Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

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RobertH
Posts: 1834
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by RobertH »

Hello everybody, now that 2015 is over, let's all post our favorite finds or pictures.
I'll start us off with my favorite finds, This pyro from arizona made a slow day good.
ImageSonoran Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
This speck was also a treat because I rarely see specks. Nafha international meet.
ImageSouthwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
My lifer lyre snake found with Todd Battey
ImageBaja California Lyresnake (Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
The following are some of my favorite shots I took.
ImageWestern Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
ImageBlunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila ) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
ImageGreat Basin Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus bicinctores) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
ImageCoastal Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca) by NicholasHess, on Flickr

Ok, now it's your turn.

Nicholas
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El Garia
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Joined: October 20th, 2011, 4:39 pm
Location: Santa Clara Co. , CA

Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by El Garia »

Not a herp shot, nor is it a pic of mine... but, it is my favorite. This shot brings me many fond memories. Thanks go out to Kent for selflessly taking the group shot. It was wonderful to share time with such quality people; some old friends, some new. Thanks, All.

ImageNAFHA Meet 2015 San Diego. Photo by Kent VanSooy by Mo'o, on Flickr
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jonathan
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Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by jonathan »

I was only in California for 3 weeks this year, but thanks to a lot of great friends and a very loving wife, I had a lot of memorable moments. Tops of all of them, of course, was getting to see all of you again and the National Meet, including Kent, sadly for the last time.

Some of the specifics during those three weeks in April include...

* The five-snake road cruise stop at the National Meeting with Nicholas and dad, Jeremy and dad, and Matty and dad. 3 sidewinders, 1 shovelnose, and 1 leafnose on a single spot on the road!

* Jeff leading the boys into the canyon just an hour after that. A speck, leafnose, shovelnose, chuckwalla, couple banded geckos, and at least a dozen leaf-toed geckos walked in a short stretch of canyon.

* Finally finding a kingsnake in LA at a small locale I had searched 20+ times in 7 years.

* Getting my lifer Tehachapi Slenders (4th try is a charm!), with Robert Hansen on a very stormy day.

* Slamming the brakes on Highway 1 when I spotted a red-tailed hawk fighting with a Pacific Gopher Snake.

* Matt and I road-cruising a Sierra Mountain King as we were pulling up to the spot where we were hoping to flip one.

* Matt and I scoring our lifer Shasta Black Salamanders.


Here's a few pictures. After a stolen camera and a crap replacement, I gave up on taking good photos this year, but the moments and the herps are what is memorable.


Penninsular Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus)

Image



A very well-hidden speck

Image



My urban California King

Image



Tehachapi Slender

Image



Sierra Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata multicincta)

Image



Shasta Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea shastensis) - seriously, what the hell

Image



Shasta Black - photo doesn't remotely do justice to how beautiful it was

Image



Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii)

Image
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Owen
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Joined: June 11th, 2010, 12:35 am
Location: San Jose', Northern Catcrapistan

Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by Owen »

I just like this snake, nicknamed Pumpkinhead. An old coastie that was cruising around eating little toadies.

Image
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yoloherper
Posts: 151
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:57 pm
Location: Davis/Santa Cruz

Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by yoloherper »

WOW! Owen do you have any closeups of pumkinhead's pumkin head? That thing is insane!
Love that pyro shot Nick!
This z shot was my favorite photo from last year
-Elliot
ImageDSC_4314 - cloned by mangoman57, on Flickr
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Porter
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Joined: March 19th, 2011, 7:43 pm

Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by Porter »

This is from a series of shots of this tiger taking a strole trhough the jungle. I only a few came out clear. This one was with the running man setting and a 24mm.

Imagetiger walk 2 by California Reptile & Amphibian Appreciation, on Flickr
Zach_Lim
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Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by Zach_Lim »

Favorite find:

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake - El Dorado County, CA with Chad - exciting because it was the last snake of the day and I flipped it from under a rock when it was getting quite hot out!

Image

Favorite shot:

Santa Cruz Black Salamander- Santa Cruz County, CA with Lawrence - SC Blacks are my favorite native salamander and seeing such a pretty one in a new location was thrilling. I only recently stated really worrying about the composition and over all look of my shots, and I think this photo shows my desire of progress.

Image
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JAMAUGHN
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Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by JAMAUGHN »

These are all fantastic photos, everyone. Most of my favorite finds this year are either of nonherps or are from far-flung destinations.

Here's a couple of locals, though:

ImageCoast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma blainvillii by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

ImageGilbert's Skink, Plestiodon gilbertii by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

ImageCoast Mountain Kingsnake, Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

JimM
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MarcLinsalata
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Location: Los Angeles / New Jersey

Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by MarcLinsalata »

This was my favorite find during my cross country trip this past summer - I had 3 goals and accomplished 1 of them (alive). Still trying to write up my year end but the only reason why I like this pic is because it is as found at 2:30 am crawling up a rock cut.

Image
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Steve Bledsoe
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Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by Steve Bledsoe »

Awesome find Marc.
Congratulations! :beer:
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Phillodactylus
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Re: Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

Post by Phillodactylus »

I'll play! Last year was a particularly speciose year for me, so picking my favorite finds will be difficult. I also managed a few lifers that had long been glaring holes in my life-list.

I saw a ton of Speckled Rattlesnakes, this one might be my favorite capture though.
Imagehigh 2 by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

A shot I'll never get again; and its truly a miracle it came out this well considering I "shot from the hip". Red Coachwhip
ImageRR periscope by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

One of the "glaring holes" in my life-list was found: San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake
ImageSan Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I also saw more Desert Tortoises this year (through my field biology work) than I ever have:
Imagegnarly legged tort by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

This was probably my favorite lifer of 2015. I swam with about 5 of these guys in Maui, and my brother apparently has GoPro footage, but we'll see if I can ever get my grubby paws on any of that. Anyway, when I got out of the ocean, two turtles began to forage on the rocks allowing me to occasionally shoot them when they came up for air. Green Sea Turtle
Imageup for air by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

For a self-proclaimed lizard guy, I really didn't do a lot of "out of my way" lizarding. But this Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard was a really cooperative photo subject.
ImageKing uniformis by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I saw this crazy creature in Hawaii: Gold Dust Day Gecko
Imagelifer Gold Dust by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

And this agreeable Gambelia is my computer background:
ImageLeopard Lizard by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I think these will suffice. Hope you enjoyed.

-Phil
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