Indigo watching season in S. Texas

[infidel]

I've seen about 12 over the last 2 weeks. About 9 have been just like this one found recently:

The new oil rush in S. Texas is taking a toll on all wildlife that crosses the roads. The oil field traffic in some places is insane. There are roads I could drive on a couple of years ago and go for hours without seeing a car and now the same one's, you see semi's and Halliburton trucks every 3-4 minutes.
Fortunately, some live ones can still be seen like this one I found a while back in LaPryor, Texas resting in a tree. I had to climb the adjacent tree to get this shot.

Jason

[monklet]

That's always been one of my favorite herp photos ever ...and it's even "in situ"!

Just what's the oil boom all about? What's driving it?

[infidel]

That's always been one of my favorite herp photos ever ...and it's even "in situ"!

Just what's the oil boom all about? What's driving it?

They discovered a way to get the oil out of the "Carrizo Sands" by "fracking" which involves injecting super heated (with other various chemicals mixed) water up to 12,000 feet deep loosening the oil trapped in the sands and shale. About two years ago, we started seeing new oil rigs popping up at local ranches. Then it became common, now it's out of control in some places. It covers several hundred square miles of south Texas making lots of rich land owners even richer. Once dead local economies like Crystal City, Carrizo Springs, Pleasanton, etc. are now boom towns with new RV parks, stores and restaurants popping up everywhere. Traffic is insane by S. Texas standards. Some traditional deer leases don't even bother anymore because there's much easier money in oil. The bad parts are the tolls that the traffic is taking on the local wildlife and there are many questions about the contamination of ground water by "fracking" with chemicals.

[monklet]

Wow, didn't know fracking was that big yet ...the ramifications might ulitmately turn grim and many, or then again, it might be harmless like the commercials say.

[RobK]

Makes me frackin' mad when those frackin' oil companies start killing frackin' snakes.

Nice shot of the Indigo.

[mikemike]

Such a bummer about all the DORs now, but I love the indigo in the tree shot!

[TNWJackson]

Interesting story. Just as a matter of interest, because it's something I've dicussed with numerous herpers (some of them with the "ologist" suffix) - do you think roadkills are likely to have a major impact on a local population, or that they primarily impact your ability to sample live snakes?

Obviously this is far from a black and white issue and it will depend a lot on the surrounding habitat and the behavioural patterns of the species in question, but I'm just interested to get some people's perspectives on this (specific examples would be great).

[joeysgreen]

I don't know snakes, but roadkill definately has effects on turtle populations. It targets breeding adult females that take a long time to mature to that point. As a result a lot of populations are heavily male skewed.

If it hasn't happened yet, you'll see, and get incredibly annoyed at how skewed the governent will be with the oil companies running it. For example, our environment minister has openly pledged that unhaulted and uncontrolled developement of our north is a great idea.

Ian

[VICtort]

Jason, that is a spectacular and rare photo, well done! Was it hard to approach, wary? Did it spook after you shot the photos? A very handsome animal, not so scarred up like many. Seeing a dozen indigos in 2 weeks is amazing, I sure hope some are left by the time I retire and have time to look for them. That is on my bucket list, seeing a wild Drymarchon. Thanks for posting, Vic

[infidel]

Jason, that is a spectacular and rare photo, well done! Was it hard to approach, wary? Did it spook after you shot the photos? A very handsome animal, not so scarred up like many. Seeing a dozen indigos in 2 weeks is amazing, I sure hope some are left by the time I retire and have time to look for them. That is on my bucket list, seeing a wild Drymarchon. Thanks for posting, Vic

Actually, no, he didn't spook. He just laid there thinking (I'm sure) "what's the idiot climbing that tree for?" When I left. he was still in the same spot.

[Bill Love]

GREAT indigo image, and also the rundown about 'fracking' in southern Texas.

[chris_mcmartin]

Actually, no, he didn't spook. He just laid there thinking (I'm sure) "what's the idiot climbing that tree for?"

Top dollar for pics of Infidel climbing a tree.

[infidel]

Actually, no, he didn't spook. He just laid there thinking (I'm sure) "what's the idiot climbing that tree for?"

Top dollar for pics of Infidel climbing a tree.

Infidel cannot be seen, he exist only in people's nightmares.

[-EJ]

The practice is used in the NE and Alaska.

That's always been one of my favorite herp photos ever ...and it's even "in situ"!

Just what's the oil boom all about? What's driving it?

They discovered a way to get the oil out of the "Carrizo Sands" by "fracking" which involves injecting super heated (with other various chemicals mixed) water up to 12,000 feet deep loosening the oil trapped in the sands and shale. About two years ago, we started seeing new oil rigs popping up at local ranches. Then it became common, now it's out of control in some places. It covers several hundred square miles of south Texas making lots of rich land owners even richer. Once dead local economies like Crystal City, Carrizo Springs, Pleasanton, etc. are now boom towns with new RV parks, stores and restaurants popping up everywhere. Traffic is insane by S. Texas standards. Some traditional deer leases don't even bother anymore because there's much easier money in oil. The bad parts are the tolls that the traffic is taking on the local wildlife and there are many questions about the contamination of ground water by "fracking" with chemicals.