May 2010...A little bit of everything

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
Nshepard
Posts: 377
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:08 pm

May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Nshepard »

Right before I turned in my final exam (take home statistics), a few of us went out one rainy night for frogs in OH. It was a success...

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
- One of the many Scaphiopus holbrookii seen...

As soon as my finals / projects were a wrap I spent two days (all I could fare) out by myself in old familiar territory, would have spent more but the weather totally crapped out on me. Not a real success but shit it was vacation! Here's a few from that those couple days:

Image
- First up, I cruised up on this sweet ole' girl crossing in a swampy area.

Image
- About 15 min. after the ratsnake I cruised up on this, freshly hit (I thought DOR when I walked up but as I got a couple shots it started to dart off)...it died over night, now in the NCSM. ~68.5 inches total length.

Shortly afterwards I started the nocturnal cruise, couple copperheads and then this guy. Can't decide which I like better...

Image

or

Image

Image
- Nice to see a scarlet, used to cruise these dudes up all the time before I moved north.

Image
- I never get these turds alive! Damn, one DOR a year is about normal for me.

Image
These were all over the place the next morning.

Image

Image

Image

Image
- the whip from the afternoon before right before the refrig and just after death. Sucks, I really wanted to get a live whip on this trip - never got a live one in NC yet!

Whats this? Wish granted!

BAM!
Image
- Who knew 100F tin on bare sand would produce!

Image

On the way out, passed this daredevil...laying eggs on the shoulder of a very narrow sand road (good thing is no one ever comes down the road).
Image

Spent a day at High rock lake lazin' like a herper then went for a short cruise through the Uwharries on the way to Raleigh...our goal but in skel. remains form...horridus
Image

You win some, but lose more often...

Next up, the midwest for Clonophis, though I secretly really wanted to find a sauga. Mad thanks for all those that helped the crew out while we were running around. I believe it was like 1000 miles in two days....

Image

Image

Image
- Storeria kirtlandii - truly cool snake.

Then, I got this chip off my shoulder! Flipped under the same rock as two young sipedon.
Image

Flipped this under tin inside a barn.

Image

We hit a few more spots on the way home...
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

I had a couple days, then real fieldwork started. We spent the rest of the month in the mountains (Kevin, Adrian, and I).

Image
- Plethodon nettingi. More Photos:

Image

Image

Image
- Very attractive specimen Kevin found one night.

Image
- Specimen on a Red Maple leaf.

Image

Image

Image
- Specimen climbing up the side of a tree.

Image
- Specimen in ambush hiding under some lichen, weird behavior.

Got a few other of our regular species as well:
Image
- Plethodon wehrlei

Image
- Young-ish Plethodon cinereus

Nice series of the strange, intriging, and ever so variable Desmognathus ochrophaeus (one of my favs).
Image
- A mimic of nettingi? Probably not, but interesting how similar they are in general appearance.

Image
- Strange shape.

Image
- Strange lack of dorsal characters.

Image
Image
- Typical young D. ochrophaeus. Second photo 100mm Canon macro + extender.

Image
- At a different locality for the other D. ochrophaeus posted; total lack of dorsal characteristics...could this be D. monticola or a hybrid? The jury is approx. 60/40 on ochrophaeus vs. monticola debate.

The vegetation and snake detectability is more in line with last June.
Image
- Got two of these under tin (the one not pictured was young of last year).

Image
- At the same tin as the above Smooth Green we got a pair of rats (big find for us as we only saw two all of last summer in this area!).

Image

Image
- Got this young milk while out flipping rocks with Adrian one morning, he got a handful or two of ringnecks.

Stopped by a site near the house and found three young and one adult of these gems...

Image

Image

Image

On the final night Adrian and I stopped by and to walk a short distance up a river for a hot minute...found more than we wanted....HUGE + ORANGE
Image

All and all a pretty exellent month of fieldwork, looking forward to a kickass summer. Hope you all enjoyed.
User avatar
The Real Snake Man
Posts: 405
Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by The Real Snake Man »

WOW!!! Those pictures should win an award! The scarlet and the kirtland's are truly amazing. I really don't know what else to say that would do these photos and animals justice. Great work.
User avatar
Ridge Walker
Posts: 127
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:41 pm

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Ridge Walker »

Great post! The hellbender, 'whip, and kirtland's were all standouts. Loved the diversity, it really was a little bit of everything.

RW
User avatar
Mike VanValen
Posts: 2074
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:41 pm
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Mike VanValen »

Cool finds! You saved the best for last.
User avatar
Ryan Thies
Posts: 133
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:54 am
Location: St. Louis, MO
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Ryan Thies »

Wow! This post had a lot to offer. I can't even tell you which pictures I liked the best. They were all awesome.

Ryan
User avatar
Nshepard
Posts: 377
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:08 pm

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Nshepard »

Thanks for replies / compliments. As for the best for last, thats is just how the month played out. Glad you all enjoyed.
User avatar
Tim Borski
Posts: 1855
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:28 am
Location: FL Keys
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Tim Borski »

Nate, what are the last Salamanders with the gold flecks? Those guys are beautiful but unamed.
Really nice stuff, and looks like you had a great time solo. I spend lot's of my time that way and love every single minute. :mrgreen:
Tim
User avatar
MHollanders
Posts: 583
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:32 pm
Location: Houston, TX

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by MHollanders »

Cool post. I definitely prefer the first scarlet shot.

Later, Matt
pitviper
Posts: 9
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:46 am
Location: Lewisville, Texas

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by pitviper »

Great pictures Nathan looks like you have had a great start of the year.
User avatar
Steve Atkins
Posts: 744
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:14 pm
Location: Asheville NC

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Steve Atkins »

that hellbender is sweeeet

what's that salamander right before the hellbender? :shock:
User avatar
brick911
Posts: 3488
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:52 am
Location: Morrisville, PA

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by brick911 »

Awesome post. Loved the variety. Your pics kick butt.
User avatar
Nshepard
Posts: 377
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:08 pm

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Nshepard »

Tim Borski wrote:Nate, what are the last Salamanders with the gold flecks? Those guys are beautiful but unamed.
Really nice stuff, and looks like you had a great time solo. I spend lot's of my time that way and love every single minute. :mrgreen:
Tim
fox cove 4 wrote:that hellbender is sweeeet

what's that salamander right before the hellbender? :shock:

I believe both are talking about the Green Salamanders (Aneides aeneus), a highly aboreal species found mainly on rocky outcuts but also occasionally on trees.

I left several things un-named, got lazy I guess. And that Hellbender was a beast, pretty awesome. Leaving tomorrow in the am to head back up!
User avatar
monklet
Posts: 2648
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:44 pm
Location: Ventura, CA
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by monklet »

Great work Nathan. Good to see you giving the rats fair respect. I especially like the firrst one on front of the car. Those Coachwhips are the bomb too. Had two beat me off the road today in the Mojave. Those look like the best of both Black and Red...outstanding. The bender shot is really cool too:) :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
User avatar
JakeScott
Posts: 690
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:26 pm
Location: Gainesville, FL
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by JakeScott »

Awesome post mista Shepard! Weird to see those grays (chrysoscelis?) on the pavement in amplexus and the male calling.

-Jake
User avatar
Daniel D Dye
Posts: 1220
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:56 pm
Location: New River (Brooker), Florida
Contact:

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Daniel D Dye »

Excellent post, great variety and wonderful photos, Nathan. :thumb:

Daniel
User avatar
Nshepard
Posts: 377
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:08 pm

Re: May 2010...A little bit of everything

Post by Nshepard »

monklet - Yeah, man I was excited to see so many black rats, we in WV they can be hard(er) to come by. The coachwhips were pretty awesome, badass little snakes.

JakeScott - Yeah, they are supposedly H. chrysoscelis, interesting to see them calling and in amplexus on the road (and man they were all over the road doing that!).

Image

Thanks for all the comments! Heading back up to the mnts today for another couple months of fieldwork fun!
Post Reply