Hey everyone,
It is with great pleasure that I share my finds from my last great herping trip of 2015. This trip was very dear to my family and I, as I am deploying for six months starting next week. We had a great time in Savannah, where we stayed four nights (including one night at a Bed and Breakfast), and then finished the trip with two nights at a cabin near Okefenokee NWR. It was a great time all-around - Savannah is a beautiful city, and I was able to turn up three lifers over the course of the trip. Best of all, one of those lifers was a snake I've been hoping to see ever since I moved to Florida - the venerable Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake!
While we were in Savannah, there wasn't really time for herping, but that doesn't mean I didn't see some Green Anoles in the middle of the city! While they are a common herp, I get excited whenever I see one as I only turn them up occasionally here in Florida, where Brown Anoles are the typical find. Here are a few sights from the city, to include critters:
DSCN8880 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8921 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Lots of Fiddler Crabs at Old Fort Jackson.
DSCN8968 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8971 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Flowers at Bonaventure Cemetery
DSCN9000 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Bonaventure Cemetery
DSCN9016 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9022 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Some toddler eye candy!
DSCN9029 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Another Anole
DSCN9064 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The fourth day of our trip was definitely the highlight for me. We drove down to Jekyll Island, where I met with workers from the Applied Wildlife Conservation Lab to join them on a tracking session for three Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes. I believe they are currently tracking or have tracked more than 50 EDBs on the island, so the three we saw were just a small sampling of the population.
We started off on a trail through some brush near the shore.
Gulf Fritillaries were migrating through the island that day.
DSCN9076 - Female Gulf Fritillary by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9154 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Not far into our hike, Joseph caught this Eastern Glass Lizard, which was later brought back to the lab to be marked.
DSCN9079 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9080 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Not even fifteen feet down the trail, we came upon this male Cornsnake, which had some dark coloration which is apparently typical of the Georgia barrier islands.
DSCN9083 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9084 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9085 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
After that, Katie brought out the antenna and we pin-pointed the location of our first EDB of the day, a large black-phase female named Elmira. I can't recall if the dark coloration meant if she was close to shedding or not.
DSCN9087 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
She was deep within some thick brush, which made getting a good shot a difficult task. It didn't help that it was mostly overcast for that day and nearly the entire trip, which didn't help with lighting one bit.
DSCN9094 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Our next EDB target was on the other side of the island in a coastal dune habitat. This is Elmira, a 5'10" female with a tail that is much lighter in color than the rest of her body. Has anyone ever seen that before?
DSCN9102 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9104 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
She was also in the process of regrowing her rattle.
DSCN9108 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Our final target was a young male named Little Louie, who was found in a hardwood forest.
DSCN9114 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9116 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
It was great to turn up three very different looking EDBs in three different types of habitat. The only downside was that all of them were hiding in thick brush, meaning I didn't get to see them on move or watch them rattle. My first encounter with them wasn't quite what I imagined, but it was awesome nonetheless, and I am very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me!
Here's how they measure the length of the snakes back at the lab. After the trace is made, they place string along the trace lines and then measure the length of the string used. This Corn measured at 816mm (32 inches).
DSCN9125 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
After I met back up with my wife and son, we checked out a pond elsewhere on the island, where lots of Yellow-bellied Sliders and Florida Softshells were milling about.
DSCN9130 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9137 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9139 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The next day, we left Savannah and drove through rain to reach the east side of the Okefenokee National Widllife Refuge. It wasn't raining there, but it was overcast and relatively cool (low 70s) for most of the day. We took a boat road into the swamp, but first I did some walking around the boat launch.
DSCN9171 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
This Green Treefrog was hanging out by the door to the Men's restroom.
DSCN9176 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9178 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Immature Male Eastern Pondhawk eating a Deer or Horsefly. This dragonfly species was EVERYWHERE, in numbers I have never seen before.
DSCN9184 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Gator hanging out by the kayaking launch point. A little too close for comfort.
DSCN9187 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Cypress swamp
DSCN9191 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9196 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9198 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Getting ready for the boat ride!
DSCN9201 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9202 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9211 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9226 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9246 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9260 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9262 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
After the boat ride, we took a scenic drive to a nearby boardwalk.
DSCN9279 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9281 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
At the boardwalk.
DSCN9286 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9289 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Young Female Lilypad Forktail. I'm not aware of any other damselflies that even closely resemble this one in color and striping.
DSCN9291 - Young Female Lilypad Forktail by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9294 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9296 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Some of you have already seen this one, but I was desperately looking for a Banded Watersnake that two others had spotted, but I was unable to turn it up despite their directions. I was about to give up hope when I checked some bushes off of a platform and spotted this prototypical swamp sight - a large Gray Ratsnake (intergrade with Yellow Rat features) slowly snaking through vegetation! This was a lifer for me.
DSCN9298 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9306 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9307 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Back in the car, my wife wanted to check an old homestead, but it was closed at the time, so we had to complete the drive again in order to circle around to the exit. The timing worked out perfectly, for as we started heading back down the main drive, I saw this Dusky Pygmy on the white stripe of a parking pull off. I yelled "SNAKE!" at my wife and we turned around to get some photos while our son napped in the car seat. Believe it or not, I hadn't turned up a Pygmy in over two years, so I was very happy for this find.
DSCN9310 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
This Pygmy was none too happy to see us.
DSCN9319 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9321 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Bonus footage:
On the way out of the refuge, we saw this Sherman's Fox Squirrel, a lifer for us both.
DSCN9325 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
From there, we spent the rest of the afternoon drive to the west side of the swamp, where we stayed in a cabin for the next two nights. There were a number of Southern Toads and Squirrel Treefrogs out at night at the compound.
DSCN9327 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9331 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9332 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The next day, we spent most of the day back inside the NWR hiking and taking turns kayaking. It was another overcast and cool day, with temps only reaching 80 later in the afternoon when the sun finally broke out. That made for some slow roadcruising that afternoon.
Saw lots of deer that day.
DSCN9348 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Red-shouldered Hawk - these birds are loud!
DSCN9373 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9384 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9387 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Palmetto Weevil
DSCN9389 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Treefrog enjoying the lack of sunlight.
DSCN9393 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9395 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Broadhead Skink (my first time seeing a large one)
DSCN9418 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9419 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Kayaking the Suwannee River.
DSCN8667 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8668 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8678 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
I paddled out to a place called Billy's Island, but didn't see anything there due to the cool temps. Here's a log showcasing bad herping practices. Always return cover to the way you found it! There were several logs like this, unfortunately. Shame.
DSCN8692 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8693 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8694 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Five Sisters
DSCN8707 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8709 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Two YoY Gators
DSCN8712 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
While my wife paddled and my son napped in the car, I did some roadcruising, where I only turned up two Black Racers and one unknown snake (Garter or Ribbon). All of them escaped before I could get a photo. I was a bit bummed out for that, and wasn't sure how cruising would be at sundown due to the cooler temps, but we had to first head back to the cabin for dinner. While my wife got dinner ready, I explored the grounds and turned up five Eastern Fence Lizards enjoying the sun, which had only been out for an hour or two at this point.
DSCN9422 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9428 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9433 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9435 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
We started roadcruising the NWR just before sunset, and it was slowgoing for a while. We did see this mama bear and her cub cross the road in front of us, which was unexpected. That was the first time seeing a bear in the wild for my wife and I! Unfortunately, we could only get this blurry pic.
DSCN9438 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Twilight over the swamp.
DSCN9439 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
We eventually turned up two Eastern Gartersnakes, both of which I found to be quite striking compared to the ones I've seen up north.
DSCN9444 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9446 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
#2
DSCN9449 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
To wrap-up the trip, we stopped in Gainesville on our way home, coincidentally on UF gameday where the University of Tennessee was in town to play the Gators. We saw lots of UT fans driving down I-75, but traffic wasn't too bad overall. We checked out a new preserve on the edge of Payne's Prairie. Not too many herps there, but there was an awesome find at the very end!
Male Roseate Skimmer
DSCN9456 - Male Roseate Skimmer by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Cormorant drying its wings.
DSCN9463 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Immature Female Rambur's Forktail
DSCN9466 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Male Blue Dashers were common.
DSCN9470 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
It's always a joy to see a Limpkin!
DSCN9472 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Immature Male Eastern Pondhawk - the white areas will turn green in time.
DSCN9485 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvenile Gator out basking.
DSCN9489 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Bliss.
DSCN9490 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Spider eating a Dragonfly - anyone know the species? I was surprised to find this sight. Lots of hidden gems like this at this park - you just have to look for them!
DSCN9493 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Great Blue Heron
DSCN9494 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Tri-colored Heron
DSCN9500 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
And that brings us to the final herp find of the trip, and another lifer of me - a Yellow Ratsnake! When I took these photos, I was wondering why the snake had its mouth open. Turns out it was in the process of eating a mammal, which I wish I had realized at the time, else I would have filmed it. I found this snake below a bridge, strewn out across some rocks in a spillway.
DSCN9497 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9499 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Well, that's all I have to share. I hope you enjoyed my finds - this trip turned out to be one of the best herping trips of my life. I would like to thank everyone who helped me out with planning the trip - the information your provided was useful and very much appreciated!
Here's a list of found species below:
Lizards
Green Anole
Mediterranean House Gecko
Broadhead Skink
Unidentified Skink species
Little Brown Skink
Crocodilians
American Alligator
Turtles
Yellow-bellied Slider
Florida Softshell
Unidentified Cooter species
Snakes
Cornsnake
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
Gray Ratsnake
Yellow Ratsnake
Eastern Gartersnake
Southern Black Racer
Frogs
Pig Frog
Southern Toad
Squirrel Treefrog
Green Treefrog
Possible Bronze Frog
Total species = Approx. 21
Georgia Trip Report
Moderator: Scott Waters
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Great post, looks like you and the family had an awesome trip. I really liked all the alligator shots and the Spanish moss in the cemetery. Diamondback tracking looks great. Interesting they use a press/trace method for snakes, we use that for species with fragile tails like skinks. Did they say why they used that method?
Have a safe deployment.
Best,
Nick
Have a safe deployment.
Best,
Nick
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Thanks! I'm not sure why they use that method, but it probably started when they had to measure hots. I can't imagine that measuring a snake is ever easy, but I'm also unaware of what other methods are out there.NACairns wrote:Great post, looks like you and the family had an awesome trip. I really liked all the alligator shots and the Spanish moss in the cemetery. Diamondback tracking looks great. Interesting they use a press/trace method for snakes, we use that for species with fragile tails like skinks. Did they say why they used that method?
Have a safe deployment.
Best,
Nick
I forgot to mention it, but I think we saw 60+ Alligators during our trip.
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Looks like you had a great time, and I'm glad you got to see so much neat stuff and lifers. The yellow rat with a hint of fur in the mouth is awesome.
And while you didn't get to see an EDB rear up and rattle, I think the in-situ shots are much cooler, and harder to come by.
And while you didn't get to see an EDB rear up and rattle, I think the in-situ shots are much cooler, and harder to come by.
- BillMcGighan
- Posts: 2362
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:23 am
- Location: Unicoi, TN
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Thoroughly enjoyable: diversity of life, narration, and pics.
The boy is still precious.
Based on previous ratsnake post, how far inland was the final yellow rat?
Good luck on deployment.
The boy is still precious.
Based on previous ratsnake post, how far inland was the final yellow rat?
Good luck on deployment.
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Thanks Bill! The Yellow Rat was near Gainesville, so inland enough from where there is an intergrade with Grays to make Gulf Hammocks.BillMcGighan wrote:Thoroughly enjoyable: diversity of life, narration, and pics.
The boy is still precious.
Based on previous ratsnake post, how far inland was the final yellow rat?
Good luck on deployment.
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Definitely looks like a fun trip. And all the better that you got to spend it with your family. Good luck on your deployment.
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Congrats on a great trip. South Georgia is awesome, everyone should go once or five times. Both the islands and the interior. Maybe when your kids are bigger you can do some longer camping trips, say to Cumberland or Sapelo, or do the canoe camping thing at ONWR or down a big river like the Altamaha. You might not get a lot of species, but you'd see lots of individuals doing their thing in nature (as opposed to e.g. just crossing a road or hanging in the men's room).
There's something deeply unsettling about the juxtaposition of the sweet image of your boy, with life jacket in prep for a family boat ride, in among all those gator pics. No comment or implication whatsoever on your activities, I'm just sharing an observation about my primitive or instinctive reaction. Brrr!
There's something deeply unsettling about the juxtaposition of the sweet image of your boy, with life jacket in prep for a family boat ride, in among all those gator pics. No comment or implication whatsoever on your activities, I'm just sharing an observation about my primitive or instinctive reaction. Brrr!
Mmmm maybe. Bears and hogs flip rocks and logs too, and they never, ever put stuff back. There are lots of both in SE GA and NE FL. (Aside - I suspect with the rate of natural decomposition, with the high temps and rainfall, that under-cover conditions are regenerated pretty quickly in the SE USA. Sloppy flipping is probably less problematic there than in drier or colder areas. Just a guess. I'm not condoning it, just making another observation.)Here's a log showcasing bad herping practices.
Re: Georgia Trip Report
looks to me like you guys had loads of fun with all sorts of great finds. That EDB is very nice and I always love to see corns. Also I think that system of snake measurement is truly genius and had never though of doing something like that before. Good luck during deployment and stay safe.
-Kevin H.
-Kevin H.
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Huh, I didn't consider that about bears and hogs being the ones to do that. I found several logs in that immediate area like that, but not elsewhere. I hope that was the case.Jimi wrote:Congrats on a great trip. South Georgia is awesome, everyone should go once or five times. Both the islands and the interior. Maybe when your kids are bigger you can do some longer camping trips, say to Cumberland or Sapelo, or do the canoe camping thing at ONWR or down a big river like the Altamaha. You might not get a lot of species, but you'd see lots of individuals doing their thing in nature (as opposed to e.g. just crossing a road or hanging in the men's room).
There's something deeply unsettling about the juxtaposition of the sweet image of your boy, with life jacket in prep for a family boat ride, in among all those gator pics. No comment or implication whatsoever on your activities, I'm just sharing an observation about my primitive or instinctive reaction. Brrr!
Mmmm maybe. Bears and hogs flip rocks and logs too, and they never, ever put stuff back. There are lots of both in SE GA and NE FL. (Aside - I suspect with the rate of natural decomposition, with the high temps and rainfall, that under-cover conditions are regenerated pretty quickly in the SE USA. Sloppy flipping is probably less problematic there than in drier or colder areas. Just a guess. I'm not condoning it, just making another observation.)Here's a log showcasing bad herping practices.
- BillMcGighan
- Posts: 2362
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:23 am
- Location: Unicoi, TN
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Also in other areas of the country, watch for rocks and logs turned and/or destroyed by dirt bikers.Huh, I didn't consider that about bears and hogs being the ones to do that. I found several logs in that immediate area like that, but not elsewhere. I hope that was the case.
- Berkeley Boone
- Posts: 878
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am
Re: Georgia Trip Report
Matt,
I somehow never responded to this post. Thanks for the review- it looks like you had a great time. Glad Jekyll turned out so good for you, the Okefenokee looks like it was a lot of fun as well!
Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!
--Berkeley
I somehow never responded to this post. Thanks for the review- it looks like you had a great time. Glad Jekyll turned out so good for you, the Okefenokee looks like it was a lot of fun as well!
Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!
--Berkeley
-
- Posts: 2248
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am
Re: Georgia Trip Report
What a wonderful post! So many different kinds of beautiful creatures! Thank you for taking us along!