Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
nhherp
Posts: 128
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:25 am
Location: southwest US - NM

Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by nhherp »

In February I can usually find a snake, Valentines Day atroxs are memorable but there have been others. 2015 however blessed us with a cooler month ending in a nice snowfall. So I took the opportunity to run an hour from my house to the other side of the mountains to enjoy a powder day.
Image

My son ahead of me on the lift
Image

The following days at my house were t-shirt and shorts.
Image

In mid March I explored some lava beds without success.
Image
Image
Image

On March 15, I finally found an atrox near me and actually took a photo which I realize I am slacking on these days. Well hidden in the grass
Image

The end of March brought one of my favorite finds of the summer. I always enjoy a new den, especially when not expected.
Image

On an afternoon outing with my friend and my son, we simply stopped to explore a hill. On the way back to the truck we wandered to a small out crop which yielded 3 Crotalus species..atrox, molossus, l.klauberi I posted these once in prior post but being a year summary I will include a few again.

Image
Image
Image
Image

First week of April found me fishing with my son and his friend, catfish chicken livers produced a nice smooth softshell
Image

Sunset over the bosque
Image

The follow day on April 5 we went hiking in small range which I should visit more often I think..
Image

Turned up a nice atrox when it buzzed my wife when disturbed as we climbed its hill
Image

Later that evening the boys wanted to fish again so we hit bank on the Rio to relax.
Image

On April 11, my friend and fellow FHF member, bgorum and I found time to take a trip together. We headed south to a molossus den I found a few years back but on the way in this cute female viridis was crossing the road.
Image
Image

We found most of the den had dispersed, but a few straggler molossus still hung around
Image

An atrox from another site we visited on the way home.
Image

Another atrox from mid April trip with the family to explore new area to hike and fish.
Image

I found this little Arizona crossing the road on my way home at the end of April
Image

Most of May was continuously busy for me, but on the 25th, I turned up my first Sistrurus of the year. It would turn out to be a good year for them, despite my lack of field time.
Image

My schedule continued to remain full into June, though i did make it out for a few days when another fellow FHF member, Neil M came to visit. A night hike and some cruising, combined with a day trip to hike a canyon where we only saw a molossus in spite of excellent habitat. I failed to get a picture of it though.
Image

June 20- After seeing 4 snakes before I got to the road to my house, I decided to run further down my main state route to see what else was moving. I live a few miles down dirt road off a rather popular route for cruising and sometimes I lengthen my drive home to see what, and/or Who, is out and about in my area.
A typical prairie in cruddy in situ pic on a summer night.
Image
Image

July 3 and rain continued to be plentiful... no complaints
Image

July 4- Spent morning working on my truck, took it out for a quick test drive turning up 1 viridis and 2 sistrurus
Prairie at the familiar RR crossing Bill mentioned in his post.
Image

Angry that I stopped to make sure it got across the road without anyone from two other cars deciding to kill it as they past to stop and wait on the train out frame
Image

After the train and continuing on I took a dirt road to loop around. I was pleased to find my 2nd snake of the morning.
Image
Image
Image

Off the road and on my way, it wasn't 100 yards and a 2nd pretty silver sistrurus lay out enjoying the morning.
Image
Moving it off the road I snapped another quick photo before heading for the house.
Image

July came and went without much free time for me. The rain continued to replenish the landscape, my horses enjoyed a bit less flies as they lazed about in the back yard.
Image

It seems that August was the next available time that I was able to get out. Night hikes were uneventful, but sunsets were great
Image
Image

Roadcruising was productive for the usual.
Image

And produced an exciting, but disappointing Lifer DOR for me. D. regalis
Image

Rains persisted, and lightening followed.
Image[
Lightening produced grass fire
Image


A few days in late August brought pituophis on back to back days.
A gorgeous one on Saturday.
Image[
Sunday yeilded a larger, though not as attractive specimen
Image
We ended up on a ridgeline as a result of our wandering. The humidity was high enough to leave a haze over the valley.
Image
Image
Up top, the rock outcrop produced a nice molossus. I had not seen specimens from this area before.
Image[
Image

Coming off the ridge we headed for home, however as is typically the case in our travels, a detour was found. Taking a rough route back to some cliffs, I brought the truck to a stop when i heard that unmistakable sound of rattles. One should always drive on back roads with the windows down now matter how hot.. I only found it because I heard it, POV looking down from my truck window revealed this big atrox
Image[

Pulling up a bit so not to scare it, I patiently waited to see where it would go as it left the juniper and crawled away through the prickly pear.
Image

Image[

Image

Image

Image

Moving about 50 yeard SW from where it sat by the road under the juniper, it curled up in between the fragmented limestone.
Image

I left it here to rest as I went off to walk a bit more before dark..

Returning at sunset, the big guy still sat there as the sun went down.. I wondered later just how long he sat there into the night.
Image

August ended nicely when the opportunity arose for my wife and I to acquire some land. We had talked in the past about one day having our own personal canyon and small peak, but never thought it would occur.
Image

Image

A few weeks later we were back visiting and while getting out of the truck and my daughter noticed this Blacktail casually crawling across the hillside by the truck.

Image

Image

I decided to follow this one as well. It was calm and content to go on about its way. Reaching a juniper, I watched as it climbed up into the limbs. It didnt even act as though it considered curling up beneath it like an atrox.
Image

Image

In mid September my friend had some car issues which involved my need to pick him up. It meant I had to leave 45 minutes earlier and take him home after work but it had its perks.
Sunrises can be just as beautiful as sunsets here.
Image

That evening taking him home back home after work I noticed a little squiggle out of place on the paved road.
Heterdon
Image

A sweet little neo.. although I think all hognose always appear naturally happy. I turned him loose near a horse trough to hopefully kick off his next spring with easy food.
Image

Mid September found us on an afternoon walk with my sister and bro-inlaw. My wife and I had been wanting to go back to visit this area for some time.
Image

The dogs came too.
Image

I found a late season mama prairie and her babies, really late for this range and the area. Bgorum and I discussed later if the wet, cooler summer was the factor to his late season gravid atrox and my pocket of neos. Mother split quick but my son managed to snap a quick photo for me of the babies. Grouped together, they had not shed to disperse yet, but based upon color still had a few more days.
C.viridis
Imager

I wondered if they would den here for the winter. Elevation was approx. 6700 ft. I gave them about 30 days before frost.

The following day on a Sunday afternoon my wife and sister discovered this speckled atrox on another brief walk in the mountains behind my house.
Image

Image

The end of September we went back down to place some cameras on the Canyon as hunting season approached people will hike in to poach deer and elk.
Image

While hiking around looking at game trails for our own resources, we walked along the bottom. My sons friend spotted this live Diadophis , which made up for the DOR earlier in the summer. I wish I had managed to get a photo without it in hand.
Image
Image


October came with temps still holding as a result of ongoing moisture.
Image

This Saturday night pit was out and about as a result of the humidity and the warm blanket it gave the ground into the night.
Image

Sunday afternoon found us upon on the mountain ridge behind the house, this time a bit farther south.
Image

Walking back to the truck as the sunset, my sister nearly stepped on this guy with his mouth full of squirrel.
Image

Image

Mid October and a work trip took me to San Diego. My wife came along and we made a small getaway out of it.
Image

Picked up a show of the best caliber..
Image

A computer crash pre-conference really messed up my plans for more herping, but we made late night trip to La Jolla to check the sea lions.
Image

I owe a debt to SurfinHerp for his assistance in making the most out of the little time I had as a result of the scramble to cover downed technology. Jeff the offer still stands if you get to NM.
SD gopher (lifer)
Image

Helleri - lifer
Image

Image20151021_170816 by nhherp

Image

Back home on Halloween morning, the rains continued and the temps dropped as the sun slipped farther south along the skyline unable to heat the day up as much. I remember the years I lived back east and lost appreciation for the rain..
Image

On a White Sands trip with family friends it was cooler weather, but I had hopes which yielded nothing but White Sand.
Image

Image[

Latest snake of 2015. On Nov 14 a visit back to the property where I was surprised to find this late season klauberi out and about.
Image

Dec 13 - brought real snowfall to my house. I do not commonly see this much snow at my place so it was a nice treat.
Image

The end of Dec and all of Jan were great for snowboarding, but not for snakes. I enjoy the precipitation now matter how the delivery methods.

Almost a full year to date. The weather is warm.. mid 70's and my wife and I have been down to visit the land the past two weekend.
On Feb 14, a klauberi buzzed me as I checked a SW facing talus on the canyon wall and I saw the rattle disappear into the rocks where it hid making it known it did not like being seen. We went on about our walk finding no need to find it beneath the rocks.
On Feb 20. We returned and I tried to sneak up on the same place for a photo, but this time I only heard the same klaub (I assume) as it must have been peaking out of some crack as I approached. Moving on along the slide I figured others must be out and I was pleased to see this young atrox enjoying the warm sun beneath its rocks.
Image

As I finished this post the temps are dropping and the north end of the state is expecting 4 -12 " of snow, the eastern side of the state is also expecting snow. The Daytime high for my house is only expected at 51. Maybe tomorrow will be a *sick day as the slopes call to end my February the same way this post began a year prior.

I roam and ramble on, but I hope you found it enjoyable...especially those stuck in winter another 8-10 weeks.

-N-
bgorum
Posts: 619
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:46 am
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Contact:

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by bgorum »

Good stuff Notah. Your canyon is beautiful! We need to get out more this year if your schedule allows.
sjohn
Posts: 19
Joined: December 10th, 2013, 7:36 am
Location: NC

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by sjohn »

Very nice post ...you live in such a beautiful place.
User avatar
nhherp
Posts: 128
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:25 am
Location: southwest US - NM

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by nhherp »

bgorum wrote:Good stuff Notah. Your canyon is beautiful! We need to get out more this year if your schedule allows.
Bill, Thanks! At the moment this coming years schedule is promising to have much more free time. Looking forward to getting together and bringing you down to check out the property for dens, as well as other places, when temps become a bit more consistent for numbers!

sjohn wrote:Very nice post ...you live in such a beautiful place.
Sjohn, I agree fully, thank you. I was blessed in having had the choice of where I wanted to live and work vs. having to go live where the work was.

I was going through my photos earlier and decided to upload additional trail camera shots of non-reptilian visitors through the canyon. This particular camera gets the most photos, compared to the others. I always look forward to going to seeing what is active and about. There are two documented lions which move through this area, as well as bear. No luck yet on getting a photo of them.


Javelina
Image

Coyote
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EiDhUy]Image


Bobcat
Image
Image

Mule Deer
Image


-N-
*edit
User avatar
ThamnElegans24
Posts: 406
Joined: November 23rd, 2010, 6:44 pm
Location: Mesa, Arizona

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by ThamnElegans24 »

Great post, thanks for sharing!
User avatar
nhherp
Posts: 128
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:25 am
Location: southwest US - NM

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by nhherp »

ThamnElegans24 wrote:Great post, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for looking. I figure your temps over there are a bit ahead of mine and hopefully your season start up has been productive as well.

-N-
User avatar
SurfinHerp
Posts: 653
Joined: October 18th, 2010, 8:55 pm
Location: San Diego, CA
Contact:

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by SurfinHerp »

Very nice post Notah!
You sure saw a lot of Crotes in your wanderings. I personally like the ringless regal ring-necked snake the best though. I'd love to find one of those in CA some day. I hope you continue to find more cool herps on your new property!
I'll be sure to let you know if I'm ever in your area. Who knows...maybe I'll make it out that way in August when herping here in SD is so slow.

Cheers,

Jeff
User avatar
nhherp
Posts: 128
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:25 am
Location: southwest US - NM

Re: Feb 2015 to Feb 2016- Wanderings

Post by nhherp »

SurfinHerp wrote:Very nice post Notah!
You sure saw a lot of Crotes in your wanderings. I personally like the ringless regal ring-necked snake the best though. I'd love to find one of those in CA some day. I hope you continue to find more cool herps on your new property!
I'll be sure to let you know if I'm ever in your area. Who knows...maybe I'll make it out that way in August when herping here in SD is so slow.

Cheers,

Jeff
Jeff, The regalis was a long awaited find for me. Over the past 8 years ringnecks remained elusive inspite of numerous searchings in prime habitat, it was satisfying to check off the list and have seen specimens from two different areas.

If you come this way in August let me know as it is the opposite of San Diego here. Thanks again! Be sure to give me as much notice as possible if you come this way.

-N-
Post Reply