Our next day started off chilly and wet in the thicket region of east Texas. Within a few minutes of herping, we flipped a pair of southern copperheads, followed shortly by a rat snake and a buttermilk racer:
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperheads) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day, we journeyed west of Houston and then began the trek to the south-central coast where we would spend the night.
We had a few finds that day, but the only ones I photographed were these two:
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We spent that night on the beach, with the crashing of waves sending us off to dreamland where we dreamed of desert kings and milk snakes.
The next morning we awoke to cool temperatures and thick fog. We spent many hours searching but were only able to turn up a single milk snake:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Moving to the mainland, we managed to turn up an olive colored Schott's whipsnake, a lifer for Armin and Brennan, followed by a scrub rat:
Live Oak Hammock by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Whipsnake Wrangling by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Southwestern Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening, we headed south to Brownsville. The southern tip of Texas had just gotten drenched with rain, which we had hoped would bring out the snakes for us, but with it came cold temperatures and lots of wind. The following morning we met began our hunt, meeting up with my buddy Blake soon after.
Thornscrub Herpers by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We'd had a pretty lousy morning. The snakes were being pretty picky, and we weren't thinking we were going to have much luck. We had dreams of drymarchon, but after being told the weather wasn't good for them, and that they were nearly impossible to find by flipping, we didn't think we'd actually get to see one.
Lo and behold, much to everyone's surprise, in the early afternoon I lifted up some soggy OSB and found a perfect looking meter long young Texas indigo:
South Texas Dump by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Our spirits renewed, we marched on through the day. We continued our search, and barely missed a Texas Patchnose crossing the road. Overall the day was fairly unproductive, though we did end up flipping our patchnose just as the sun was setting.
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The following day we followed the Rio Grande up north through Hidalgo and Star Counties. Our first snake of the day was the diminutive black headed snake, followed by a rather drab western coachwhip, and many, many patchnose, and our own diamondback of the trip, a very small yearling found in some carpet.
South Texas Tin by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tamaulipan thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tamaulipan thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
South Texas Flowers by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla nigriceps (Plains Black-headed Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The highlight of the day, and our trip, was this 2 meter adult indigo. It was spotted out sunning itself outside of a burrow at the base of a prickly pear cactus. Thanks to Blake for seeing this beast for us:
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We concluded our trip the next morning by searching for speckled racers at the southernmost tip of Texas. Luck was not with us, and we did not see the speckled racer. All the more reason to go back though!
Sabal Palms by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sabal Palms by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The remainder of March I got out a few times, mostly looking for kings but always photographed a few racers and coachwhips. During this time I met up with Justin (MassHorridus) while he was down in Houston. We went west of Houston and found a few things, and I introduced him to my style of herping as we got to know each other. I also met up with TimCo for a couple hours. Though we didn't find much that day, we'd see each other again and again through the year. Here's a few highlights from the remainder of March:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Nerodia clarkii clarkii (Gulf Salt Marsh Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
April is by far my favorite month of the year. Snake activity peaks and road cruising begins. Here's a few from the first week:
Abandoned Car Barn by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coastal Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
At the end of the first week of April I met up with TimCo again for some herping out in the Big Thicket. His targets were mud snakes and tan racers. While we didn't turn up either of those, we had quite a productive day, including my first calligaster of the year and double coral snake flip:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I spent some more time soon after in the areas southwest and west of Houston, turning up more getula and coachwhips.
Sandy Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This milk snake was exciting to flip while walking my dog one evening:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A day in the thicket was unusually slow, though I did get my first rough green and tan racer of the year:
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the middle of the month I spent some time in high quality prairie west of Houston, looking for my favorite snake, the prairie kingsnake. I was lucky enough to find these in good numbers (for myself, at least) as well as a rare find for the area, the Texas Glossy snake, an animal seldom seen this far east. I ended up seeing four of these glossy snakes this year in that area.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One mid-April morning I was to meet TimCo and some of his (and now mine) friends on the South-Central Texas coast. We had been blasted with a cold front the night prior, dropping temperatures into the 40's. As I made my south early that morning, about 5am, I was passing by a board that was just a few feet off the highway, one I knew to be productive. Despite the cold temps and being in the dark of the morning, I decided to flip it. I was rewarded with a calligaster and getula double flip. I collected the calligaster and continued on my way to meet Tim.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We herped the coastal islands most of the day and were skunked on our targets, though we all got to experience the joys of flipping a hive of africanized bees!
A glass lizard showed up (maybe more, I can't recall)
Herpers Herping by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Moving inland in seach of whipsnakes, we were only graced with a few coachwhips.
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Herpers Herping by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In late April I spent some time herping on my own in various parts of east Texas, from the coastal fields to the thicket, to the post-oak savannah of northeast Texas. Here's some of those finds, including some in-situ photographs:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Snapping Turtle by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
At the end of the month I was taking a trip to east Louisiana to meet up with my buddy Armin. Jeroen, one of our FHF members from Belgium was meeting us out there for some canebrake hunting. As is custom, before my trip out there, I went to try to find a canebrake in east Texas.
I went west of Houston, and ended up getting out too late for most road movement. While driving down a road I know produces them, I heard a buzz like the sound of an insect flying into the car. It was peculiar though, so I stopped the car and turned the engine off, and I could still hear it buzzing in the distance. I started the car and drove towards it, and shined my light out the window as the noise reached a crescendo. Sitting off the road by my car was the first canebrake of the year!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day I made my way to Armin's, herping a bit along the way, and found this interestingly colored racer near Lake Charles:
Coluber constrictor ssp. (North American Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
As usual, we had a bang up time at his camp and found several canebrakes, a rough green, some kings, along with a few corns.
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This corn snake on a hunting stand ended up being my favorite photo this year, in situ:
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early May, flipping is still productive but begins to slow down, especially when the ground begins to dry out and days are longer and warmer. Road cruising generally becomes more productive and lasts later in the night. It ended up being a very good month for me, with a good bit of travel including some days in west Texas at the end of the month. Here's some of the finds from the first couple of weeks in May:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum ssp. (Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Regina rigida sinicola (Gulf Crayfish Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Regina grahamii (Graham's Crayfish Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the middle of May, Armin came to visit for an extended weekend. Our goals were to herp west of Houston for part of a day, looking for calligaster and canebrakes, then buzz up to northeast Texas for pygmies. While we struck out on canes and callies, we ended up with some good results in northeast Texas.
Intergrade coachwhip from west of Houston:
Coluber flagellum ssp. (Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Diadophis punctuatus stictogenys (Mississippi Ringneck Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Flipping a log one afternoon, something I seldom do as it is generally unproductive, revealed two coral snakes on top of each other (not breeding). I shouted to Armin and he ran over, gleefully ready for some coral snake fun.
Post Oak Savannah by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Snake Photography by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Towards the end of a long hike, the day before we headed home, we came across this scene less than 10ft from where we parked the truck. This rat snake had knocked several baby birds out of the nest and onto the ground, where it slowly devoured each one:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
After our trip I spent a couple days herping the next week, just before leaving for my first west Texas herp adventure. Here's some highlights:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
On my way out to West Texas, I stopped in Austin to pick up Ryan (DracoRJC). We looked around a creek near his residence for some blackneck garters, but only came up with this diamondbacked water snake:
Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer (Diamondbacked Water Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I dropped off Ryan near Fort Stockton where he was meeting up with his friend Ben. I made my way to Marathon just in time for sundown to meet up with TimCO and many other great folks I'm happy to call friends now, including the esteemed Mike Pingleton, Sky S., and our favorite photographer from California, Marisa!
We spent the next 5-6 nights herping west Texas, splitting off into groups here and there, in search of this-and-that. I wasn't much for the daytime lectures, but I did enjoy the night hunting. I don't recall when each of these was found, but needless to say the only snake I found myself the entire trip was the Chihuahuan Lyre on River Road. These are a collection of group finds, and it wouldn't have been possible for me to see all these things without the companionship I enjoyed that week!
Arizona elegans elegans (Kansas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Hypsiglena torquata jani (Texas Night Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster (Trans-Pecos Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla nigriceps (Plains Blackheaded Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Bogertophis subocularis (Trans-Pecos Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer affinis (Sonoran Gopher Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii (Texas Lyre Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Some west Texas scenery. Thanks again to Sky for the hospitality that week, and for introducing me to the CowDog! If anyone every visits Alpine before June 1st next year, be sure to visit the CowDog in Alpine for the best hotdogs you'll ever have. Seriously.
West Texas Landscape by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Chisos Mountains by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rio Grande by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Returning to east Texas I didn't go out to herp until the second week of June or so. Herp movement had slowed down to brief flutters of activity at dusk and dawn, and I wasn't interested in road cruising all night to find herps. Flipping is nonexistant that time of year! Needless to say I gave it a try, but only found a few noteworthy things I wanted to photograph. It is a decent time for mudsnakes, though generally I find more roadkills than alive. I wouldn't go out again until the end of the month on my way to Colorado.
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Summer
As summer started I herped less in Southeast Texas. I focused more on work, but at the end of June I had planned to see Widespread Panic at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. I took the opportunity to check off a couple of snakes off my lifelist, and collect a calligaster from northwest Texas. Using the field guide and google maps for habitat, I narrowed down a place near the panhandle that would be productive for calligaster and western massassaugas. It turned out I was either lucky or well learned, but I was fortuitous enough to find both targets within an hour of arriving at the site that evening on my way up.
Mesquite Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Searching for 'saugas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
After talking to TimCO, he guided me to an area in Southern Colorado, that, if I hurried, I should would be able to make it to in the morning and potentially find western hognoses and prairie rattlesnakes. I left my 'sauga area around 10pm and I drove all night, taking a 30min nap at about 5am in Lamar CO. Driving 2.5 more hours I made it to the spot. While I didn't find my lifer western hog, I did get graced with my very first Prairie Rattlesnake, every bit irascible as described.
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early July, doing yardwork one morning, this milk snake surprised me:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One day off in the first couple of weeks of July I met up with a graduate student working in NE Texas to help her find her first pygmy.
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We met up again, not long after towards the end of the month and made a trip out east to look for canebrakes in East Louisiana. We were not unsuccessful! She found our first one of the day, several feet up on a branch, waiting for a squirrel!
In situ:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Storeria occipitomaculata obscura (Florida Red-bellied Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Back in Texas, I started to go out and cruise more at the end of July, mostly looking for canebrakes as the start of canebrake season would begin soon. I probably jumped the gun a bit, but I did have some success.
Here's a few finds from that period, as well as a few non-herp scenes:
Orb Weaver by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rabbit by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One night I ended up with a stunningly large, 31 inch Louisiana milk snake:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In situ:
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I did finally have some canebrake success, and one of the prettiest milk snakes I've ever seen turned up:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
August is, for me, the beginning of horridus season. In the middle of the month males begin moving to find their girlfriends for the year. It was at this time I started to spend more nights searching east Texas, and took a final trip of the year to Armin's place and a quick jaunt to Mississippi with my (now) girlfriend.
Here's a few highlights of that month, including that trip. In a single day we smashed our previous record of 4, and field up 6 canebrakes sitting out on Armin's property.
Agkistrodon piscivorous leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor latrunculus (Black-masked Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Love at first sight by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Mississippi Sandhill by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Virginia valeriae elegans (Western Smooth Earth Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Back in Texas:
Orange-striped Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus proximus) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
And a late August trip back to Louisiana, not on Armin's property, and sadly without Armin:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The month of September has to be my second favorite month of the year. Herps beging to move again, and horridus are some of the most abundant. This month I would shatter previous year's records of horridus finds. In both 2012 and 2013, I had found only 4 horridus in Texas in each year. This year, my total was brought to over 30 alive, and 45 including my Louisiana finds (not to mention the countless DORs).
The first couple days of the month brought this behemoth out in northeast Texas. This was a 5ft+ canebrake, one of the largest I've found:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Babies began popping up all over, and adults were moving regularly:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the latter half of the month, I met up with Todd B. from California to herp the Thicket and Northeast Texas to cross a few lifers off his list. Of course a top target was the canebrake, and I informed him we'd give it our best, but not to get his hopes up on finding a canebrake in East Texas. I'd seen many, but certainly couldn't guarantee one.
As it turned out, my caution towards Todd was unfounded, and the very first snake we would find was a mother canebrake from Northeast Texas. Not only did we find a mother cane, but we found her with 19 of her babies. This was the start of a very successful trip for Todd, and a happy weekend for me!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A pygmy we found that evening, another of his targets:
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day I had work, and Todd set off on his own. We would get together again the following day, and we turned up another canebrake in the Thicket, crossing the road in the late afternoon. We were both talking and not expecting anything as we made our way to another hiking/flipping area. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a canebrake in the road. I shouted "CANE!" and dove out of the car as fast as I could.
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
So ended my finds for this summer. Fall was just around the corner, and Armin and I had one last trip planned.
Fall
The first day of Fall I set off on my own to do some hiking in the cool, low 80's day. This eastern coachwhip was one of a few finds, and was nice to finally get a shot of one in-situ:
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Armin arrived a few days later and we set off that evening to cruise the Thicket in an attempt to get his first canebrake from Texas. After a couple hours I informed him we were getting to prime time, and this was when I had been seeing them moving lately. A few minutes later we saw the sight we all look forward to!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next morning we set off on a similar path as we did in May. We searched for calligaster, and struck out again, west of Houston. We did re-find the most incredible looking copperhead either of us has ever seen, though.
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening we arrived in northeast Texas and began hiking around. It was sadly drier than we expected, and our hopes of a pygmy out hunting were dashed. We did end up getting our second hognose of the year, an adorable red neonate.
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening, we cruised around in hopes of seeing a pygmy. About an hour after sundown, we stumbled across our target!
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Having succeeded there, we made our way the next morning towards the panhandle, with hopes of a massassauga to round out the trip. We made it to our hotel shortly before sundown and took a few minutes to clean up. We made it to our road a little bit early and flipped some rocks to pass the time. This was the first I'd seen or heard of the green toad, and had to ask a friend what it was:
Green Toad (Bufo debilis debilis) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Night fell, and we began our search for our massassauga. We found a great-plains rat first, but not much else was moving. About an hour after sundown, almost the same time as we had found the pygmy the night before, we saw an alert massassauga warming itself on the road! We kept cruising, hoping for another or a calligaster, but only ended up with a couple diamondbacks and a huge Texas rat snake. We chatted with some local sheriffs and they gave us some road tips, but around 11pm we called it a night and headed back to the hotel, photographing and releasing our prize the next morning.
Sistrurus catenatus tergiminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergiminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Armin flipped this diamondback under a mattress that morning:
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That afternoon we headed back to NE Texas to try again for another pygmy. Luck wasn't with us, and we eventually got washed out by a huge storm. While hiking we captured a jet black eastern coachwhip.
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Just before the storm hit, we found a baby canebrake crossing an ill-traveled farm road:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We saw several rat snakes out in the rain, but the pygmies stayed in that night. We headed out the next morning, concluding our final trip of the year, satisfied and looking forward to the next one.
At the end of October my girlfriend and I went out for a last ditch effort at finding a few snakes for the year. One weekend we went to the coast so I could show her a western diamondback. As soon as we arrived at our first spot, I walked up on a large 4ft diamondback, before we had even flipped anything. After photos, we flipped a few things and called it a day.
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next Saturday we went out again, this time west of Houston. We herped most of the day and found very little. It wasn't until we got to the last spot that we struck gold. In one spot we found two copperheads, some water snakes, three Texas rat snakes and our target, a beautiful prairie king. It was quite a way to end the year!
Ratsnake Wrangling by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
While there's still time to find a few things here this year (and this weekend looks exceptionally good!), I don't expect I'll have much more to add.
I kind of have to cut the post off now, as I'm exceeding the 100,000 character limit. I'll post a final note in the first post below.
This year I've done a lot more traveling to herp than last year. I've spent quite a bit of time in the northeast quadrant of Texas, instead of my southeastern home. In the early season, some friends and I went south to the southern tip of Texas and along the coast, making the most of warmer weather in the southern latitudes. In May I went to herp west Texas during Snake Days, a completely different kind of herping for me (and one I don't quite enjoy), and met and made many friends in the process. I spent a time herping the northwest portion of the state, on my way to Denver for some concerts this summer, as well as herped southern Colorado for a couple hours on my way up. I ventured further east to Louisiana, again, and made the jump into Mississippi in search of Eastern Diamondbacks. I've forged new trails outside of my little SE Texas bubble, and I'm sure I'll explore these and more in 2015.
Before we get started I'd like to extend a general thanks to all those I got out in the field with this year and had the pleasure of spending time with. I'll name a few folks through the post that are involved here on the forum, but there's many others who I had the pleasure of herping with that are not involved here. It's a great community and always enjoyable to have some like-minded companionship when engaging in this hobby, and interesting to see the different philosophies everyone takes with them to the field.
I'll be doing this post mostly chronologically and break it into sections of Spring, Summer, and Fall.
All photographs are sized at 1024px on the longest side. It's recommended to view the post with your monitor's resolution set to 1280x960 or higher.
Spring
Around the house, itching with excitement to photograph some snakes, I practiced on some smallmouth salamanders found in the yard and on the trail I walked my dog:
Ambystoma texanum (Smallmouth Salamander) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The first snakes of the year were in early January. We had a few days of 70's and I went to flip things, eager for spring to start. I only found a few Rough earth snakes, but did not photograph them. On January 22nd, I found the first large colubrid of the year under some tin I laid out in late 2012. It's not unusual for rat snakes to be some of the first and last large snakes active for the season.
Tin Site by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early February we had some more warm weather roll through, so I decided to check some copperhead spots. I'm not a big fan of these snakes, but they're exciting to see early in the year. I didn't have any luck at this point, though they usually are found in large numbers at this spot:
Abandoned Home by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coastal areas can be productive sooner than in-land spots. One weekend I spent a couple hours at the beach looking for diamondbacks. This small yearling WDB was all that turned up.
Upper Texas Coast by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The inner coast of Chambers County produced this rat snake:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
From this field:
Coastal Field by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the latter portion of the month we had a couple of days in the 80's right before a cold front would knock us back down. I took advantage of the weather and found a few early birds at one of my favorite spots:
East Texas Dump by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This rather haggard looking buttermilk racer was one I found in 2013. It needed a shed, badly:
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This LA milk was a nice surprise that day:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A few days later, west of Houston, this cottonmouth turned up:
Agkistrodon piscivorous leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
While herping was slow still, I was able to capture some of the natural beauty of the environment, something I often ignore when herps are out in full force later in the season:
Crataegus sp. (Hawthorn) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crataegus sp. (Hawthorn) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
More texanum showed up and I played around with some white posterboard and new camera equipment:
Ambystoma texanum (Smallmouth Salamander) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Early March brought spring break. It was a break from school, and a chance to take a herp trip to some new frontier for me and my friends, Armin and Brennan. We'd all wanted to journey to south Texas to see the monstrous diamondbacks and the even more impressive Texas indigo snakes. We planned and planned, and had set almost the entire week aside to herp east Texas, south along the coast, then finally the Rio Grande Valley.
However, I myself couldn't contain my excitement, and before they had come down, I did some central Texas coast herping myself, turning up some of the incredibly colored coastal milk snakes, as well as the exquisite Schott's whipsnake, among others.
Here's a few of the noteworthy finds I had, which really whet our appetite for the coming south Texas trip:
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
It was almost time for Armin and Brennan to arrive, but much to our chagrin, the weather turned sour quickly! A few days before they were set to arrive, east Texas was covered in ice! Something I haven't gotten to see but a couple times in my life.
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Late Winter in East Texas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Luckily, within a few days the ice had melted. Temperatures were still quite cool, and the ground was wet. It was in this cold wet muck that we started our trip. Beginning on the upper coast, we started in some fields with dense clay soil, only to get skunked there. The water retention was too high and all the boards were soaked underneath.
Coastal Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Within a couple of hours we moved on to sandier, loamy fields, and Brennan found our first snake:
Farmland by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla gracilis (Flat-headed Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Not long after in a nearby field, we turned up several king snakes, mostly yearlings and one young adult:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Shooting the King by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We finished the day off with some rough earth snakes and a handful of Texas rat snakes, not photographed.
Our next day started off chilly and wet in the thicket region of east Texas. Within a few minutes of herping, we flipped a pair of southern copperheads, followed shortly by a rat snake and a buttermilk racer:
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperheads) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day, we journeyed west of Houston and then began the trek to the south-central coast where we would spend the night.
We had a few finds that day, but the only ones I photographed were these two:
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We spent that night on the beach, with the crashing of waves sending us off to dreamland where we dreamed of desert kings and milk snakes.
The next morning we awoke to cool temperatures and thick fog. We spent many hours searching but were only able to turn up a single milk snake:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Moving to the mainland, we managed to turn up an olive colored Schott's whipsnake, a lifer for Armin and Brennan, followed by a scrub rat:
Live Oak Hammock by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Whipsnake Wrangling by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's Whipsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus meahllmorum (Southwestern Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening, we headed south to Brownsville. The southern tip of Texas had just gotten drenched with rain, which we had hoped would bring out the snakes for us, but with it came cold temperatures and lots of wind. The following morning we met began our hunt, meeting up with my buddy Blake soon after.
Thornscrub Herpers by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We'd had a pretty lousy morning. The snakes were being pretty picky, and we weren't thinking we were going to have much luck. We had dreams of drymarchon, but after being told the weather wasn't good for them, and that they were nearly impossible to find by flipping, we didn't think we'd actually get to see one.
Lo and behold, much to everyone's surprise, in the early afternoon I lifted up some soggy OSB and found a perfect looking meter long young Texas indigo:
South Texas Dump by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Our spirits renewed, we marched on through the day. We continued our search, and barely missed a Texas Patchnose crossing the road. Overall the day was fairly unproductive, though we did end up flipping our patchnose just as the sun was setting.
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The following day we followed the Rio Grande up north through Hidalgo and Star Counties. Our first snake of the day was the diminutive black headed snake, followed by a rather drab western coachwhip, and many, many patchnose, and our own diamondback of the trip, a very small yearling found in some carpet.
South Texas Tin by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tamaulipan thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tamaulipan thornscrub by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
South Texas Flowers by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla nigriceps (Plains Black-headed Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The highlight of the day, and our trip, was this 2 meter adult indigo. It was spotted out sunning itself outside of a burrow at the base of a prickly pear cactus. Thanks to Blake for seeing this beast for us:
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We concluded our trip the next morning by searching for speckled racers at the southernmost tip of Texas. Luck was not with us, and we did not see the speckled racer. All the more reason to go back though!
Sabal Palms by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sabal Palms by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The remainder of March I got out a few times, mostly looking for kings but always photographed a few racers and coachwhips. During this time I met up with Justin (MassHorridus) while he was down in Houston. We went west of Houston and found a few things, and I introduced him to my style of herping as we got to know each other. I also met up with TimCo for a couple hours. Though we didn't find much that day, we'd see each other again and again through the year. Here's a few highlights from the remainder of March:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Nerodia clarkii clarkii (Gulf Salt Marsh Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
April is by far my favorite month of the year. Snake activity peaks and road cruising begins. Here's a few from the first week:
Abandoned Car Barn by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coastal Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
At the end of the first week of April I met up with TimCo again for some herping out in the Big Thicket. His targets were mud snakes and tan racers. While we didn't turn up either of those, we had quite a productive day, including my first calligaster of the year and double coral snake flip:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I spent some more time soon after in the areas southwest and west of Houston, turning up more getula and coachwhips.
Sandy Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This milk snake was exciting to flip while walking my dog one evening:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A day in the thicket was unusually slow, though I did get my first rough green and tan racer of the year:
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the middle of the month I spent some time in high quality prairie west of Houston, looking for my favorite snake, the prairie kingsnake. I was lucky enough to find these in good numbers (for myself, at least) as well as a rare find for the area, the Texas Glossy snake, an animal seldom seen this far east. I ended up seeing four of these glossy snakes this year in that area.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One mid-April morning I was to meet TimCo and some of his (and now mine) friends on the South-Central Texas coast. We had been blasted with a cold front the night prior, dropping temperatures into the 40's. As I made my south early that morning, about 5am, I was passing by a board that was just a few feet off the highway, one I knew to be productive. Despite the cold temps and being in the dark of the morning, I decided to flip it. I was rewarded with a calligaster and getula double flip. I collected the calligaster and continued on my way to meet Tim.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We herped the coastal islands most of the day and were skunked on our targets, though we all got to experience the joys of flipping a hive of africanized bees!
A glass lizard showed up (maybe more, I can't recall)
Herpers Herping by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Moving inland in seach of whipsnakes, we were only graced with a few coachwhips.
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Herpers Herping by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In late April I spent some time herping on my own in various parts of east Texas, from the coastal fields to the thicket, to the post-oak savannah of northeast Texas. Here's some of those finds, including some in-situ photographs:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Snapping Turtle by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Ophisaurus attenuatus (Slender Glass Lizard) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
At the end of the month I was taking a trip to east Louisiana to meet up with my buddy Armin. Jeroen, one of our FHF members from Belgium was meeting us out there for some canebrake hunting. As is custom, before my trip out there, I went to try to find a canebrake in east Texas.
I went west of Houston, and ended up getting out too late for most road movement. While driving down a road I know produces them, I heard a buzz like the sound of an insect flying into the car. It was peculiar though, so I stopped the car and turned the engine off, and I could still hear it buzzing in the distance. I started the car and drove towards it, and shined my light out the window as the noise reached a crescendo. Sitting off the road by my car was the first canebrake of the year!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day I made my way to Armin's, herping a bit along the way, and found this interestingly colored racer near Lake Charles:
Coluber constrictor ssp. (North American Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
As usual, we had a bang up time at his camp and found several canebrakes, a rough green, some kings, along with a few corns.
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
This corn snake on a hunting stand ended up being my favorite photo this year, in situ:
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early May, flipping is still productive but begins to slow down, especially when the ground begins to dry out and days are longer and warmer. Road cruising generally becomes more productive and lasts later in the night. It ended up being a very good month for me, with a good bit of travel including some days in west Texas at the end of the month. Here's some of the finds from the first couple of weeks in May:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum ssp. (Coachwhips) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Regina rigida sinicola (Gulf Crayfish Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Opheodrys aestivus (Rough Green Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Regina grahamii (Graham's Crayfish Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the middle of May, Armin came to visit for an extended weekend. Our goals were to herp west of Houston for part of a day, looking for calligaster and canebrakes, then buzz up to northeast Texas for pygmies. While we struck out on canes and callies, we ended up with some good results in northeast Texas.
Intergrade coachwhip from west of Houston:
Coluber flagellum ssp. (Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Diadophis punctuatus stictogenys (Mississippi Ringneck Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Flipping a log one afternoon, something I seldom do as it is generally unproductive, revealed two coral snakes on top of each other (not breeding). I shouted to Armin and he ran over, gleefully ready for some coral snake fun.
Post Oak Savannah by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Snake Photography by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Towards the end of a long hike, the day before we headed home, we came across this scene less than 10ft from where we parked the truck. This rat snake had knocked several baby birds out of the nest and onto the ground, where it slowly devoured each one:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
After our trip I spent a couple days herping the next week, just before leaving for my first west Texas herp adventure. Here's some highlights:
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
On my way out to West Texas, I stopped in Austin to pick up Ryan (DracoRJC). We looked around a creek near his residence for some blackneck garters, but only came up with this diamondbacked water snake:
Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer (Diamondbacked Water Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I dropped off Ryan near Fort Stockton where he was meeting up with his friend Ben. I made my way to Marathon just in time for sundown to meet up with TimCO and many other great folks I'm happy to call friends now, including the esteemed Mike Pingleton, Sky S., and our favorite photographer from California, Marisa!
We spent the next 5-6 nights herping west Texas, splitting off into groups here and there, in search of this-and-that. I wasn't much for the daytime lectures, but I did enjoy the night hunting. I don't recall when each of these was found, but needless to say the only snake I found myself the entire trip was the Chihuahuan Lyre on River Road. These are a collection of group finds, and it wouldn't have been possible for me to see all these things without the companionship I enjoyed that week!
Arizona elegans elegans (Kansas Glossy Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Hypsiglena torquata jani (Texas Night Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster (Trans-Pecos Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Tantilla nigriceps (Plains Blackheaded Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Bogertophis subocularis (Trans-Pecos Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer affinis (Sonoran Gopher Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii (Texas Lyre Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Some west Texas scenery. Thanks again to Sky for the hospitality that week, and for introducing me to the CowDog! If anyone every visits Alpine before June 1st next year, be sure to visit the CowDog in Alpine for the best hotdogs you'll ever have. Seriously.
West Texas Landscape by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Chisos Mountains by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rio Grande by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Returning to east Texas I didn't go out to herp until the second week of June or so. Herp movement had slowed down to brief flutters of activity at dusk and dawn, and I wasn't interested in road cruising all night to find herps. Flipping is nonexistant that time of year! Needless to say I gave it a try, but only found a few noteworthy things I wanted to photograph. It is a decent time for mudsnakes, though generally I find more roadkills than alive. I wouldn't go out again until the end of the month on my way to Colorado.
Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Western Mudsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Summer
As summer started I herped less in Southeast Texas. I focused more on work, but at the end of June I had planned to see Widespread Panic at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. I took the opportunity to check off a couple of snakes off my lifelist, and collect a calligaster from northwest Texas. Using the field guide and google maps for habitat, I narrowed down a place near the panhandle that would be productive for calligaster and western massassaugas. It turned out I was either lucky or well learned, but I was fortuitous enough to find both targets within an hour of arriving at the site that evening on my way up.
Mesquite Prairie by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Searching for 'saugas by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
After talking to TimCO, he guided me to an area in Southern Colorado, that, if I hurried, I should would be able to make it to in the morning and potentially find western hognoses and prairie rattlesnakes. I left my 'sauga area around 10pm and I drove all night, taking a 30min nap at about 5am in Lamar CO. Driving 2.5 more hours I made it to the spot. While I didn't find my lifer western hog, I did get graced with my very first Prairie Rattlesnake, every bit irascible as described.
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In early July, doing yardwork one morning, this milk snake surprised me:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One day off in the first couple of weeks of July I met up with a graduate student working in NE Texas to help her find her first pygmy.
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We met up again, not long after towards the end of the month and made a trip out east to look for canebrakes in East Louisiana. We were not unsuccessful! She found our first one of the day, several feet up on a branch, waiting for a squirrel!
In situ:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Storeria occipitomaculata obscura (Florida Red-bellied Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Back in Texas, I started to go out and cruise more at the end of July, mostly looking for canebrakes as the start of canebrake season would begin soon. I probably jumped the gun a bit, but I did have some success.
Here's a few finds from that period, as well as a few non-herp scenes:
Orb Weaver by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Rabbit by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
One night I ended up with a stunningly large, 31 inch Louisiana milk snake:
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In situ:
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
I did finally have some canebrake success, and one of the prettiest milk snakes I've ever seen turned up:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
August is, for me, the beginning of horridus season. In the middle of the month males begin moving to find their girlfriends for the year. It was at this time I started to spend more nights searching east Texas, and took a final trip of the year to Armin's place and a quick jaunt to Mississippi with my (now) girlfriend.
Here's a few highlights of that month, including that trip. In a single day we smashed our previous record of 4, and field up 6 canebrakes sitting out on Armin's property.
Agkistrodon piscivorous leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor latrunculus (Black-masked Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Love at first sight by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Mississippi Sandhill by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Virginia valeriae elegans (Western Smooth Earth Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Back in Texas:
Orange-striped Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus proximus) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
And a late August trip back to Louisiana, not on Armin's property, and sadly without Armin:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The month of September has to be my second favorite month of the year. Herps beging to move again, and horridus are some of the most abundant. This month I would shatter previous year's records of horridus finds. In both 2012 and 2013, I had found only 4 horridus in Texas in each year. This year, my total was brought to over 30 alive, and 45 including my Louisiana finds (not to mention the countless DORs).
The first couple days of the month brought this behemoth out in northeast Texas. This was a 5ft+ canebrake, one of the largest I've found:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Babies began popping up all over, and adults were moving regularly:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
In the latter half of the month, I met up with Todd B. from California to herp the Thicket and Northeast Texas to cross a few lifers off his list. Of course a top target was the canebrake, and I informed him we'd give it our best, but not to get his hopes up on finding a canebrake in East Texas. I'd seen many, but certainly couldn't guarantee one.
As it turned out, my caution towards Todd was unfounded, and the very first snake we would find was a mother canebrake from Northeast Texas. Not only did we find a mother cane, but we found her with 19 of her babies. This was the start of a very successful trip for Todd, and a happy weekend for me!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
A pygmy we found that evening, another of his targets:
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next day I had work, and Todd set off on his own. We would get together again the following day, and we turned up another canebrake in the Thicket, crossing the road in the late afternoon. We were both talking and not expecting anything as we made our way to another hiking/flipping area. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a canebrake in the road. I shouted "CANE!" and dove out of the car as fast as I could.
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
So ended my finds for this summer. Fall was just around the corner, and Armin and I had one last trip planned.
Fall
The first day of Fall I set off on my own to do some hiking in the cool, low 80's day. This eastern coachwhip was one of a few finds, and was nice to finally get a shot of one in-situ:
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Armin arrived a few days later and we set off that evening to cruise the Thicket in an attempt to get his first canebrake from Texas. After a couple hours I informed him we were getting to prime time, and this was when I had been seeing them moving lately. A few minutes later we saw the sight we all look forward to!
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next morning we set off on a similar path as we did in May. We searched for calligaster, and struck out again, west of Houston. We did re-find the most incredible looking copperhead either of us has ever seen, though.
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (Broad-banded Copperhead) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening we arrived in northeast Texas and began hiking around. It was sadly drier than we expected, and our hopes of a pygmy out hunting were dashed. We did end up getting our second hognose of the year, an adorable red neonate.
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That evening, we cruised around in hopes of seeing a pygmy. About an hour after sundown, we stumbled across our target!
Sistrurus miliarus streckeri (Western Pygmy Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Having succeeded there, we made our way the next morning towards the panhandle, with hopes of a massassauga to round out the trip. We made it to our hotel shortly before sundown and took a few minutes to clean up. We made it to our road a little bit early and flipped some rocks to pass the time. This was the first I'd seen or heard of the green toad, and had to ask a friend what it was:
Green Toad (Bufo debilis debilis) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Night fell, and we began our search for our massassauga. We found a great-plains rat first, but not much else was moving. About an hour after sundown, almost the same time as we had found the pygmy the night before, we saw an alert massassauga warming itself on the road! We kept cruising, hoping for another or a calligaster, but only ended up with a couple diamondbacks and a huge Texas rat snake. We chatted with some local sheriffs and they gave us some road tips, but around 11pm we called it a night and headed back to the hotel, photographing and releasing our prize the next morning.
Sistrurus catenatus tergiminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Sistrurus catenatus tergiminus (Western Massasauga) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Armin flipped this diamondback under a mattress that morning:
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
That afternoon we headed back to NE Texas to try again for another pygmy. Luck wasn't with us, and we eventually got washed out by a huge storm. While hiking we captured a jet black eastern coachwhip.
Coluber flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Just before the storm hit, we found a baby canebrake crossing an ill-traveled farm road:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
We saw several rat snakes out in the rain, but the pygmies stayed in that night. We headed out the next morning, concluding our final trip of the year, satisfied and looking forward to the next one.
At the end of October my girlfriend and I went out for a last ditch effort at finding a few snakes for the year. One weekend we went to the coast so I could show her a western diamondback. As soon as we arrived at our first spot, I walked up on a large 4ft diamondback, before we had even flipped anything. After photos, we flipped a few things and called it a day.
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
The next Saturday we went out again, this time west of Houston. We herped most of the day and found very little. It wasn't until we got to the last spot that we struck gold. In one spot we found two copperheads, some water snakes, three Texas rat snakes and our target, a beautiful prairie king. It was quite a way to end the year!
Ratsnake Wrangling by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
While there's still time to find a few things here this year (and this weekend looks exceptionally good!), I don't expect I'll have much more to add.
I kind of have to cut the post off now, as I'm exceeding the 100,000 character limit. I'll post a final note in the first post below.