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Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 24th, 2018, 3:16 pm
by craigb
Hello field herpers.... young and old.
Here are some pics from a recent trip to Arizona.
Please enjoy them. My skills with a camera are just average.
But I had a GREAT time.

The Genus and species are listed in the title of each pic.

By the way I purchased my AZ combo, out of state, license online 2 weeks in advance.
It was easy as pie, and not unreasonable $60.

AZ 2018 a C. molossus.JPG
AZ 2018 b C. molossus.JPG
AZ 2018 c C. molossus.JPG
AZ 2018 D C. scutulatus.JPG
AZ 2018 e Dung Beetles.JPG
AZ 2018 f C. atrox.JPG
AZ 2018 g C. atrox.JPG
AZ 2018 h C. molossus.JPG
AZ 2018 i C. molossus.JPG
AZ 2018 j M. euryxanthus.JPG
AZ 2018 k T. lambda.JPG
AZ 2018 l I. alvarius.JPG

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 5:56 am
by BillMcGighan
Good stuff, Craig.
Thanks for that post.

AZ, especially on the southern border, has always been magic to me, especially all the animals that primarily range from further south.
Of course, to us easterners, every herp, bird, and some mammals are species we don't see back here.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 7:12 am
by craigb
Yes their are some amazing animals there.
We saw a Mountain Lion cross the road just in front of my headlights while returning to my car from photographing the C. atrox. I had never seen the Dung beetles rolling their ball across the road as a team.
In years past I have seen Caracara, and coatimundi (even a Gyalopion quadrangulare).

It's an 8 hour drive for me, but I try to make it at least once a year.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 8:09 am
by BillMcGighan
That's great.
Seeing a whole troop of Coatis foraging in the Chiricahuas was a special treat for my wife and I last year.
We heard them coming before we saw them.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 8:18 am
by BillMcGighan
After thought.
One of the strangest southern mammals to us is the Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana).

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 10:56 am
by lateralis
That’s a fine little elapid. We were hoping to see coatis or “quash” on our recent trip to Wrightson but no joy. Cool pics those mollies are nice.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 27th, 2018, 1:57 pm
by craigb
There are some very cool birds there too !
Something to do while eating lunch...
I have not keyed these out yet, so any help with ID would be great....
fhf2018a.JPG
fhf2018b.JPG
fhf2018c.JPG
fhf2018d.JPG
fhf2018e.JPG
fhf2018f.JPG
fhf2018g.JPG
It has been a few decades since Ornithology class....

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 28th, 2018, 5:21 pm
by Porter
Awesome trip Craig :thumb: :thumb: so cool you found a Coral snake :beer:

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 28th, 2018, 5:48 pm
by craigb
Thank you folks for the kind words.
We really tried to fill every minute of our three day trip with the quest for knowledge and facts.
We did an observatory tour, stopped and talked to bird researchers and insect researchers.
We also covered a great deal of ground (freeway) and habitat (hiking and road cruising).

My son that was with me completed his Ph.D and dissertation at OK State earlier this year.
His field is Integrative Biology, and his research study was done with Wolf Spiders.

Check this out, it is a lot of fun, especially the photographs. http://codylbarnes.wixsite.com/okstate


Any way.... Until next time.... :thumb:

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 28th, 2018, 8:28 pm
by Kelly Mc
Craig, I enjoy your photos and straight forward, documentative style. Its like you are sharing your personal notes. Which heck, you are! Im glad you had a great time.

Arizona is a treasure. Thank you for sharing

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 29th, 2018, 6:34 am
by craigb
Yep my notes are kinda boring. But I document all of my sightings and locations.
Both my sons do the same, but they are young and much more full of description and opinion.
My other son is starting his Ph.D in Thailand working with Green tree vipers and Big eyed vipers (Trimeresurus).

They both keep detailed journals of daily interactions....

I can't really explain how proud I am of them, and my daughter that is a Pharmacist.

Soon I will be the least educated in my family.
I only have two Masters degrees, but they along with my wife are doctors. ;)

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 29th, 2018, 11:19 am
by daniel
craigb wrote:There are some very cool birds there too !
Something to do while eating lunch...
I have not keyed these out yet, so any help with ID would be great....
Hi Craig, thanks for sharing!

Here is my best educated guess on the hummingbird IDs:

1. Female black-chinned
2. Immature Rivoli's (magnificent)
3. Female black-chinned
4. Male black-chinned
5. Male Rivoli's (magnificent)
6. Male Rivoli's (magnificent)
7. Male broad-billed

Hopefully you get some other input :)

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 29th, 2018, 1:41 pm
by Jimi
My other son is starting his Ph.D in Thailand working with Green tree vipers and Big eyed vipers (Trimeresurus).
Very cool, I'm a bit jealous (except for that "more school" part, ha ha - No Thanks!!!"). Do you know which "green"? Albolabris maybe? Are these urban, suburban/rural, or truly wildland snakes? Do you know the general line of inquiry?

Sounds like an accomplished family ya got there, good for you.

cheers

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 29th, 2018, 9:17 pm
by craigb
Thanks Daniel for the identifications. I will start with your information and confirm with others as well.

Jimi, My son is working at a research station about 90 minutes outside of Bangkok in the sticks/jungle. He is at The Suranaree University of Technology. He is working with Cryptelytrops macrops. But they also do snake removal and tagging. He has worked with Kings, Monacled, and Spitting cobras as well. They chip them with a transmitter and relocate away from the nearby town. They are found in some crazy places. Below is a pic of him getting a King Cobra out of a local elementary school.
Curt King at school.JPG

He has been working & going to school there for four years now. They follow strict protocols. The guy that took the pic had the container to put the snake in. He has yet to be tagged by anything. He doesn't send pics like this to his Mom though. She worries, I get concerned and email him weekly. I am planning a visit to see him soon.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: August 30th, 2018, 12:34 pm
by Fire Drake
Bad ass, that's all I can say. Boy, I'd be a proud dad too, Craig! Thanks for the Coral Snake too...nice to see it.

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: September 3rd, 2018, 8:40 am
by craigb
One of the odd things on this trip was the frequency of reptile activity.
Days 1 & 3 were good. Day two was just slightly cooler and we saw nothing at all.
This was even in the same areas.

The last 4 hours of day three were outstanding. It was warmer and wetter.
We saw more in this period than the two days prior combined.

:P

Re: Arizona 2018: Good times

Posted: September 7th, 2018, 6:24 am
by craigb
Well, thank you FHF....
I got my 1000 views.
To quote "Fringe";

"Seriously though, if you could convince a few of the old timers/seasoned herpers to post a few trip reports in here, then announce they did that on their personal FB's and IG's, you might get some folks interested again. Plus, there's a whole new crop of kick-butt herpers just waiting to tell the world what they found."

That is what I did and will continue to do. I think I have one more road trip in me this year. I am planning to hit our high desert area here in So. Cal. I am going to try and get the right combination of moisture, heat, and moon phase to maximize the opportunity to see the most herps.

I will post from that trip also....

Please, everyone join in.
We can help each other if we can explain our niche in Herpetology!

craigb