2016 has been a year of ups and downs. I spent the first three and a half months deployed to the Middle East, where my extent of herping involved seeing a couple of Rough-tailed Geckoes around my dorm and an unknown snake while out dune bashing. I finally returned back stateside mid-April, and thankfully I was able to hit the ground running to catch up on the herping I missed out on. Things slowed down a bit once summer hit, but I was still able to get out every now and then.
Towards the end of July, my family was thrown a curveball when I unexpectedly received orders from the Air Force to move. A month and a half later, we found ourselves living in Fairfax County, VA, just outside of D.C. There were many herping goals left unfulfilled with my departure from Florida, but I hope to return there someday. In the meantime, our new house is situated in some great herping territory. While we live in a suburban development, my house backs up to a stretch of woods, and there is an ephemeral creek back there that you can see from our deck. Since moving here, I've turned up 11 species at the house or within a few hundred feet of it. Three snake species, one lizard, one turtle, three frog, and three salamander. The latter has me especially excited, as salamanders were exceptionally difficult to find in Tampa, while they are quite abundant near my current house. And plenty more salamander species are available in the region, which has me excited. Despite the cooler temps up here, herping has still been productive late in the season. I recently added lifer number 20 for the year - a Northern Dusky Salamander. In this post, between the states of Florida and Mississippi, I turned up ten of those 20 lifers. For the year, my species count is at about 75. I'll list the species in Part Two.
While the move went well, it's still been a tough year. I lost my grandmother in March, my uncle in November, and two close family members within five weeks of each other this Fall. I sincerely hope that is the last of the losses my family will experience. In a way, herping has helped me cope with these hardships, and I've been able to integrate my son into the activity quite a bit, so it's not just me setting out on my own. I've found more salamanders with him in tow than on my own. It's also helped that being back in VA has us close to our homes in MD and DE, so we've been fortunate to have the support of friends and family.
All right, I've got a lot of pictures to share, so I'm splitting this post up into two parts. First up is a recap of all my herping prior to the move. The second part will be everything I've found up in VA, MD, and DE since moving. Enjoy!
Within a week of my return from my deployment, I took my son out to a local nature park in Tampa. Started the herping season off with eight species that day.
Green Anole - very happy with the quality of these photos
DSCN0696 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0701 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0706 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
You have to look hard to spot some of the gators at this location
DSCN0710 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0713 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0729 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0775 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0790 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Limpkin - I'm going to miss these birds
DSCN0704 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Red-bellied Cooter
DSCN0715 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Female Eastern Pondhawk
DSCN0722 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Large Peninsula Cooter
DSCN0793 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0795 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0802 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Young Red-bellied Cooter
DSCN0822 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0823 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Watersnake on the prowl
DSCN0744 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0748 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Striped Mud Turtle - only my third one ever
DSCN0757 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0758 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Watersnake
DSCN0783 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
SE Five-lined Skink. These were the only skinks in Tampa. Up in VA, I need to catch them to get a proper ID!
DSCN0808 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0814 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
During my post-deployment R&R, my wife and I left our son in the care of my parents and took a trip down to the Keys and the Everglades. It was so worth it! We had a great time, and I had three lifers from that trip.
FL Keys Cornsnake, near Marathon. I found this one hanging out in the grass right near a path.
DSCN8959 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN8960 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Lifer Northern Curly Tailed Lizard
DSCN8970 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Mangrove habitat
DSCN8974 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Manatee
DSCN8983 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9000 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Iguana
DSCN8992 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Upside-down Jellyfish
DSCN9012 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Starfish
DSCN9021 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A prehistoric beast, and my wife's favorite animal
DSCN9056 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
For a barracuda, this is a small one
DSCN9076 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Great snorkeling at the Dry Tortugas
DSCN0942 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Magnificent Frigatebird
DSCN0946 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Sooty Terns
DSCN0984 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The famous American Crocodile in the moat at Fort Jefferson
DSCN0985 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN0989 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Being able to experience the Everglades without a child in tow is liberating. We took a tour one day, and then set out on our own the next. Both nights involved road cruising with solid results.
DSCN0991 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Halloween Pennants were out in full force
DSCN1001 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Water levels in the Everglades were much higher than normal, which made it harder to find wildlife
DSCN1035 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Barred Owl
DSCN1050 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Swallow-tailed Kite
DSCN1063 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Croczilla at Nine Mile Pond. Toughest paddle of my life!
DSCN1070 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1071 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1073 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Recognize that shape?
DSCN1102 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Pelicans at sunset over Florida Bay
DSCN1144 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Gums, the toothless crocodile
DSCN1155 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Our first snake on our first night of roadcruising was this Eastern Mudsnake, a lifer for me! This one quickly bolted after this photo was taken. The Everglades is not the ideal place to encounter your first Mud, as they are shy creatures and handling them in an attempt to get a quality photo is off-limits.
DSCN1159 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Green Watersnake - my first one in over two years
DSCN1163 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1166 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvenile Florida Watersnake
DSCN1177 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
We passed this Cottonmouth on the road, but by the time I back-tracked to find it, it was gone. Careful searching of the shoulder revealed it, and thankfully no one was walking there.
DSCN1179 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1182 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1187 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
I think this was the first time I ever got one to open up like this
DSCN1189 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Tree snail the next day. Didn't see a whole lot that day until nighttime.
DSCN1198 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
This path marked the divide between fresh forest and recently burned forest (resulting from a wildfire)
DSCN1202 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Peninsula Cooter at Anhinga Trail
DSCN1226 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Gar
DSCN1230 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
FL Red-bellied Cooter
DSCN1235 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A huge Florida Softshell
DSCN1244 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The endless sawgrass of Nine Mile Pond
DSCN1254 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Softshell resting on the bottom of the...pond? River? Endless water expanse that is the Everglades?
DSCN1259 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A bonus of herping in the Everglades is that you don't have to check the hind leg webbing to distinguish Pig Frogs from Bullfrogs
DSCN1263 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Leopard Frog
DSCN1265 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Watersnake
DSCN1269 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Stripeless Green Treefrog
DSCN1274 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A striking juvi Florida Cottonmouth - if you have one that rivals this one, please share! This was one of my favorite snakes all year.
DSCN1280 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1284 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1286 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
One of the largest Southern Toads I've ever seen
DSCN1288 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Mudsnake #2 of the trip. This one was slightly more cooperative.
DSCN1291 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Mudsnake Cropped by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The Mudsnake dance
DSCN1294 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1295 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Mudsnake #3 - the worst of the bunch
DSCN1318 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Not much else was seen the rest of that night until we hit the Pinelands on the way out of the park. My wife was nearly asleep, and I was blurry-eyed, but then I saw a shape crossing the road that I won't soon forget. I knew when I saw it that it was one of three possible snakes, two of which would have made me exceptionally happy. Thankfully, it was one of those - my lifer Scarlet Kingsnake!
DSCN1325 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1327 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1331 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Our last stop of the trip was Shark Valley, on the northern end of the Everglades.
Find the herps!
DSCN1348 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Baby Gators are always a joy
DSCN1343 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1345 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1347 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Along the bike path, we came across these two male Gators locked in combat. This was something we had never observed before. It wasn't as action packed as you might think - they stayed like this for a good while.
DSCN1358 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1362 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1363 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
In May, I participated in a Gopher Tortoise burrow survey at a nature preserve in St. Petersburg. Didn't see a whole lot, but we found more than a dozen active burrows, include two juvenile burrows. Also found some neat "evidence" of herp activity.
Habitat
DSCN9267 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Cooter shell fragment
DSCN9266 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Six-lined Racerunner
DSCN9265 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Predated Gopher Tortoise egg
DSCN9264 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Box Turtle shell fragment
DSCN9258 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvi burrow
DSCN9255 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Racer shed, I believe
DSCN9253 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole
DSCN9250 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The only live Gopher that day
DSCN1528 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1526 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Florida Leopard Frog
DSCN1523 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Anhinga
DSCN1521 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1519 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Peninsula Cooter
DSCN1518 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
In June, Tropical Storm Colin skirted Tampa, bringing several inches of rain. What else is there to do but roadcruise under those conditions? These herps were found on MacDill AFB.
Florida Watersnake
DSCN1562 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A large FL Leopard Frog
DSCN1569 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A Cuban Treefrog in amplexus with a Green Treefrog.
DSCN1571 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
An unmolested Green Treefrog
DSCN1573 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1579 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Leopards. These frogs are just about everywhere when it's not peak breeding season.
DSCN1577 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1578 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad - I'm going to miss this little guys
DSCN9273 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
The most unexpected find of the night - an Eastern Glass Lizard. In my three years of living on base, I never saw one until that night. This was also my first Glass Lizard that I found all on my own.
DSCN1584 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1587 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A few days later, I joined Noah up in the northern peninsula for a day of herping. I had previously recapped this in detail, so I'll keep the descriptions brief. That said, it was a great day of herping, with five news lifers for me.
We started off with a round of heavy dipnetting.
DSCN9292 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9293 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Treefrog tadpole
DSCN9295 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
???
DSCN9297 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Crayfish
DSCN9299 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Grass Shrimp
DSCN9301 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Lifer Peninsula Newt
DSCN9302 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Catfish
DSCN9307 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Lifer Dwarf Salamander - Noah has great eyes to have found this guy among the dipnetting by-product
DSCN9311 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole that watched us dipnet
DSCN9312 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Leopard Frog under a mattress
DSCN9317 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Spadefoot Toad Tadpoles near Noah's place
DSCN9323 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9325 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9326 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Me with a Yellow-bellied Slider
DSCN9338 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Fallen trees in Saltmarsh Snake habitat
DSCN1640 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Large Fiddler Crab
DSCN1641 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
That night, Noah and I roadcruised a nice secluded spot in Dixie County. Turned up a decent haul of snakes, including two lifers.
One of many Squirrel Treefrogs at a gas station
DSCN1649 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1653 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Lifer Southern Ringneck Snake - I wish the northern variety had this coloration
DSCN9355 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1667 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9348 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN9353 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
First of three Cottonmouths that night
DSCN1654 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
FL Watersnake
DSCN1656 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
LIfer Blue-striped Ribbonsnake - it wasn't very cooperative
Ribbon Resize 1 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Ribbon Resize 2 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Cotton #2
DSCN1670 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1672 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Another uncooperative Blue-striped Ribbon
Ribbon Resize 3 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
FL Leopard Frog
DSCN1684 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Discarded shark head
DSCN1688 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Tail and Dorsal Fin
DSCN1689 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Fiddler swarm
DSCN1690 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Cotton #3
DSCN1692 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1694 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
It was a great night of cruising and I'm very appreciative to Noah for showing me his spot. The next morning, I met up with another herper at Payne's Prairie Preserve.
Green Treefrog
DSCN1703 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Gator
DSCN1705 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Heron
DSCN1707 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Gulf Fritillary
DSCN1712 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
FL Watersnake
DSCN1748 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Wilde Horses
DSCN1734 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Skink
DSCN1762 by Matt Ratcliffe, on Flickr
That about wraps up my herping in Florida for 2016. I had a couple of other outings, but they didn't produce anything not seen here. In July, my family traveled up to Mississippi for a family reunion, stopping in the FL Panhandle on the way up and back. Stopping at two different parks produced a few herps.
Juvenile Southern Toads were common in one park
DSCN1776 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
My first Eastern Fence Lizard of the year
DSCN1800 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Broadhead Skink
DSCN1812 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Another park produced only Florida Cooters and Yellow-bellied Sliders
Cooter
DSCN2044 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvi Slider
DSCN2045 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
One-eyed Cooter
DSCN2049 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
I didn't get much time to herp in Mississippi, but I was able to turn up a good number of herps at the house I was staying at, which sat next to a small lake. Lizards and turtles were easy to find with minimal effort, while Green Treefrogs and Eastern Cricket Frogs filled the nights with their choruses. It felt great to be able to step outside and see native lizards all over, which is in contrast to the flood of Brown Anoles we have in Tampa.
Eastern River Cooter
DSCN1813 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Fence Lizard
DSCN1834 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Unknown Skink species
DSCN1841 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole in shed
DSCN1855 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
River Cooter
DSCN1860 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Bluegill - we took our son fishing for the first time!
DSCN1868 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Slider out for a stroll
DSCN1872 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A massive grass carp
DSCN1887 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Young Red-eared Slider
DSCN1893 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
River Cooter - love the look to this one
DSCN1894 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Anole
DSCN1898 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Now here is an unexpected lifer, one that I wasn't sure of until several days later, but the long neck should have given it away. There were a couple of Eastern Chicken Turtles hanging out in the lake, much to my surprise. I always expected that I would find my first one out in the swamps, away from civilization.
DSCN1899 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Another Chicken Turtle (different day) - look at that neck!
DSCN2012 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Final lifer of this post - Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell
DSCN1878 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvi Five-lined Skink
DSCN1912 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole at our friend's house
DSCN2023 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole at my dad's childhood house. There were some Fence Lizards there as well. My dad owns 150 acres of land there, which I can't wait to herp when the temps are cooler.
DSCN1926 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Nothing but forest around the house
DSCN1928 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1931 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Long-leaf pine sapling
DSCN1935 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Male Widow Skimmer
DSCN1946 - Male Widow Skimmer by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Juvi Toad - I think this was a Fowler's
DSCN1963 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
There's a gully on my dad's land that contains marine invertebrate fossils, possibly from the Oligocene Era. I have fond memories of going here as a kid to collect fossils.
DSCN1987 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1989 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1993 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A dammed-up pond on the land - should be good for frogs
DSCN1996 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
DSCN1997 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
Green Anole in the woods
DSCN1968 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
A possible inactive Gopher Tortoise burrow? Jasper County is right on the edge of their range, and they may be extirpated from the area. My dad remembers hearing about Gophers as a kid, and I myself have a distinct memory of a large turtle crossing the driveway at the house pictured earlier from when I was younger. It definitely wasn't a snapper, and I don't remember it looking like a pond turtle either. Nor do I think it was a Softshell. Could they still be in the area? I hope so, and only time will tell.
DSCN1967 by Matthew Ratcliffe, on Flickr
I'll leave you all to ponder that mystery for now. Keep an eye out for Part Two, which features a completely different selection of herps, in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoyed reliving my herping experiences!
Species observed in FL/MS (60 total):
Crocodilians
American Alligator
American Crocodile
Turtles
Gopher Tortoise
Florida Box Turtle (remains)
Peninsula Cooter
Florida Red-bellied Cooter
Eastern River Cooter
Coastal Plain/Florida Cooter
Red-Eared Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider
Eastern Chicken Turtle (lifer)
Florida Softshell
Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell (lifer)
Striped Mud Turtle
Florida Snapping Turtle (DOR)
Green Sea Turtle (no photo voucher)
Lizards
Southeastern Five-lined Skink
Five-lined Skink
Ground Skink (no photo voucher)
Six-lined Racerunner
Eastern Fence Lizard
Northern Green Anole
Southern Green Anole
Eastern Glass Lizard
Brown Anole
Wood Slave
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard (lifer)
Snakes
Cornsnake
Southern Black Racer (no photo voucher)
Everglades Racer (DOR)
Gray Ratsnake (DOR and a possible missed voucher)
Eastern Mudsnake (lifer)
Scarlet Kingsnake (lifer)
Florida Watersnake
Florida Green Watersnake
Eastern Gartersnake (DOR)
Blue-striped Ribbonsnake (lifer)
Southern Ringneck Snake (lifer)
Pinewoods Littersnake (lifer)
Northern Scarletsnake (DOR)
Florida Cottonmouth
Frogs
Bullfrog
Pig Frog
Florida Leopard Frog
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad
Green Treefrog
Squirrel Treefrog
Barking Treefrog (heard)
Cope's Gray Treefrog (heard)
Pinewoods Treefrog (heard)
Cuban Treefrog
Greenhouse Frog
Florida Cricket Frog
Eastern Cricket Frog (heard)
Little Grass Frog (heard)
Southern Toad
Eastern Spadefoot Toad (tadpole only)
Cane Toad
Salamanders
Peninsula Newt (lifer)
Dwarf Salmander (lifer)
Year in Review - Part One
Moderator: Scott Waters
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Year in Review - Part One
I think despite all of the cool herp shots and finds (the kingsnake being one), my favorite photograph is the anhinga in the water about halfway through the post.
-
- Posts: 1165
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:25 am
- Location: Mobile, AL
Re: Year in Review - Part One
A very nice assortment of pictures Matt!
Also, I agree with Coluber. Having worked with Gopher Tortoises for 5 years and participating on several surveys, I'd definitely be willing to wager that the burrow at the end is a Armadillo burrow. The shape of the roof of the burrow, the width, coupled with the steepness all indicate that this would be an Armadillo rather than Gopher Tortoise to me.
Also, I agree with Coluber. Having worked with Gopher Tortoises for 5 years and participating on several surveys, I'd definitely be willing to wager that the burrow at the end is a Armadillo burrow. The shape of the roof of the burrow, the width, coupled with the steepness all indicate that this would be an Armadillo rather than Gopher Tortoise to me.
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Thanks Noah. It's one of my favorite shots as well. That's not an easy angle to get on an Anhinga.Noah M wrote:I think despite all of the cool herp shots and finds (the kingsnake being one), my favorite photograph is the anhinga in the water about halfway through the post.
As far as the burrow, I agree that it belonging to an Armadillo is more likely. However, the burrow was larger than the picture would suggest and it did appear to have an apron at the entrance. Plus, it had fallen into disrepair so that has altered the burrow somewhat. I hope I can turn one up there someday.
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- Posts: 2248
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Holy cow, what amazing nature photography! Wow!
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Thanks Tamara! It's nice to hear that, though I know I am leagues behind some of the top-end herp photographers out there. I try to do the best I can with with basic cameras that I have.Tamara D. McConnell wrote:Holy cow, what amazing nature photography! Wow!
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Amazing post with some impressive lifers from down Sunshine State way. I'm in Western Virginia, about three hours from DC, and if you ever get the time to come out this way, I can point you toward a ton of cool salamander lifers. Happy herpin'!
- mtratcliffe
- Posts: 533
- Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
- Location: Mt Laurel, NJ
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Sounds great! Thanks for the offer, and I plan to take you up on it. What part of the state are you in? I definitely have a trip to the mountains in mind for this Spring. Just gotta work the details out with the wife!Jefferson wrote:Amazing post with some impressive lifers from down Sunshine State way. I'm in Western Virginia, about three hours from DC, and if you ever get the time to come out this way, I can point you toward a ton of cool salamander lifers. Happy herpin'!
Re: Year in Review - Part One
I'm down in the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley in a town called Lexington. We're about an hour from Big Levels, Peaks of Otter, Wehrle's, and Cow Knob sallies depending on which way you go from town!
- dwakefield
- Posts: 122
- Joined: February 18th, 2015, 11:11 am
- Location: Deerfield Beach, Florida
- Contact:
Re: Year in Review - Part One
Nice post, Matt! If you're ever back in south Florida, let me know!
On to post #2...
On to post #2...