2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main forum)

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intermedius
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Joined: March 22nd, 2012, 7:19 pm

2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main forum)

Post by intermedius »

A little late, but here are some of my favorite herps I saw over the 2015 herp season. My dad accompanied me in a lot of my herp expeditions, and has really gotten interested and thrilled with herping and birding. He even spots things an entire group misses! It was a great year. I got to travel to many places including Maryland, Virginia, Florida, West Virginia, and Kansas. Good herps, good friends and family, and okay photographs.

My first day of herping began on New Year's Day. I had just recovered from a fever while down in Florida. I was itching to get outside and try for some snakes. Within an hour of hiking, I stumbled upon my first Eastern Diamondback, coiled underneath a palmetto.

ImageEastern Diamondback Rattlesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

High School and standardized tests prevented me from going seeping throughout the rest of the Winter and parts of Spring. Lots of my spare time was also devoted to "herps with wings". The bycatch of birding sometimes included amphibians.

ImageNorthern Red Salamander (larval) by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Dusky Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Two-lined Salamanders by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

2015's winter season was dreadfully cold, but the snow and ice finally ended around late March. Plenty of Amphibians were out and about by then.

ImageWood Frog by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageWood Frog Tadpoles by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageSpring Peeper by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Cricket Frog by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageMarbled Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageMarbled Salamander (larval) by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageSpotted Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageFour-toed Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Spring Break in April also gave me the opportunity to check out some places I found in Southern New Jersey via Google Earth. It was still pretty cold, but I was able to find some early snakes and reptiles, some of them new finds.

ImageEastern Wormsnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Black Racer by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Red-bellied Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageSouthern Ringneck Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageRough Green Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

One of my main goals was to try and find New Jersey Chorus Frogs and Tiger Salamanders. I heard the Chorus Frogs, but did not find the Tigers.... but I would be back soon ;)

Back in Central New Jersey, I had two main goals for the rest of the 2015 season. They weren't "lifers", but more a less species that I really wanted to see more of. The two species I had in mind were Milk Snakes and Red Salamanders. Both are spectacular species that I wished to see more around my area. The goal was simply to see as many as I could this year. May was quickly approaching, so I set out to try and find some more Milk Snakes.

By May 6th, I had struck my first Milk - a large adult flipped under a rock.

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

I saw two other Milks during May. The first one slid into the rocks before I could grab it, the second one was stuck in netting used for erosion control. We managed to cut it from the netting, and checked to see if it had any injuries. Fortunately, it did not. After the procedure, we released it back close to where we found it.

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

I found another Milk Snake in June, flipped underneath tin at a new spot.

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

By July, we made a trip down to the DC Metro Area, where I got to herp around Maryland and Virginia during my spare time. We found lots of cool herps while down there, and three more Milk Snakes.

One of my favorite memories was spotting this Eastern Ribbon Snake periscoping after a rain shower. I watched him for fifteen minutes as he traversed through the grass and leaf litter in search of amphibian prey.

ImageEastern Ribbon Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

We also found this Spotted Salamander in the middle of July during the rain.

ImageSpotted Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Another awesome find was this Smooth Earth Snake, which was flipped under a small piece of concrete. Earth Snakes are extremely rare in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but much more abundant in Maryland, so it was great to finally see one in the flesh.

ImageSmooth Earth Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

And of course, here are the Milks. They are by far one of my favorite snakes on the east coast, getting better and better every time I find them. Their polymorphism and variable color patterns are addicting.

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

After DC, my family and I drove to Kansas. I only got to herp one day there, but it was quite the thrill. Here are some of the snakes I saw.

ImageNorthern Red-bellied Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImagePrairie Ringneck Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageWestern Worm Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

On our way home we made a quick stop to pay our respects to Snake Road, before stopping again in West Virginia. I was itching to try my luck at some Appalachian Salamanders, and did a quick search using satellite maps to see if I could spot any areas that looked good for one particular species of Salamander. By luck, I found a place that looked perfect, and was only twenty minutes from our hotel. The chase was on.

Searching was slow, but at the eleventh hour, I scanned one last crack and found this guy peering out next to my flashlight.

ImageGreen Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageGreen Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

We also found several Mountain Dusky Salamanders.

ImageAllegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Back in New Jersey, I went down to the Pine Barrens many times in preparation for baby snake season. Our first trip down resulted in my Dad and I getting stuck inside a mud puddle in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, we were able to get towed out.

Our consultation prize was this beautiful gravid female Timber Rattlesnake.

ImageTimber Rattlesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

In addition, I saw many baby Racers in August and September, along with another spectacular Milk Snake near my house.

ImageNorthern Black Racer by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Milksnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Close by, I found two spectacular adult Red Salamanders along with over a dozen larva during two trips.

ImageNorthern Red Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Red Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Back in the Pine Barrens, we found more snakes during subsequent trips - including another Rough Green Snake.

ImageRough Green Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Then towards dusk, we spotted this beautiful snake stretched out in some bushes along a hiking trail. We didn't want to disturb her, so I snapped a few pictures and went on our merry way.

ImageNorthern Pine Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Our last visit to the Pines during October yielded three Pine Snakes and two Eastern Hognose Snakes. A thrilling and awesome end.

ImageNorthern Pinesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Pinesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Pinesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Pinesnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Hognose Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Hognose Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

With the season coming to an end, I went out to try and look for some Salamanders before the cold took over. Thankfully it was abnormally warm throughout November. so many species were still on the surface.

ImageNorthern Redback Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Slimy Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageFour-toed Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageBlue-spotted Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Thanksgiving Break was also a great time to try again for Eastern Tiger Salamanders. It was a long shot, but my dad and I embraced rain and cold weather to try and find one. Luckily, we were able to find two - a subadult and an adult near their breeding pools. We also managed to find a stray New Jersey Chorus Frog hopping along nearby.

ImageEastern Tiger Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageEastern Tiger Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNew Jersey Chorus Frog by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

In December, herping was again limited to Spring Seeps. While we usually find Pickerel Frogs, Duskies and Two-lineds and the occasional Red, this trip we found our first Winter Garter Snake.

ImageEastern Gartersnake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Along with a stunning Red and the usual suspects

ImageNorthern Red Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageNorthern Red Salamander by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

Finally, towards Winter Break, I spent a week with my family in South Florida. We didn't herp too much, but we still found some pretty awesome herps. Here are some of the highlights and bittersweet moments from the trip.

ImageEastern Spadefoot Toad by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageFlorida Gopher Frog by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageDOR Eastern Coral Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

ImageCoastal Dunes Crowned Snake by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

My last snake of the year, ironically, was a venomous one on New Year's Eve.

ImageFlorida Cottonmouth by Justin (NoNameKey), on Flickr

And that concludes my 2015 herp season. I will make a 2015 summary of some of the birds I've seen this year as well.

I hope you enjoyed and thanks for looking.

- Justin
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ZantiMissKnit
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Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

Wow, Justin, this is a great post!

I'm especially impressed with that Green Salamander...one a trip to SW VA, one was spotted wedged deep in a crevice, but nobody got a shot or a clear look at it. I really want to get back within their range to try to find one again (hopefully in better weather for it; it was a bit dry at the time).

I love seeing people's yearly recap posts.

Andrea
MCHerper
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Joined: September 22nd, 2012, 6:13 pm

Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for

Post by MCHerper »

Great post, Justin. Keep on keepin' on! :thumb:
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intermedius
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Joined: March 22nd, 2012, 7:19 pm

Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for

Post by intermedius »

Thanks both! Glad you enjoyed.
I'm especially impressed with that Green Salamander...one a trip to SW VA, one was spotted wedged deep in a crevice, but nobody got a shot or a clear look at it. I really want to get back within their range to try to find one again (hopefully in better weather for it; it was a bit dry at the time).
I would love to find more too!

- Justin
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NewYorkHerper16
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Joined: August 13th, 2014, 7:50 am

Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for

Post by NewYorkHerper16 »

Fantastic post, Justin! It made me remember just how much i'm dying to visit the NJ pines next year! Everything about this post was amazing, especially the milk snake diversity you saw. I'm also jealous of your worm snakes, since i have such a hard time finding those lol.

-Alex
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intermedius
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Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for

Post by intermedius »

Thanks Alex!

I feel pretty lucky to have seen so many things in the pines this year. Worm Snakes can be pretty abundant in the Pines, but they're pretty cool to find.

- Justin
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