Sweet '16: Year in Review (TX, LA, NM, UT, MT)
Posted: December 11th, 2016, 11:42 am
It's that time of year again!
It's the time to snuggle up for the Holidays and enjoy the year-end field herping summaries from around the country and abroad, and to see all the enticing finds that keep our spirits warm through the cold and unproductive winter.
Armin and I always look at our adventures at the end of the year and wonder "how can we ever top THAT!" Yet, year after year we continue to do so, and this year is no exception. With that in mind, I can't wait to see what 2017 has in store for us; but without a doubt it will be a fun year with great friends and memorable events.
This year I spent most of my herping time in south Texas. The annulata bug bit me, and I was excited to find as many as possible. But I also took several forays into Louisiana, and a short trip in the summer to Utah and Montana, and then a weekend trip to New Mexico with a rowdy group of herpers to look for klaubs and pyros.
Fortunately for us in Texas, if the herping bug gets us in the winter, there's always a chance to find a few things in December-February, albeit with more effort. My first snakes of the year were in January. I spent a good bit of January and February planting tin for the spring harvest, and couldn't help but to check some stuff that was already out.
A tantilla, Texas coral, patchnose, and a scrub rat made a nice winter tin planting day in South Texas less of a work day and a lot more fun. The coral was an exciting early in the year find, but by the end of summer I'd seen nearly 40 of them and the excitement had worn off substantially. The twitchy things are always tough to photograph.
Tantilla gracilis (Flathead Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis emoryi meahllmorrum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis emoryi meahllmorrum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I-Tin Corridor by Kyle, on Flickr
While scavenging tin in January from a site in Houston that was to later be bulldozed, I found this angry little Texas Rat Snake:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
February was notably unproductive for me. At this point I can't recall if I just didn't go out, or if when I did I didn't have any good finds. Regardless, March started the herping season off with a bang. The week prior to my week-long spring South Texas trip, the weather looked perfect for some night cruising, so I took off after our graduate seminar and headed south for a day. On the way, I stopped by my favorite roadside board just south of Houston and flipped the ugliest calligaster I'd ever seen. It was sporting a severely damaged right eye and had a terrible case of winter blisters. I held onto it for a good bit of the year feeding it and letting it shed out several times. By the time I released it, he'd turned out to be a pretty good looking animal, and had some eye function return.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The next night proved to be as productive as I'd expected, and I cruised a young annulata shortly after sunset, along with about two dozen glass lizards and a random assortment of the regular finds.
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
My friend John came down from Virginia and met me in South Texas where our week of snake hunting ended up far better than expected.
John's goal was to find his first Mexican Milk snake. I'd only had a couple under my belt, but I had a good sense of what they liked and how to find them.
We located quite a few snakes, including the ever present Texas indigo, coachwhips, patchnoses, ribbon snakes, coral snakes, checkered garters, whipsnakes, tantilla, longnose and glossy snakes. I only spent time photographing a few things, as I'd had plenty of good photos of most of those animals.
Moisture was good, and temperatures briefly soared for the week into the high 90's, putting night temps into the 70's. This meant good things for road cruising!
The first night didn't produce a milk snake as we'd hoped, but it was still a really good time. The next morning we went out and looked for hognose snakes. We found a large indigo and at some point during the day found a couple of Texas horned lizards sunning themselves on the asphalt.
Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard) by Kyle, on Flickr
Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard) by Kyle, on Flickr
That evening we cruised a different area for milk snakes. We had a long night of searching, and found mostly the common stuff, including atrox, coral snakes, glossy snakes, and rat snakes.
We started to head back about 3am. I was driving, going about 70mph, expecting our search was done for the evening as it had been a while since we'd seen a snake. From the corner of my eye I caught a small flash of red. I wasn't convinced it was a snake, so I slowly turned the car around and headed back (normally this would be a lot faster!)
After turning around, it turned out the small flash of red was John's first Mexican Milk snake. Unfortunately, driving so fast, I'd been unable to move the car and avoid hitting the animal. It was bleeding from it's cloaca and had poor function of the last 1/4 of it's body, but otherwise appeared undamaged. We collected the snake and hoped that it wouldn't succumb to its injuries.
The next morning, the snake was still alive, and it bolstered our hope for the animal. We took some photos, and I decided to keep it and see if it would recover. I waited a month to feed it, in which time it leaked feces and urates through its enclosure, but still remained alive. After a month, I fed him. The food passed through and the snake has been going strong ever since. It's grown considerably since then!
DeadMilk Lives:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The following evening, we cruised again for another, less damaged milk snake for John. We were pleased when, around midnight, this little guy was milking across the road:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We continued to hunt well into the night, driven by the adrenaline rush of success. On our way back for the night, John suggested we check out this area he thought would be good for cat-eyed snakes. He'd hunted the area a considerable amount for many years, and had found a few interesting things. Ripping down this small dirt road at 4:20am we saw a large snake in our headlights.
"Is that a rat snake?"
I hit the e-brake and we skidded past the snake, and as we went past the red and orange markings came into view.
John and I ran back and, gleefully, like little schoolgirls picked up this 3ft annulata (dubbed "Chorizo" by John's wife) and pranced back to the car.
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The fun of course wasn't over there. Over the next few days we'd see several more snakes. At some point we found this cat-eyed snake, a Mexican racer, and a hooknose snake.
I'd had to run back to Houston for a meeting on evening, and couldn't make it out to cruise. John located another milk snake and a massassauga in that time I was absent.
On my return, we managed to find a coral snake eating a longnose snake in the road, just a few feet away from a roadkilled cateye snake! After that, a cold front came and the temperatures plummeted, putting an end to our March adventure.
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Ficimia streckeri (Mexican Hooknose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor oaxaca (Mexican Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Leptodeira septentrionalis (Northern Cat-eyed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In late March, John, Armin and I took a day to go up into Louisiana, pining for the snakes of the eastern forests. Despite the colder than expected temperatures, we managed to achieve a Triple Crown (the three Lampropeltids) as well as a nice buttermilk racer, ringneck snake, and a couple of the usuals. The black calligaster we found was a gorgeous animal, but I never even saw it as we walked along a cutaway where we flipped boards. Instead I stepped on it, and Armin dove on it as it attempted its getaway.
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
On Easter Sunday I visited my parents, then spent the afternoon and went to a favorite flip spot in the Big Thicket region. I didn't get much more than coachwhips at my flip spot, but I was happy to cruise this young canebrake in the middle of a small town on my way out there:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
One early April weekend I went to accept a photography award from SWCHR and have dinner with Gerry Salmon. I went to a couple of concerts in Austin, and in the day took some time to herp. The herping wasn't super productive, but I did get to pose up this coachwhip hat trick I found behind a gas station, and then sat down to observe a male atrox court a female and begin to mate.
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
The following weekend, Tim from Colorado had been pining to get out into Louisiana with us. I picked him up from the airport in Houston, and we hauled ass through the night to reach our hotel in the middle of the piney woods. We spent the day herping, with only a few notable finds. The weather was good, but didn't produce what we were looking for.
Armin and I were pleased to pull this beautiful light colored calligaster from underneath a railroad tie:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
A couple weeks later, one of these things we'd really been pining for showed up. 'Bout time!
Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We also managed to flip this massive, 53in calligaster.
Got 'im! by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I spent much of my snake hunting time in the months of April and May... (and June, July, August and September), in South Texas.
A few things near Houston were found, but most of my time was spent looking for annulata in different counties. I managed to see them in Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, Duval, McMullen, LaSalle, and Zavalla county this year. Hopefully in 2017 I can expand that list some. For a total of 18 live, and 9 roadkill, I feel I did pretty well for my first year focusing on them.
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Drymarchon malanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
U.S. Customs and Border - Interstellar Division by Kyle, on Flickr
Gopherus berlandieri (Texas Tortoise) by Kyle, on Flickr
Thamnophis proximus diabolicus (Arid Land Ribbon Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Ambystoma mavortium (Barred Tiger Salamander) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbelly Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
You can't go a year without visiting southeast Louisiana for some canebrake fun. Me, Armin, and Brennan had a good ol' time chasing down canebrakes on his property.
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Canebrake Cajuns by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
More from the south Texas sand:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In May, I found this female calligaster that was heavily gravid. I suspected she'd drop in early June, but she ended up laying just a couple days after capture. I held onto the eggs and they hatched in early August. 10 healthy calligaster babies that were then released near where I found her.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In early June I took a trip up to Montana and Utah. I met John and his wife, and we were hoping to find some pale milks. Unfortunately, conditions seemed quite dry, and the area hadn't gotten the rain it normally does. We still had a good time, but mostly found bullsnakes, prairie rattlesnakes, and racers. Luckily, we did manage to turn up our third highest target of the trip, Crotalus concolour, in Utah.
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Montana Thunderstorm by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor mormon (Western Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus oreganus concolor (Midget-Faded Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We also took some time to explore the Dinosaur National Monument while we were in the general area. The dinosaur bones exposed in the rock were a sight to behold, and it was fun to go around an look at the pictographs through the Monument.
It also has some nice views too:
Dinosaur National Monument by Kyle, on Flickr
Dinosaur National Monument by Kyle, on Flickr
Returning to Texas, I had to get right back to hunting annulata. Can't go too long without milk!
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Brennan and I took a weekend in late July to go to west Texas. Brennan had never herped the region or seen any of the snakes out there.
For two nights, we did quite well. When we finished the trip, I took him down to my favorite spot in the south on the way back to look for milks. We managed to find one that had fallen prey to a Great Horned Owl! Unfortunately for the owl, the snake had managed to coil around it's neck and was in the process of choking the owl to death when we came across them. We separated the two. The owl flew off (and was seen again a couple weeks later!), and the milk snake succumbed to its injuries by morning.
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (Central Texas Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis (Western Blacknecked Garter Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Salvadora hexalepis deserticola (Big Bend Patchnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis bairdi (Baird's Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (Central Texas Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Not too soon thereafter, I spent a weekend with a little South and West combo. South by night, West by day:
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I spent Labor Day weekend with Tim and large crew of herpers in New Mexico. It was great to get out with a big group, share stories, and do some herping in a gorgeous mountain range in New Mexico. My main target was a pyro, but none were to be found, despite our best efforts. We had a great time regardless, and I got to meet new folks and new friends over the weekend. Plus it's always a good time when you can roll into camp and wake everyone up with a porcupine.
Porcupine by Kyle, on Flickr
Porcupine by Kyle, on Flickr
Black Range by Kyle, on Flickr
Vinegaroon by Kyle, on Flickr
Canyon Stream by Kyle, on Flickr
Black Range by Kyle, on Flickr
Desert Crew by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber taeniatus taeniatus (Desert Striped Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus klauberi (Banded Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus klauberi (Banded Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
At some point in September, I took out a graduate student friend and her boyfriend. They'd seen a couple milk snakes at home, and were enamored, and wanted me to take them out snake hunting. Of course, when you take out non-snake hunters, it's always good to use an abundance of caution and temper expectations. They both expected to see nothing, and I expected to see a few common things and that maybe we'd luck out.
We were all pleasantly surprised to find three coral snakes, three diamondbacks, a checkered garter snake, a scrub rat, a bullsnake, a desert king, and an annulata, plus an assortment of roadkills, all within a few hours.
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
On another night, shortly thereafter, I found an abundance of coral snakes (yet again!). This time, a monster 44in coral snake showed up, and I had to take some time to photograph it. The larger ones seem easier to photo than the smaller ones.
Me and Carl by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
One last adventure in October to see Armin and Brennan for the Fall corn harvest and canebrake crop was a good way to end the season, and plot the next year's adventures.
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It's the time to snuggle up for the Holidays and enjoy the year-end field herping summaries from around the country and abroad, and to see all the enticing finds that keep our spirits warm through the cold and unproductive winter.
Armin and I always look at our adventures at the end of the year and wonder "how can we ever top THAT!" Yet, year after year we continue to do so, and this year is no exception. With that in mind, I can't wait to see what 2017 has in store for us; but without a doubt it will be a fun year with great friends and memorable events.
This year I spent most of my herping time in south Texas. The annulata bug bit me, and I was excited to find as many as possible. But I also took several forays into Louisiana, and a short trip in the summer to Utah and Montana, and then a weekend trip to New Mexico with a rowdy group of herpers to look for klaubs and pyros.
Fortunately for us in Texas, if the herping bug gets us in the winter, there's always a chance to find a few things in December-February, albeit with more effort. My first snakes of the year were in January. I spent a good bit of January and February planting tin for the spring harvest, and couldn't help but to check some stuff that was already out.
A tantilla, Texas coral, patchnose, and a scrub rat made a nice winter tin planting day in South Texas less of a work day and a lot more fun. The coral was an exciting early in the year find, but by the end of summer I'd seen nearly 40 of them and the excitement had worn off substantially. The twitchy things are always tough to photograph.
Tantilla gracilis (Flathead Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis emoryi meahllmorrum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis emoryi meahllmorrum (Thornscrub Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas Patchnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I-Tin Corridor by Kyle, on Flickr
While scavenging tin in January from a site in Houston that was to later be bulldozed, I found this angry little Texas Rat Snake:
Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
February was notably unproductive for me. At this point I can't recall if I just didn't go out, or if when I did I didn't have any good finds. Regardless, March started the herping season off with a bang. The week prior to my week-long spring South Texas trip, the weather looked perfect for some night cruising, so I took off after our graduate seminar and headed south for a day. On the way, I stopped by my favorite roadside board just south of Houston and flipped the ugliest calligaster I'd ever seen. It was sporting a severely damaged right eye and had a terrible case of winter blisters. I held onto it for a good bit of the year feeding it and letting it shed out several times. By the time I released it, he'd turned out to be a pretty good looking animal, and had some eye function return.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The next night proved to be as productive as I'd expected, and I cruised a young annulata shortly after sunset, along with about two dozen glass lizards and a random assortment of the regular finds.
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
My friend John came down from Virginia and met me in South Texas where our week of snake hunting ended up far better than expected.
John's goal was to find his first Mexican Milk snake. I'd only had a couple under my belt, but I had a good sense of what they liked and how to find them.
We located quite a few snakes, including the ever present Texas indigo, coachwhips, patchnoses, ribbon snakes, coral snakes, checkered garters, whipsnakes, tantilla, longnose and glossy snakes. I only spent time photographing a few things, as I'd had plenty of good photos of most of those animals.
Moisture was good, and temperatures briefly soared for the week into the high 90's, putting night temps into the 70's. This meant good things for road cruising!
The first night didn't produce a milk snake as we'd hoped, but it was still a really good time. The next morning we went out and looked for hognose snakes. We found a large indigo and at some point during the day found a couple of Texas horned lizards sunning themselves on the asphalt.
Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard) by Kyle, on Flickr
Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard) by Kyle, on Flickr
That evening we cruised a different area for milk snakes. We had a long night of searching, and found mostly the common stuff, including atrox, coral snakes, glossy snakes, and rat snakes.
We started to head back about 3am. I was driving, going about 70mph, expecting our search was done for the evening as it had been a while since we'd seen a snake. From the corner of my eye I caught a small flash of red. I wasn't convinced it was a snake, so I slowly turned the car around and headed back (normally this would be a lot faster!)
After turning around, it turned out the small flash of red was John's first Mexican Milk snake. Unfortunately, driving so fast, I'd been unable to move the car and avoid hitting the animal. It was bleeding from it's cloaca and had poor function of the last 1/4 of it's body, but otherwise appeared undamaged. We collected the snake and hoped that it wouldn't succumb to its injuries.
The next morning, the snake was still alive, and it bolstered our hope for the animal. We took some photos, and I decided to keep it and see if it would recover. I waited a month to feed it, in which time it leaked feces and urates through its enclosure, but still remained alive. After a month, I fed him. The food passed through and the snake has been going strong ever since. It's grown considerably since then!
DeadMilk Lives:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The following evening, we cruised again for another, less damaged milk snake for John. We were pleased when, around midnight, this little guy was milking across the road:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We continued to hunt well into the night, driven by the adrenaline rush of success. On our way back for the night, John suggested we check out this area he thought would be good for cat-eyed snakes. He'd hunted the area a considerable amount for many years, and had found a few interesting things. Ripping down this small dirt road at 4:20am we saw a large snake in our headlights.
"Is that a rat snake?"
I hit the e-brake and we skidded past the snake, and as we went past the red and orange markings came into view.
John and I ran back and, gleefully, like little schoolgirls picked up this 3ft annulata (dubbed "Chorizo" by John's wife) and pranced back to the car.
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
The fun of course wasn't over there. Over the next few days we'd see several more snakes. At some point we found this cat-eyed snake, a Mexican racer, and a hooknose snake.
I'd had to run back to Houston for a meeting on evening, and couldn't make it out to cruise. John located another milk snake and a massassauga in that time I was absent.
On my return, we managed to find a coral snake eating a longnose snake in the road, just a few feet away from a roadkilled cateye snake! After that, a cold front came and the temperatures plummeted, putting an end to our March adventure.
Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas Glossy Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Ficimia streckeri (Mexican Hooknose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor oaxaca (Mexican Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Leptodeira septentrionalis (Northern Cat-eyed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In late March, John, Armin and I took a day to go up into Louisiana, pining for the snakes of the eastern forests. Despite the colder than expected temperatures, we managed to achieve a Triple Crown (the three Lampropeltids) as well as a nice buttermilk racer, ringneck snake, and a couple of the usuals. The black calligaster we found was a gorgeous animal, but I never even saw it as we walked along a cutaway where we flipped boards. Instead I stepped on it, and Armin dove on it as it attempted its getaway.
Coluber constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
On Easter Sunday I visited my parents, then spent the afternoon and went to a favorite flip spot in the Big Thicket region. I didn't get much more than coachwhips at my flip spot, but I was happy to cruise this young canebrake in the middle of a small town on my way out there:
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
One early April weekend I went to accept a photography award from SWCHR and have dinner with Gerry Salmon. I went to a couple of concerts in Austin, and in the day took some time to herp. The herping wasn't super productive, but I did get to pose up this coachwhip hat trick I found behind a gas station, and then sat down to observe a male atrox court a female and begin to mate.
Coluber flagellum testaceus (Western Coachwhip) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback) by Kyle, on Flickr
The following weekend, Tim from Colorado had been pining to get out into Louisiana with us. I picked him up from the airport in Houston, and we hauled ass through the night to reach our hotel in the middle of the piney woods. We spent the day herping, with only a few notable finds. The weather was good, but didn't produce what we were looking for.
Armin and I were pleased to pull this beautiful light colored calligaster from underneath a railroad tie:
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
A couple weeks later, one of these things we'd really been pining for showed up. 'Bout time!
Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We also managed to flip this massive, 53in calligaster.
Got 'im! by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I spent much of my snake hunting time in the months of April and May... (and June, July, August and September), in South Texas.
A few things near Houston were found, but most of my time was spent looking for annulata in different counties. I managed to see them in Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, Duval, McMullen, LaSalle, and Zavalla county this year. Hopefully in 2017 I can expand that list some. For a total of 18 live, and 9 roadkill, I feel I did pretty well for my first year focusing on them.
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Drymarchon malanurus erebennus (Texas Indigo Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
U.S. Customs and Border - Interstellar Division by Kyle, on Flickr
Gopherus berlandieri (Texas Tortoise) by Kyle, on Flickr
Thamnophis proximus diabolicus (Arid Land Ribbon Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Ambystoma mavortium (Barred Tiger Salamander) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbelly Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
You can't go a year without visiting southeast Louisiana for some canebrake fun. Me, Armin, and Brennan had a good ol' time chasing down canebrakes on his property.
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Canebrake Cajuns by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
More from the south Texas sand:
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In May, I found this female calligaster that was heavily gravid. I suspected she'd drop in early June, but she ended up laying just a couple days after capture. I held onto the eggs and they hatched in early August. 10 healthy calligaster babies that were then released near where I found her.
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Prairie Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
In early June I took a trip up to Montana and Utah. I met John and his wife, and we were hoping to find some pale milks. Unfortunately, conditions seemed quite dry, and the area hadn't gotten the rain it normally does. We still had a good time, but mostly found bullsnakes, prairie rattlesnakes, and racers. Luckily, we did manage to turn up our third highest target of the trip, Crotalus concolour, in Utah.
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Montana Thunderstorm by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber constrictor mormon (Western Yellow-bellied Racer) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus viridis (Prairie Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus oreganus concolor (Midget-Faded Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
We also took some time to explore the Dinosaur National Monument while we were in the general area. The dinosaur bones exposed in the rock were a sight to behold, and it was fun to go around an look at the pictographs through the Monument.
It also has some nice views too:
Dinosaur National Monument by Kyle, on Flickr
Dinosaur National Monument by Kyle, on Flickr
Returning to Texas, I had to get right back to hunting annulata. Can't go too long without milk!
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Brennan and I took a weekend in late July to go to west Texas. Brennan had never herped the region or seen any of the snakes out there.
For two nights, we did quite well. When we finished the trip, I took him down to my favorite spot in the south on the way back to look for milks. We managed to find one that had fallen prey to a Great Horned Owl! Unfortunately for the owl, the snake had managed to coil around it's neck and was in the process of choking the owl to death when we came across them. We separated the two. The owl flew off (and was seen again a couple weeks later!), and the milk snake succumbed to its injuries by morning.
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (Central Texas Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis (Western Blacknecked Garter Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Salvadora hexalepis deserticola (Big Bend Patchnosed Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis bairdi (Baird's Rat Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (Central Texas Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Not too soon thereafter, I spent a weekend with a little South and West combo. South by night, West by day:
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas Longnose Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
I spent Labor Day weekend with Tim and large crew of herpers in New Mexico. It was great to get out with a big group, share stories, and do some herping in a gorgeous mountain range in New Mexico. My main target was a pyro, but none were to be found, despite our best efforts. We had a great time regardless, and I got to meet new folks and new friends over the weekend. Plus it's always a good time when you can roll into camp and wake everyone up with a porcupine.
Porcupine by Kyle, on Flickr
Porcupine by Kyle, on Flickr
Black Range by Kyle, on Flickr
Vinegaroon by Kyle, on Flickr
Canyon Stream by Kyle, on Flickr
Black Range by Kyle, on Flickr
Desert Crew by Kyle, on Flickr
Coluber taeniatus taeniatus (Desert Striped Whipsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus klauberi (Banded Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus lepidus klauberi (Banded Rock Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
At some point in September, I took out a graduate student friend and her boyfriend. They'd seen a couple milk snakes at home, and were enamored, and wanted me to take them out snake hunting. Of course, when you take out non-snake hunters, it's always good to use an abundance of caution and temper expectations. They both expected to see nothing, and I expected to see a few common things and that maybe we'd luck out.
We were all pleasantly surprised to find three coral snakes, three diamondbacks, a checkered garter snake, a scrub rat, a bullsnake, a desert king, and an annulata, plus an assortment of roadkills, all within a few hours.
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis getula splendida (Desert Kingsnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican Milk Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
On another night, shortly thereafter, I found an abundance of coral snakes (yet again!). This time, a monster 44in coral snake showed up, and I had to take some time to photograph it. The larger ones seem easier to photo than the smaller ones.
Me and Carl by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Micrurus tener tener (Texas Coral Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
One last adventure in October to see Armin and Brennan for the Fall corn harvest and canebrake crop was a good way to end the season, and plot the next year's adventures.
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) by Kyle, on Flickr
Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn Snake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Crotalus horridus (Canebrake Rattlesnake) by Kyle, on Flickr
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!