Hey everybody. My cravings for salamanders usually subsides as spring rolls around and the prospect of road cruising for snakes takes over. But this year my interest in them has not gone away. I tried doing a day trip up to the FL panhandle, but the best spots I know up there were filled with mosquitoes making conditions unbearable. I'm contemplating heading farther north, perhaps into the north Georgia area. Google Maps says I can be in Chattanooga in less than 7 hours to give you all some idea. I think I'd be willing to drive that far for a 2 nights stay somewhere. I don't think my wife and I would be willing to head more than 7 hours or so for just a couple of nights.
I've never herped up that way, but I figure the same practices of log and rock flipping apply. If there are other techniques in the area, please let me know.
The thing is, in order for me to do this, I have to be able to make the sale to my wife. Does anybody know of any good areas that would offer good salamander opportunities for a newbie and has entertainment for non-herping types of folks? Or really easy targets so that my wife might be more willing to join me? She's not a fan of walking muddy seeps or creeks, but she'll put up with log flipping along a trail. Also, is summer a bad time of year to visit that area for salamanders? I may have some more free time in August where I could go for more than a couple of nights, but if the mosquitoes are bad there too, and I'm not likely to find anything, I'll consider going somewhere else.
Here is a larval D. apalachicolae and a P. spiloides from Tuesday's trip to Liberty County.
GA,NC, TN Salamander Suggestions?
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Re: GA,NC, TN Salamander Suggestions?
Thanks, I'll check it out.
- Josh Holbrook
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Re: GA,NC, TN Salamander Suggestions?
If you go to South Mountain, I'm just down the road and am doing a herp survey for them, so I can show you a thing or two.
If you have the time to make the drive, Asheville is the cultural capitol of the SE and right in the middle of really easy salamandering.
If you have the time to make the drive, Asheville is the cultural capitol of the SE and right in the middle of really easy salamandering.
Re: GA,NC, TN Salamander Suggestions?
NE GA can also be pretty fun. For husbands of our ilk, and our long-suffering, not-quite-eternally-patient wives. There's good salamander diversity plus a few turtle species (some in great numbers) and also good snake hunting. You just need the weather and to find places to hunt. The latter is easy, the former - well, just watch how the spring & summer unfold. If it's really dry the main sallies you can find will be the more aquatic ones like seals. Flipping will mostly suck. If it has rained like normal (i.e., lots) the flipping should be reasonably fun. Here are a couple ideas for your family outing:
1) The Cherry Log / Ellijay area has multiple "cabin-sprawl developments" each of which seems to feature a few dozen nice little cabins - complete with hot tubs, decks, grills, comfy furniture etc - each on something like a 5-ac lot. So overall you're looking at a few hundred acres. Each cabin might have a little clearing so you get a view off the deck; the clearing serves as a herp basking area. Otherwise these developments are uncleared, mainly unoccupied, and can be walked & herped to your heart's content. The subdivision roads (all gravel) can also be cruised for snakes, box turtles etc. Just look on VRBO or another vacation-rental site.
Nearby (very near) are various "bigger" herping opportunities (bigger creeks, taller ridges, longer trails, etc) on USFS, WMA, etc properties. Those also have some good choices for nice hikes also with excellent trailside flipping.
This area to me doesn't have a whole lot of stuff for wives outside the cabin, it's really all about the awesome little cabins and the indoors fun & relaxation to be had there with the missus (if she isn't pissed off at you, ha ha). Plus some good family hikes for when cabin fever strikes. But if she's "had it up to here!" with your surreptitious herping poorly disguised as time spent with her, this might be a risky choice. You'll surely get busted.
An easy drive west of here is Pigeon Mtn.
2) As an alternative with far more "townie" amenities, Dahlonega GA is pretty sweet. (It's also a pleasant half-day trip from Cherry Log / Ellijay, if you want to mix it up.) There are also some great hikes w/ excellent herping opportunities galore in this area. There are some great little B&Bs right in town, which features interesting history & museums, a cute little town square with lots of cute little shops selling cute stuff you don't need (the "dude death zone", ha ha), and some quirky stuff like gold panning (Dahlonega was the scene of the first gold rush in the US, ~ 20 years before CA's). If you have some serious making up to do, Dahlonega is a great choice. "Chicks dig it", I'd say. If you can keep the herping under control, you'll come away with some points in the bank. If you know what I mean...
One main thing I like about N GA, and wives like too - it's just really pretty. And the inhabitants are tidy folks with real pride of ownership. The homes are well kept, the yards are well kept, it isn't trashy like many rural areas.
If you do make it to Chattanooga, be sure not to miss the Tennessee Aquarium there. It is (or at least, was, every time I went) a world-class zoological institution.
Good luck,
Jimi
1) The Cherry Log / Ellijay area has multiple "cabin-sprawl developments" each of which seems to feature a few dozen nice little cabins - complete with hot tubs, decks, grills, comfy furniture etc - each on something like a 5-ac lot. So overall you're looking at a few hundred acres. Each cabin might have a little clearing so you get a view off the deck; the clearing serves as a herp basking area. Otherwise these developments are uncleared, mainly unoccupied, and can be walked & herped to your heart's content. The subdivision roads (all gravel) can also be cruised for snakes, box turtles etc. Just look on VRBO or another vacation-rental site.
Nearby (very near) are various "bigger" herping opportunities (bigger creeks, taller ridges, longer trails, etc) on USFS, WMA, etc properties. Those also have some good choices for nice hikes also with excellent trailside flipping.
This area to me doesn't have a whole lot of stuff for wives outside the cabin, it's really all about the awesome little cabins and the indoors fun & relaxation to be had there with the missus (if she isn't pissed off at you, ha ha). Plus some good family hikes for when cabin fever strikes. But if she's "had it up to here!" with your surreptitious herping poorly disguised as time spent with her, this might be a risky choice. You'll surely get busted.
An easy drive west of here is Pigeon Mtn.
2) As an alternative with far more "townie" amenities, Dahlonega GA is pretty sweet. (It's also a pleasant half-day trip from Cherry Log / Ellijay, if you want to mix it up.) There are also some great hikes w/ excellent herping opportunities galore in this area. There are some great little B&Bs right in town, which features interesting history & museums, a cute little town square with lots of cute little shops selling cute stuff you don't need (the "dude death zone", ha ha), and some quirky stuff like gold panning (Dahlonega was the scene of the first gold rush in the US, ~ 20 years before CA's). If you have some serious making up to do, Dahlonega is a great choice. "Chicks dig it", I'd say. If you can keep the herping under control, you'll come away with some points in the bank. If you know what I mean...
One main thing I like about N GA, and wives like too - it's just really pretty. And the inhabitants are tidy folks with real pride of ownership. The homes are well kept, the yards are well kept, it isn't trashy like many rural areas.
If you do make it to Chattanooga, be sure not to miss the Tennessee Aquarium there. It is (or at least, was, every time I went) a world-class zoological institution.
Good luck,
Jimi
Re: GA,NC, TN Salamander Suggestions?
OMG you nailed it right there!!But if she's "had it up to here!" with your surreptitious herping poorly disguised as time spent with her, this might be a risky choice. You'll surely get busted.
Now we're talking, she loves aquariums. An afternoon there may balance an afternoon of herping. It worked in Atlanta with their aquarium.be sure not to miss the Tennessee Aquarium
Cheers, and many, many thanks. I have some great ideas now.