Hot Stove Herping Part One

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Mike Pingleton
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Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

Now is the discontent of our winter.
-me

Ahh, November. November was nice. It was balmy, practically, and the rains that stayed away all summer returned. You still had a shot at a pit viper or two, and if not, Nerodia and Thamnophis and amphibians of all stripes could still be found. November, as in No –it ain’t over- ember.

The calendar quietly clicked over, and December came roaring in like a cave bear on crack, forcing the mercury to cower in the bottom of the thermometer. The one inch prognostication turned into 7-8 inches on my deck. My dogs love it. I can’t share their enthusiasm.
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I sit here at the dining room table, staring out at the bleak whiteness, thinking about faraway places with strange sounding names. Warm places. No, hot places. My mind carries back to the hot, sweaty places I visited earlier in the year. This seems like the perfect day to kick off another round of Hot Stove Herping. For the uninitiated, I borrowed the term from baseball’s ‘hot stove league’ a term for the off-season when fans huddle around the stove and reminisce about the past season, while dreaming of the season to come.

It seems best not to run this series chronologically – I try to herp year round, and there’s no warmth in posting something right now that involves lungless salamanders and tundra. How about Illinois in June? June it is. A sand prairie, on a warm cloudy day. I met up with Don (psyon), his son David and Isaiah there.
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A stand of Mullein (Verbascum sp.) is featured in the foreground. Here’s a close-up of the flowers:
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I like sand prairies and try to learn more about their characteristic flora and fauna with each visit. Here’s one of my favorite butterflies, the Regal Fritallary (Speyeria idalia).
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This species is a rare find east of the Mississippi River. They nectar on milkweeds and other flowering plants, but their host plants are violets, so they spend time nosing around close to the ground. We walked across the slopes, and in the sand blows and more exposed places found shell fragments from turtle eggs that had been dug up and eaten.
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Turtles come out of the nearby river and lay their eggs in these exposed, sandy hillsides, and the eggs are summarily predated upon by raccoons, skunks and other mammals. Western Hognose Snakes also eat turtle eggs, so we kept a sharp eye out for ‘prairie rooters’ as we walked. Sure enough, before too long, Isaiah’s sharp eyes picked out a juvenile Heterodon nasicus, crawling on a sand blow.
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I was happy to see this snake, as I’d only found Heterodon platirhinos on previous sand prairie visits (neither of these should be confused with the other Hetero-Don, psyonicus).
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Isaiah examines his find:
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We decided to check out another nearby prairie, this one a bit more overgrown than the first. It wasn’t long before I felt a rock that was not a rock under my shoe, and I was thankful I didn’t put my full weight on the sub-adult Terrapene ornata, hanging out under a clump of Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens). It’s always a good sign, finding these teenagers.
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From that point on, it became The Day of the Box Turtles, as we found a dozen or more, hiding under vegetation and tooling around in the open.
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Boxies are tough animals – here is a sub-adult, with healed injuries on both sides of the carapace:
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A real beauty spot, on a warm June day with a spattering of rain, just enough to bring out the box turtles.
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The guys walking up turtles:
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Here is a Rana pipiens, found in the field and with no body of water in sight:
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Don turned up this special little guy. Special, because the realization sets in that we’re walking among a healthy, thriving population of Terrapene ornata, something of a rarity in Illinois these days.
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By fortunate happenstance, we found ourselves visiting the sand prairies again on the following weekend. It was another nice day, and it did not disappoint. More boxies were found:
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More prairie rooters:
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Big gravid female:
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Chrysemys picta marginata, laying eggs and unwittingly perpetuating the circle of life for many other organisms:
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These brush piles were interesting – we looked for racers in them:
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Instead, we found gravid female Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis in three of them:
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These tie in to other observations I’ve made of gravid sirtalis hanging out around tree-falls in forest habitat. They must be great places to bask and cook babies without completely exposing themselves to predators.

Good times in the sand prairies. I will leave you with a few final finds. Here’s an American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas):
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Checkered Skipper (Prygus communis), trying to blend in:
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Awesome Dickcissel (Spiza americana):
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Final shot of a sand blow:
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Stay warm, folks!

-Mike
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Matt J
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Matt J »

It is currently 34* in Baltimore, the wind howling (the wind chill is 24*), and I am sitting at my desk in a hoodie. Posts like this are exactly what we need. Very well done, even that cloudy day looked nice and warm.
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Don Becker
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Don Becker »

Ah, the warming days. I was looking forward to checking this out when I got home, and it did not disappoint.

I do have one correction though. The leopard frog was pipiens, not blairi. No broken fold.
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And just for good measure... this is still one of my favorite box turtle pictures I have.
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

thanks Matt, and thanks for the correction, Don. No doubt wishful thinking on my part.

-Mike
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peterknuteberg
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by peterknuteberg »

Mike, that is a beautiful area and some great finds. Love that little Western Hognose with a belly shot to boot. The boxies are also beautiful. The prarie flowers, butterflies and landscape shots also make me dream of warmer times with a thunderstorm rolling in and the smell in the air as well as the warm breeze laden with moisture. I can't wait for June again.
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SaborFK
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by SaborFK »

:lol: Loving that last picture :thumb:
hellihooks
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by hellihooks »

The pics/ herps were great, but I really enjoy reading your narratives... you're a born story teller... :thumb: jim
BTW... not a herp poem, but I posted a (imo) rather humorous poem on the Ca. forum (Did anyone else watch the NGO Cal Fish and Game show?) comic relief, really... but it's what I do... :crazyeyes:
Edit PS... what Exactly pray tell, is a sand blow? like a dune... or actually some extinct volocanic feature?
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justinm
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by justinm »

I struck on these guys in Illinois this year. Not for lack of effort. Great post reminds me of that type of habitat and much fun it is to watch Racerunners skitter across the sand. It was single digits today and my thoughts were of days like this you've posted.
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Andrew Gilpin »

Awesome that place is pretty cool for sure. Great post.
I've got a few shots from there that I need to edit and post up, still getting caught up.... but what better time to edit and reminisce about field herping than when it's 15 degrees outside, windy as hell, and snowing on and off all the time?
Don, that box turtle picture is hilarious.
corey.raimond
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by corey.raimond »

That leopard frog looks weird to me, it almost looks a bit pickerelish, I've heard back in the day they used to misid plains leopards as pickerel frogs in Illinois. Could it be a plains without broken folds? I've seen southern leopards with broken folds, so why not plains leopards with unbroken folds?

Also cool post Mike.

-Corey
RobK

Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by RobK »

Now we're talking, Hot Stove Herping Part One of Fifty.
Wish I had a shell like some of those boxies. Look forward to more.

-r
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Dell Despain
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Dell Despain »

Nice first installment Mike. It looks like from your first photo that you're in real winter now.

Nice looking Heterodon, I'd like to have seen the gravid female myself, she looks to have been huge.
There is a forum member on here that is going to love all the Butterfly photos, we keep teasing him on herping trips about stopping & looking at Butterflies but you just can't help some people. ;)

-Dell
ugh

Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by ugh »

I was hoping for a Sayi(?).....But that second boxie is a beauty,so's that fat garter.I like the habitat shots too........Keep 'em comin' 8-)
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

Thanks for the comments, everyone. much appreciated. Corey, you may be right - the frog does have the blairi characteristic white line along the upper lip, and a spotted nose.

-Mike
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by BillMcGighan »

Perfect... Just perfect for the time of year and weather.....
.
.
.
AND
..
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Don's Box Turtle pic .. ... .. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ....
heavenscloud
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by heavenscloud »

Well done, and looking forward to more installments!
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Don
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Don »

Nice post, Mike.

Keep the snow up there! As a refugee from Cook Co., IL, I am no longer cold-tolerant.

It was 29 degrees this morning in Myrtle Beach, SC. And the heat in my pickup crapped out. While it is in the shop, I'll be driving my ragtop (and door!) Jeep to work tomorrow morning, forecast to be 20! Bummer................
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

thanks, guys. Bill, I knew Don would toss that classic shot in at some point :thumb:

-Mike
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JakeScott
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by JakeScott »

Enjoy these every year, Mike.
Box turtles have and will always be at the top of my favorite list.
Come on down to FL and lets do some froggin'!

-Jake Scott
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Gary2sons
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Gary2sons »

Always enjoy these every winter! :thumb:

Those sand prairies are really special areas!

Speaking of mullein, I delivered fish to a lady once who raised sheep and sold the wool. She would dye the wool using only natural ingredients. The color yellow was made from the mullein flowers by cooking it very slowly. Always thought that was interesting!

Gary
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

thanks, Gary - interesting, I learned something new. Mullein, it's not just nature's TP :D
-Mike
Gary2sons wrote:Always enjoy these every winter! :thumb:

Those sand prairies are really special areas!

Speaking of mullein, I delivered fish to a lady once who raised sheep and sold the wool. She would dye the wool using only natural ingredients. The color yellow was made from the mullein flowers by cooking it very slowly. Always thought that was interesting!

Gary
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Chris Smith
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Chris Smith »

Great post Mike (as usual :thumb: ). Did that first 'rooter' have a solid black belly? All of the ones we find have the typical black bellies with some orange/yellow speckles.

-Chris

P.s. I agree with the others.... the leopard frog looks strange. I also really enjoyed the lepidopterans.

P.p.s. The forcasted low for Sunday is -8F with a high of 0-2F :cry:
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Fundad
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Fundad »

:thumb: :beer:

Very Cool Boxies and Hoggies.. The baby boxing biting is cute.

Way across the US in the SW, we too have places where Boxies and hoggies run together... And I really enjoy herping for them too... :thumb: :beer:

Cool Post
Fundad
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Scott Waters
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Scott Waters »

Fantastic, as always, Mike!

Your "Hot Stove" reports are far more interesting than anything winter baseball can ever offer. :)

scott
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mulebrother »

Hot stove herping...like runnin into an old friend down at the ez mart while buying a 30 pack of natural lite.
Keep 'em coming...supposed to get cold in arkansas this weekend too. But not that cold! Wow...
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

thanks, guys.

Chris - all black belly (the second hog pic is the snake in question). Awesome markings, for sure.

Fundad, one of these years I'm gonna chase hogs and boxies out there.

Scott - thanks1 I want no part of winter baseball.

Image

-Mike
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by dickbartlett »

Report of this post even drew me here from Neverland, Mike. As always, fantastic. It was of especial interest to me because I now have a bit of first hand knowledge of the sandhills area, thanx to you and Don. Cheers/Dick
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Tim Borski
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Tim Borski »

Outstanding, Mike!! I loved all the Hot Stoves from last year and was wondering when I'd see another...I look forward to the next.
Great job, as always.

My son and I looked 3 long summers to turn up our first Regal. We finally located some and were not dissapointed. Any critter that tells me I'm in healthy, tall grass prairie is Ok in my book.
Tim
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by justinm »

Mike,

I just read over this again, for the 3rd time I think. As you know it's blowing hard outside. I'm nursing a sprain, and now have lost my voice to a really bad cold. This post is getting me through a tough day. Now that I'm here at home warm, cozy, and lounging. I'm glad we canceled the trip for today, lol. :beer:
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Mike Pingleton »

thanks, Dick. I'll be happy to let you reciprocate in three weeks or so :mrgreen:

Tim, thanks! They're excellent markers for a healthy sand prairie.

Image

-Mike
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Carl Koch
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Re: Hot Stove Herping Part One

Post by Carl Koch »

Great stuff, Mike! Love the green head and flaming eyes on that old male ornata and all the cool lepidoptera!
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