477 miles on Friday the 18th

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kyle loucks
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Joined: June 8th, 2010, 1:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania- Bucks Co. near Phila.

477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by kyle loucks »

Not a record number of miles but worth the trip anytime you can herp inn 80 degree weather in March...
First stop video taken for the audio on NJ Chorus Frogs, kinda cool early in the morning.
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Posting by group in no particular order.

Salamanders

Eastern Redbacked Salamanders are not as plentiful as our northern parts but can still be found.

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Nice, gold flecked lead back phase...

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I was surprised to still find a spotted salamander still in a vernal pool...

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Egg mass
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Nate keeps telling me how to find 4-toed salamanders... still didn't find any in their supposed habitat...

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But I did uncover a nest of eggs... female should have been there but I did not want to destroy the habitat searching for her.

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Frogs-

Flipped these peepers in amplexus... under bark at water's edge.

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Fun locating them in vernal pools at night.

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Forget finding these during the day...

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You can get lucky finding NJ Chorus Frogs at night...
I was with Nate when we found a population of aberrants.

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A first for me, I found these Chorus frog egg masses in the flooded ruts on an atv trail.
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I had a hard time getting pics of the really really common stuff... Bulls, Southern Leopards and Green Frogs...slow on the draw.

Bullfrog
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Bullfrog tadpole
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Southern Leopard Frog
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Eggs
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and tadpole
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Green Frog
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Only 1 Fowler's toad- flipped
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Wood frogs were still calling in some areas.
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Wood frog egg masses
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Here is a riddle for ya...

Why did the Eastern Mud Turtle cross the road.

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Answer is at the end...

Snakes were hard to come by, or at least I didn't see as many as expected. The first Northern Water Snake eluded my camera,
but late in the afternoon, they started showing up on the road to get warm.

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I thought this juvenile was dor at first. Not sure what hit it... bike maybe, but it was still alive.

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On the same road I also cruised an aor Northern Brown Snake. 1 of 2 found today.

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Flipped a couple of 5-Lined Skinks warming under flat rocks...

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Nice sunny day for turtles.

Northern Redbellied Cooter

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some with a disease EPTS...... Eastern Painted Turtle Symbiosis...

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Followed this Common Snapping Turtle for better pics..

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The same time the water snakes came out, Big Ole Snappers were found lumbering around...

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Wanted no parts of the photo op...

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Eastern Mud Turtles came out at the same time...

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Stopped the car to record spring peepers when I saw this up ahead...

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Always nice when the herps come to you... especially when its a Spotted Turtle.

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Gonna conclude with some non-herps and habitat...

Distant forest fire...

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Peeper and Chorus Frog habitat...

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Vernal Pool

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Distant icon.

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Another endangered animal. Delmarva Fox Squirrel

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Love Osprey
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Cool spider...

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not happy with me.
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So, why did the Eastern Mud Turtle cross the road...


so it wouldn't be run over by birders who are constantly only looking UP

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:cry:
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Dr. Dark
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Dr. Dark »

Nice post! Good to see someone finding stuff in March (not here!). Was the a huge leech on the face of the first snapper in the water?
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kyle loucks
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Location: Pennsylvania- Bucks Co. near Phila.

Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by kyle loucks »

Dr. Dark wrote:Nice post! Good to see someone finding stuff in March (not here!). Was the a huge leech on the face of the first snapper in the water?
Didn't notice it before, sure looks that way.
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Beautiful stuff. It's funny how sometimes I'm just envious of the stuff I don't have - I wish I was up north!
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Don
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Don »

A whole bunch of nice stuff, especially the spotted turtle, but (ducking) I really like the fox squirrel. I can never get my camera on them before they disappear.
Bladeblaster
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Bladeblaster »

Nice finds, the salamanders are pretty cool 8-)
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Tim Borski
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Tim Borski »

Love the hab shots and especially the fox Squirrel. The only Delmarva I've ever seen was a DOR and was magnificent, even in death. :|
Great post, Kyle.
Tim
J-Miz
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by J-Miz »

I like the bullgator!
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Mike VanValen
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Mike VanValen »

I would have gotten 2 lifers right there! Pretty cool observation with the spotted on the road. Looks like maybe it was a straggler emerging from hibernation or maybe just moving to a better pond.
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pete
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by pete »

I know that place!! No erythrogaster?
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kyle loucks
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Location: Pennsylvania- Bucks Co. near Phila.

Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by kyle loucks »

nope, 0 for 3 on the nerodia!
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Fundad
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Fundad »

Sweet pics Kyle, love the turtle in the road pic.. :thumb:

Fundad
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Jay Jacoby
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Location: Beautiful Upper Bucks County PA

Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Jay Jacoby »

Kyle, you are my hero!

I came across a video of you, me, Bob Green, and the regulars who hung out in my shop way back when. I showed it to my wife, and she laughed and said that we are all the same. We all act like little boys who like to play in the creek, and still find a tadpole the most amazing thing in the universe.

I am hoping to get together with you again soon, and find some snakes.

Jay
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kyle loucks
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Joined: June 8th, 2010, 1:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania- Bucks Co. near Phila.

Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by kyle loucks »

Sounds good Jay, I was just watching an old shop video too. That was 20 years and 40 pounds ago though.
will lattea
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Location: East Coast

Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by will lattea »

Nice, Kyle. Gota love those two-tanks-of-gas Delmarva days!! I was out there for my last snake of 2010- a monster water snake in mid-November.
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Gibson
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Re: 477 miles on Friday the 18th

Post by Gibson »

Good stuff! I like the "why did the mud turtle cross the road" video and the snapping turtles. :lol:
Awesome post!
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