This will be long, and I might have to do it in more that one part. We'll see.
Last winter, Mike's birthday present to me was a trip to South Florida, where we could herp in and around the Everglades National Park. We had a few goals, and got some help.
#1 - Brown Water Snake (Nerodia taxispilota)
DSCN8470 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#2 - Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus quadrivittatus) 2014 Lifer!
As found:
DSCN8329 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
From the other side:
DSC_0021 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#3 - Peninsula Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus sackenii) 2014 Lifer!
DSCN8346 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#4 - Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus)
DSC_0063 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#5 - Everglades Racer (Coluber constrictor paludicola) 2014 Lifer!
DSCN8418 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#6 - Brahminy Blindsnake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) 2014 Lifer!
DSC_0221 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#7 - Florida Watersnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) 2014 Lifer!
DSC_0266 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#8 - Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea) 2014 Lifer!
DSCN8574 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#9 - Mangrove Saltmarsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda) 2014 Lifer!
DSCN8595 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Back home, we had to wait until the third week in March to see the first snakes of the season.
#10 - Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Garter 14 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
A few weeks later, we started to see ribbons
#11 - Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritis sauritis)
DSCN9079 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
As well as waters.
#12 - Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
DSC_0049 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Then we started getting our species count up:
#13 - Northern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
DSC_0012 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We had made a deal that we would not get ice cream until we have found out first black racer of the year. We didn't think we wouldn't find one until the beginning of May.
#14 - Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
DSC_0010 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#15 - Northern Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi dekayi) - I can't believe it took so long to start finding them! Our first was in mid-May!
DSCN9595 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#16 - Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum). I saw less milk snakes this past year than any other year in recent history, and I don't like it!
DSC_0015 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#17 - Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus obsoletus). Jeff Dragon found this one for us on the Chapter Trip to Mount Rogers in SW Virginia. Mike and I were happy, because they are ridiculously rare in MA and we've never seen on there.
DSCN8754 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#18 - Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis) - I can't believe I forgot this one on my first draft! This is the first live one I have seen in Massachusetts, and, as a bonus, we saw a second one the very next day in a different location!
DSC_0043 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
DSC_0009 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We had no other FOY snakes until the NAFHA National Meeting on Labor Day weekend in AZ/NM.
#19 - Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) (2014 Lifer!)
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#20 - Painted Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans philipi) (2014 Lifer!) - possibly one of my favorite species found this year; I think these beauties are underrated.
Painted Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans philipi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#21 - Mexican Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi) (2014 Lifer!)
Mexican Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#22 - Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis m. marcianus) (2014 Lifer!)
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis m. marcianus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Here I am making Popeye face while photographing it:
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis m. marcianus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#23 - Western Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) (2014 Lifer!)
Western Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#24 - Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) (2014 Lifer!)
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#25 - Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) splendida) - this was probably the show-stopper snake of the weekend. I only wish we had gotten photos worthy of it. (2014 Lifer!)
Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) splendida) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
(Not in Arizona)
Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) splendida) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#26 - Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) (2014 Lifer!)
Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#27 - Plains Black-headed Snake (Tantilla nigriceps) (2014 Lifer!)
Tantilla nigriceps by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#28 - Gopher Snake (Pituophis catinefer) (2014 Lifer!)
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catinefer) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Well, there you have it, folks! Twenty-
Hope you enjoyed this! I sure did!