Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

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Steve Barten
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:13 pm
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Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by Steve Barten »

The forum has been understandably slow in February, so I thought I would add a few photos from a fun day in Florida last month. Thanks to Bill Love for being a generous and talented guide.

Midwestern winters are not conducive to field herping. We get 22-inch blizzards and cold temps. This is pre-Mr. Plow.
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Thus I jumped at my chance to attend a conference in Florida in January. After the conference I got together with Bill Love for a day of herping. It was a pretty good day in that I scored four lifers, although we did strike out on our main target species.

Gators gone wild on Spring Break.
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On a cool day, nothing beats basking on a sunny bank. Ask the Anhinga if you don't believe the gator.
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The black vultures aren't a bother, but the jerkwad teenage tourist on the same bank getting too close did disturb this gator.
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This one was missing the front part of its right upper eyelid, making the eye look bulbous and weird.
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The best way to spend a lazy, sunny afternoon is hanging with friends. Cooters
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Umm, you’ve got food stuck on your shell.
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A group of Green and Brown Anoles was scurrying around over a disturbed ant nest, snapping them up and displaying throat fans whenever another lizard got too close.
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Unfortunately the only black snake we found had a white chin instead of a red one like our elusive target species.
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Bill said he had been to this spot years ago and found a Scarlet King under the green drum.
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It was déjà vu all over again.
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The sun was shining on the snake like a spotlight.
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So that’s how it got under there!
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This tiny Scarlet King was under a board in an orange grove.
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It totally spazzed out, thrashing and striking and jerking around. In doing so, it showed how the colored rings wrap all the way around the body.
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Southern Toad, Anaxyrus (Bufo) terrestris.
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Gopher tortoise basking outside its burrow.
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Sand Skink, Plestiodon (Neoseps) reynoldsi, was a lifer for me and a challenge to photograph. You only get a couple of shots before they burrow to freedom.
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Three inches long. Dude, your arms are pathetic! You should hit the gym.
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Lifer number two: Blue-tailed Mole Skink, Plestiodon (Eumeces) egregius lividus.
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Lifer number three: the ginormous Peninsula Crowned Snake, Tantilla relicta relicta. Adults are 7-8 inches; this one was 4 inches (and opaque).
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I just saw its tail when I flipped a small board and thought it was another Sand Skink, but as I gently uncovered the rest, it got longer and longer (relatively, it was only 4 inches long) and I realized it was a snake.
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There is a message here. To some it says “Don't touch." To others it’s saying "Gimme a hug." This may have been the coolest thing we found.
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Vinegarroon, Uropygid or whip scorpion. No stinger but a hair-like tail appendage. Eight legs, the first pair of which is modified into antennae-like sensors and the last three pairs are used for walking.
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There also is a pair of pedipalps or scorpion-like pincers for grabbing insect prey. No venom gland but they have glands that secrete acetic acid when disturbed, thus a vinegar-like smell and thus the name Vinegarroon.
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The fourth lifer at the end of the day was this Veiled Chameleon. I have to admit that if someone had told me that I would find an introduced herp on my trip I would have expected a Burm, but this was pretty cool.
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It was a great day thanks to Bill's expert guidance and excellent company. Here are some other odds and ends from the same trip.

Live turtles? In a toursity tee shirt shop at the beach? Seriously? This ain't going to be good....
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Map turtles and sliders (but no red-ears), clearly in violation of the national 4-inch rule and I'm suspicious in violation of some Florida statutes too. Obviously the local gendarmes don't have a clue.
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I would HOPE the plastic palm tree of death was included in this turtle torture chamber for $24.99.
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Yep, it's the actual plastic palm tree, the staple of well being for any captive turtle. Plus just enough gravel to choke on and pellets too big to eat. The prognosis for these turtles is poor.
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Here are a few non-herp critters.

Snowy Egret reflection
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Black Vulture
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Armadillo
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There were 300 Sandhills in one field, all spread out and calling.
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And two more coming to join the party.
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This Ring-billed Gull poked in the sand and got hit in the face by a wave.
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Mine! (Obscure Finding Nemo reference)
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Ospreys
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Great Blue
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Thanks for looking!
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azatrox
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Location: Arizona

Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by azatrox »

Great stuff! Love the snowy egret reflection!

-Kris
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monklet
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Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by monklet »

Lot's of great, interesting images ...would that be an oolitica?

Nevermind. Didn't see the first caption of that series.
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Bill Love
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Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by Bill Love »

Nice stuff, Steve. Yup, that first deja-vu SK under the barrel was redundantly repetitive once again! YAWNNNNN....
hellihooks
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Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by hellihooks »

4 lifers on one day is always great. thx for sharing... :thumb: jim
bobassetto
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:01 pm

Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by bobassetto »

what no red rats?????........SHODDA CALLED T. BORSKI..... :lol: :lol:
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Viridovipera
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Re: Florida, January: a decent day with 4 lifers

Post by Viridovipera »

To me the Vinegaroon is saying "I am not a crook!"

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Shamelessly stolen from google images.
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