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Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 26th, 2015, 11:11 pm
by RobertH
Reading this forum lately makes it seem as if no one here is actually doing any herping. From looking at the new database entries I know that this is not true. People have been finding all sorts of interesting herps throughout the state, some of them very early for the season, others in greater numbers than usual for this time of the year.

So, please share what - to you - is your most significant find of this year so far. Significant does not necessarily mean best or most beautiful or most desirable. I.e., it need not be a Rosy Boa or a San Francisco Gartersnake. Just today I found some plain ol' Southern California toads breeding in a small pool of run-off water near our house where no breeding has taken place for at least 3 years (in the pool, not the house ;) ). To me (though not necessarily Nicholas, we'll find out tomorrow, I guess), that was significant, in some way more significant than our lifer Lyre Snake we found earlier this month under AC in area where they are fairly common.

Here's one of the mating pairs in amplexus:

Image026 by robertohess, on Flickr

Notice that there are already large tadpoles, as well. At least in my experience, this is very early in the year. Must be the unusually warm January and February we have had.

Habitat:

Image024 by robertohess, on Flickr

OK, so you guys are next. You could just post pictures, but it would be great to hear a bit of the story behind the pictures, too.

Thanks.

Robert

Re: Your most significant in 2015

Posted: February 26th, 2015, 11:41 pm
by MarcLinsalata
I guess mine would be a lifer I found literally one month ago during one of those rainy days. I'm not really an amphibian person but I've been giving it a whirl with the rain we've been getting and my itch to road cruise. With nothing but some free time, a quick glance at some range maps and Google Earth habitat I ventured into SD County one rainy day, and hit my goal three times that night before finally just driving home. Considering it usually takes me several attempts to reach my goals, these were rewarding because all of a sudden, BOOM, they were there...............

Image

Re: Your most significant in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 6:57 am
by hellihooks
I have yet to see anything bigger than a westen fence lizard this year... but Christmas eve I got my lifer Red Belly newt, and a few days before that an 18 in SD SAL in Summitt valley. I'm mostly only going for 'significant' stuff this year... hence all the skunks... :? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Your most significant in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 7:44 am
by gopher
For me it was the rosy boa I dug up by surprise in a rodent hole. I was doing some flipping and ended up with a rather fruitless day. Eventually I was getting desperate for anything (which I am sure is a feeling we all have had). So heading back to the car I decided to re-flip a random board that was not in a special place/near an outcrop like the rest. Upon flipping I saw what looked like a head disappear into a hole (I thought of an alligator lizard honestly). Wanting to grab it, I guessed where the "lizard" path underground was taking place and socked the ground. To my surprise I saw the tail end of a rosy boa! Quickly I tried to grab the tip of it's tail. This is when my dilemma presented itself, the dirt surrounding the tunnel collapsed! See, I was wearing gloves and couldn't feel if I was actually getting a hold of the snake. So disgustingly I had to use my mouth and bite off the dirt encrusted glove in my free hand in order to gain my sense of touch. End of the story with my free hand I uncovered some dirt to see that the boa was right about to choose to take a crossroad within the tunnel before I grabbed it. It was a gross boa covered in cysts and a chewed up tail. But I still thought it was pretty in its' own right (or at least I tell myself that). Looks like living in an outcrop is way better than living with angry rodents for such a slow slug snake.

Re: Your most significant in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 8:12 am
by Kent VanSooy
For me, it's been this....I didn't find it or photograph it, but I was there, does that count ?? :P Check out the tongue especially !

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 10:57 am
by Brian Hubbs
Being the great and awesome herper that I am, and given my 150 years of experience in the field, there isn't much left in the West that I haven't seen. :roll: However, this month I finally saw a stupid, common lizard that had eluded my attention for decades. In fact, without the Database, I would still be ignoring it. Well, to make a long story long, I finally saw this Black-tailed Brush lizard while i was photographing utas and spinys. Yay!

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 2:05 pm
by mattg
my best find of the year turned out to be a gator from kings county. Apparently it is an official county record according to Robert Hansen

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 3:16 pm
by hellihooks
mattg wrote:my best find of the year turned out to be a gator from kings county. Apparently it is an official county record according to Dr.Fisher.
Hell... I think my side blotch from Kings was a Co record... :shock: :lol: :lol: that county needs a ton of work... :D

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 3:23 pm
by mattg
hellihooks wrote:
mattg wrote:my best find of the year turned out to be a gator from kings county. Apparently it is an official county record according to Dr.Fisher.
Hell... I think my side blotch from Kings was a Co record... :shock: :lol: :lol: that county needs a ton of work... :D
i dont mean for the database i mean ever like no one in history has ever found one

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 3:35 pm
by Steve Bledsoe
Here's my meager "Most Significant Find" so far for 2015. I found this adult Western Black-headed Snake under a cover board at one of our newest study sites in Mission Viejo in Orange County. It's the first Tantilla I've ever seen near the coast. The habitat is primarily grasslands. It's also one of only 5 in our database from Orange County - this one, 3 records from Mike Pecora, and one from Fundad.

Image

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 4:11 pm
by SlitheringHuman
Great finds from everybody! As for me, I have been stuck at home with (a) schoolwork, and (b) the flu.
Hope to be out there soon, this post is making me jealous and restless. :D

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 27th, 2015, 8:35 pm
by Itsryanfuu
For me it's these 3.

My first flipped Rosy boa from San Diego County
ImageIMG_3013 by ryancarter951, on Flickr

2 coastal rosy boas sharing a crack.
ImageIMG_3301 by ryancarter951, on Flickr

My first rock flipped Lyre Snake.
ImageIMG_3244 by ryancarter951, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 7:11 am
by hellihooks
mattg wrote:
hellihooks wrote:
mattg wrote:my best find of the year turned out to be a gator from kings county. Apparently it is an official county record according to Dr.Fisher.
Hell... I think my side blotch from Kings was a Co record... :shock: :lol: :lol: that county needs a ton of work... :D
i dont mean for the database i mean ever like no one in history has ever found one
Yeah... I realize that... great find! It's like the 10 in Varigated Skink I saw right on the beach, in Santa Cruz (which eluded me, so no proof) EVERYONE says... NO Gilberti in SC county... :shock: I look for him every time I go back... :crazyeyes: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 7:14 am
by Kent VanSooy
Since Ryan is posting ( :thumb: ), he gets the credit for finding and photo'ing that crazy ruber. You're having a great year so far Ryan!

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 9:09 am
by Fundad
This a Godzilla Slender I found, and my best find of the year, thus far

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 9:35 am
by yoloherper
Found a few of these sagebrush lizards while scouting some spots in Colusa county but it took me 3+ hours to finally get a voucher for naherp.
This was actually one of a few species I was hoping to cross of from Colusa so it was nice to get it done in February.
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Brian, that slender is ridiculous!
-Elliot

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 10:22 am
by repaphin
This was my most significant find this year. Found in January along with another.
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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: February 28th, 2015, 11:46 am
by El Garia
Arboreals; definitely my favorite gummy. Especially so, when they get beefy and megacephalic. This was the beefiest individual I've found, and measured 6 1/4" tl with a svl of 3 3/8". He was patternless too, which I much prefer to the spotted individuals. Can't speak to it's "significance", but definitely my favorite of the year. Found last month, hunkered down with his little lady.

ImageUntitled by Mo'o, on Flickr
ImageUntitled by Mo'o, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 1st, 2015, 8:34 am
by Noah M
This is a tough question. I think the most significant find for me was locating some amazing habitat.

In terms of animals, the Southern Chorus Frog is probably my most significant. I was exploring a new area and found it. They're not rare animals really, but proportionately, the HERP database only has a few records of them from Florida. The Florida Museum of Nat History has less than 300 records of them for the state too, and while it isn't a county record, they don't have any records from the county I found it in. FWC and other folks knows of the population in the county. I sent my info to the museum and so they now hav ea record for the county, but they're slow to update their online database. Lastly, I was really happy with my picture. I'm really starting to get the hang of my macro lens.

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 1st, 2015, 9:07 am
by ThatFrogGuy
I'm going with this Tiger Salamander from Central Indiana. I actually found it on Christmas Eve, but we simply haven't had any warm rains since then that would let me find other amphibians.
ImageEastern Tiger Salamander (Ambysoma tigrinum) by Zach Truelock, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 1st, 2015, 2:10 pm
by DracoRJC
I think Kyle (Soopaman) needs to get in here, he definitely wins.

Mine is between an EDB and a Texas alligator lizard, though neither were technically found by me. I personally did find a corn and a patchnose with an alligator lizard in its belly. I'll share pics if anyone is interested.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 2nd, 2015, 12:46 pm
by herpingsandiego
Mine is the Ruber I found yesterday in the cold rain under a board.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 2nd, 2015, 5:12 pm
by chris_mcmartin
Does it have to be just one? And it's only the beginning of March! I anticipate this thread going all year long...

Here's mine from a few days ago.

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 3rd, 2015, 7:15 am
by Soopaman

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 3rd, 2015, 5:58 pm
by chris_mcmartin
Soopaman wrote:Flipped in south Texas last weekend:
Previously documented locality?

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 3rd, 2015, 8:30 pm
by Fieldnotes
WoW! Cat-eyed Snake very cool!!

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 4th, 2015, 6:33 am
by Soopaman
chris_mcmartin wrote:
Soopaman wrote:Flipped in south Texas last weekend:
Previously documented locality?
County yes, exact locale no.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 7th, 2015, 9:03 am
by Trey
Hard to herp with a couple feet of snow on the ground.. :cry:

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 7th, 2015, 8:00 pm
by Rich in Reptiles
El Garia wrote:Arboreals; definitely my favorite gummy. Especially so, when they get beefy and megacephalic. This was the beefiest individual I've found, and measured 6 1/4" tl with a svl of 3 3/8". He was patternless too, which I much prefer to the spotted individuals. Can't speak to it's "significance", but definitely my favorite of the year. Found last month, hunkered down with his little lady.

ImageUntitled by Mo'o, on Flickr
I'd hate to get bit by that guy!! Very handsome though!

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 8th, 2015, 3:59 am
by Chaitanya
My most significant finding for 2015(didn't photograph as it was too dark and didn't carry a camera with me), was from today: saw the first hyena of year(on outskirts of my city) and porcupine. Also while on my way back saw a Montagu's harrier trying to hunt down a crow which was quite unusual.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 8th, 2015, 1:11 pm
by krismunk
Only because it was the first...

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 9th, 2015, 6:37 pm
by SlitheringHuman
Rich in Reptiles wrote:
El Garia wrote:Arboreals; definitely my favorite gummy. Especially so, when they get beefy and megacephalic. This was the beefiest individual I've found, and measured 6 1/4" tl with a svl of 3 3/8". He was patternless too, which I much prefer to the spotted individuals. Can't speak to it's "significance", but definitely my favorite of the year. Found last month, hunkered down with his little lady.

ImageUntitled by Mo'o, on Flickr
I'd hate to get bit by that guy!! Very handsome though!
Until recently, I hadn't even thought of arboreals as being biting creatures. I have picked them up around where I live for years and have never seen one act aggressively. A quick trip to CaliforniaHerps brought about some disturbing pictures of teeth... :lol:

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 13th, 2015, 2:44 pm
by chrish
I can't imagine why we are having this conversation in March, but at least so far it would have to be this. These critters are tough to find.....

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and he sounded like this -




After posting that, I realized some readers aren't "mature enough" as herpers yet to appreciate the significance of that find ;) , so they might think this was more "interesting" lifer (even if they are lot easier to find) -

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 13th, 2015, 6:33 pm
by John Williams
Great audio Chris! I was out that same night trying to locate them south of the hot spot to no avail. Glad to see you got that one/some.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 13th, 2015, 7:21 pm
by chrish
John Williams wrote:Great audio Chris! I was out that same night trying to locate them south of the hot spot to no avail. Glad to see you got that one/some.
They were really calling up a storm between the interstate and the refuge. I probably heard 100 individuals in 6-7 choruses.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 14th, 2015, 1:09 am
by Creativeness
No photo but found a patch nose snake in California after going to a field by the warehouse my company bought. Flipping random boards and there was a flipped over garbage can lid. Flipped and bam 2 California racers and a patch nose. Very happy day for me. Carefully put the lid back and looked for hopefully another find but nothing showed rest of the day.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 14th, 2015, 6:06 am
by Noah M
My most significant find has changed since the frog. The newer one is an Island Glass Lizard. It is significant because there are 4 species of glass lizard in Florida. I had seen 3 of the species before, but this one is a lifer, so it also means that I've now seen all four species available.
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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 22nd, 2015, 6:19 am
by InfantryVeteran
So far 2015 has been epic. I've added a number of lifers to my list and I feel like this year will be the most epic year I've ever had. Since I have to choose what is my most significant find to date, I will go with the baby Eastern Mud Snake. Definitely one of my most memorable finds.

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 23rd, 2015, 12:49 am
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Here's a quintessential one for early spring in Europe. It's not every year I get to see males of Moor Frog Rana arvalis during their few days of being astonishingly blue...

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 23rd, 2015, 4:52 am
by Josh Young
So far this tiger salamander I found on Super Bowl Sunday night is mine. I've grown extremely fond of these guys and I'm patiently counting down the time until November rolls around to chase these awesome animals crossing roads again.

ImageEastern tiger salamander. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr

Honorable mentions:

This coral snake I cruised in an area I had only seen a single coral before which managed to escape before photos. This one was also a lifer for a friend with me that night.

ImageEastern coral snake. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr

Then also this eastern diamondback from a week and a half ago. First diamondback I've encountered on the eastern side of the state of Georgia.

ImageEastern diamondback rattlesnake. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 23rd, 2015, 6:42 am
by justinm
Pretty odd discussion for March, but I have to agree with Chris H. The Crawfish frogs are ridiculously hard to find. I've heard them in three counties now, and only photoe'd this one.

ImageNorthern Crawfish Frog by Justin.Michels, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 24th, 2015, 6:52 pm
by JakeScott
Mine would have to be a Haideotriton wallacei. It was a lifer in FL, so that was a rarity in itself. The problem is, I have no photo proof as I slipped into the water and it silted pretty good. Still pretty psyched about it.

-Jake

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 25th, 2015, 5:22 pm
by mtratcliffe
Lifer Florida Cottonmouth found in Hernando County, FL on a spring-fed river while kayaking. I saw a snake swimming, noticed the head raised out of the water, and immediately knew what it was. Turned my kayak around and began to paddle against the current, paralleling the snake to get some photos. Watched it swim for a good two minutes before it went ashore, and alerted several paddlers to its presence.

ImageDSCN6630 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr

ImageDSCN6633 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 30th, 2015, 9:48 pm
by sep11ie
Here's a few recent ones for me.

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: March 30th, 2015, 9:55 pm
by Soopaman
In addition to the leptodeira I posted a month ago, Ill have to add another leptodeira to the list as well as black pine and Florida pine so far this year.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: April 8th, 2015, 12:43 pm
by noah k.
Wow, some people feel really left out they can't herp in January-March............

Mine has to be this Pigeon Mountain Salamander found on the last day of February with several inches of snow on the ground in areas.

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Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: May 12th, 2015, 4:51 am
by krismunk
Desert monitor, Varanus griseus, Saturday night in the dunes.

Though not all that rare, they're still not exactly the easiest critters to find - at least not in Israel. They've been somewhere around the very top of my Israel wishlist since my first trip there. Now, on my fourth try, I finally got one, and in the best of circumstances as well, quietly mozying about doing its thing rather than trapped at the bottom of a hole or in a glimpse of flight at a long distance as they are more often seen.

Pics are crap, but that's just because I am a complete idiot with a camera when I get overly excited, experience was A+

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: May 13th, 2015, 11:00 am
by reptologist
I am really trying to see a wood turtle in the wild this year for the first time. I met a fellow herper while fishing recently and discovered our similar interests. He gave me a spot to check out and hopefully get a picture or two of a woodie here in NJ. After an hour and a half drive and searching the banks for about a mile, I was no closer to seeing wild wood turtle. Then suddenly a turtle rose up and surfaced for air. It wasn't the one I was looking for but it turned out to be a another lifer for me. I found this to be significant because there are only three turtles native to NJ that I have not seen in the wild. It was a spiny softshell. At first I almost doubted myself as to it's ID but another surfaced within ten feet of me about 15 minutes later. Neither turtle stayed on the surface long enough to get a picture but just seeing them was enough for me. I never thought I would see one in fairly fast moving current but seeing two there has changed my mind. Now I just have to see a wood turtle and a common map turtle to complete the list.

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: June 7th, 2015, 9:53 pm
by Jazz
Bit late to the game but this is my favourite find from jan this year. It was hard to pick between the blue insularis and this albino roperi but i figure i can go and see blue insularis again, this i will never see again.

Albino Brachyurophis roperi (Norther Shovel-Nosed Snake) from the Kimberley, WA

ImageAlbino Brachyurophis roperi by Jasmine Vink, on Flickr

Re: Your most significant find in 2015

Posted: June 15th, 2015, 6:29 pm
by Antonsrkn
Not a 100% sure of the species yet, I was thinking Caecilia tentaculata perhaps. Don't get to see a representative of a whole new order too often. Without a doubt my favorite of 2015 so far, found back in January.
ImageSlimy Rarity by Anton, on Flickr