Your 2012 plans and wishlists

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DracoRJC
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Joined: May 5th, 2011, 3:15 pm
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Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by DracoRJC »

Just curious to see what everyone has planned for the upcoming season, and what lifers we're trying to check off our lists. I think it would be fun to see whose dreams come true this year!

Between northern Virginia, the Shenandoah region, and the Hampton Roads area, this year I hope to knock out:
- Hellbenders
- Red salamanders
- Black phase horridus
- Rough green snakes
- Nerodia erythrogaster and taxispilota (tired of sipedons!)
- Anything Farancia
- Diamondback terrapins
- Eastern hognose that isn't in the mouth of a black racer

My herpetology class is planning a road trip from Newport News, along the coast, and down to the Everglades for about 9 days this spring, so of course there's a wishlist for that trip as well.
- Corals or anything tricolor
- Eastern diamondbacks
- Red pygmys
- Glass lizards
- Burms
And of course, hogs, farancia, and terrapins are on the list there as well.

On top of that, I am planning on studying abroad in either Panama for a month in the summer time, or Queensland for the entire fall semester - stay tuned!
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jonathan
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by jonathan »

All my big plans and wishlists were done in 2011. This year I'd just like to spend some quality time with some cool herpers, get at least one new lifer in California before I leave, and then see something cool in India.
bgorum
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by bgorum »

My goal for 2012 is to meet a hot woman that likes to herp!
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by chris_mcmartin »

My priority is to figure out where I'll be living six months from now. I'll probably get back to the States just after Snake Days in Sanderson, TX (unfortunately), and my future is currently up in the air. The location I wind up in will determine my goals. Long-term/lifetime goals have actually been getting knocked out over that last several years, but one that comes to mind is finding Xantusia. Of course, you have to be in their range to do so, and I hardly ever am!

At my current location, I hope to get out into the local area this spring and see if I can find anything besides bent-toed geckos.
DracoRJC wrote:I am planning on studying abroad
I've done that for close to 18 years and still haven't figured her out. :lol:

But seriously, I'd pick QLD over Panama; an entire semester will provide more opportunity for success with a variety of species since you'll be there for their spring season and have enough time to experience variable weather conditions.
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Martti Niskanen
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Martti Niskanen »

bgorum wrote:My goal for 2012 is to meet a hot woman that likes to herp!
Ooh! A tough one.
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jayder85
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by jayder85 »

I would like to knock out at least one of my lifers this year. Northern Pine Snake, Scarlet Snake, Mud Snake and Mud Salamander is my list to choose from. Most of this is based solely on the amount of free time that i will have from work. My biggest lifer, Scarlet King, was knocked out in 2009. We will see what happens!
Matt Arnold
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Matt Arnold »

Must see an Eastern Diamondback this year.. a Scarlet Kingsnake, and both Milk snake species found in my area..

Hopefully by the end of the year, an SLR.

Matt
Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Ambystoma cingulatum
Seminatrix pygaea
mikemike
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by mikemike »

Lets see. February and March I'm gonna try and knock out the last of the endemic salamanders in the area, as well as a couple Eurycea sp. I still need. March and april, Eastern hogs are going to be a big target from a couple spots I herp frequently. (Found DORs near one and a big male killed on the trail at another)
Locally, I want to knock out the last couple "common" snakes: GP rat and redbelly.
Florida in May for a bit over a week (which I haven't herped yet).
A few of us are heading from Arkansas to snakedays in west Texas in June.
July, possibly going to Kansas for the KHS Summer trip again.
I'm gonna try and complete my county and the other couple counties I herp and fill up the database as well.

Other than that, I'll be spending a lot more time on photography and getting at least decent shots of everything this year. I didn't bother shooting half the species I found last year.
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herpseeker1978
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by herpseeker1978 »

Martti Niskanen wrote:
bgorum wrote:My goal for 2012 is to meet a hot woman that likes to herp!
Ooh! A tough one.
You can do like I did, marry and convert her!
Image

Image
Any day now!

Josh
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herpseeker1978
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by herpseeker1978 »

With the baby coming I probably will not be able to travel too much this year, so I will try to knock out some local lifers and find some animals in new locales. Here is a short list:
New Mexico Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops)
Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion canum)
Plains Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus)
Great Plains Ratsnake (Pantherophis emoryi)
Western Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi) in the Jemez Mountains
Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) in the Jemez Mountains
Canyon Treefrog (Hyla arenicolor) in the Jemez Mountains
Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) in any range other than the Black Range
New Mexico Threadsnake (Leptotyphlops dissectus)

And if I do get to travel a little inside the state:
Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana pyromelana)
California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) in New Mexico
Texas Lyresnake (Trimorphodon vilkinsonii)
Northern Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis subocularis)
Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques)
Narrow-headed Gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus)

And if I get to Utah, which is very possible:
Great Basin Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus)
Utah Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum taylori)
Utah Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana infralabialis)
Midget Faded Rattlesnake (Crotalus concolor)
Wandering Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans vagrans)
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DaveR
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by DaveR »

I'd love to herp West Texas again, then slide over to AZ. I'd love to see some western rattlers (any species). The liklihood of that happening this year is near zero. My wife and I are going to be in Florida in mid-March, so I may try to observe an EDB, or a coral - both would be lifers. I also may herp the sandhills iof NC in April, where I'd love to find a living pine snake.. I'm going to really make an effort to observe some NY timbers, and a massassauga.
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DracoRJC
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by DracoRJC »

chris_mcmartin wrote:My priority is to figure out where I'll be living six months from now. I'll probably get back to the States just after Snake Days in Sanderson, TX (unfortunately), and my future is currently up in the air. The location I wind up in will determine my goals. Long-term/lifetime goals have actually been getting knocked out over that last several years, but one that comes to mind is finding Xantusia. Of course, you have to be in their range to do so, and I hardly ever am!

At my current location, I hope to get out into the local area this spring and see if I can find anything besides bent-toed geckos.
DracoRJC wrote:I am planning on studying abroad
I've done that for close to 18 years and still haven't figured her out. :lol:

But seriously, I'd pick QLD over Panama; an entire semester will provide more opportunity for success with a variety of species since you'll be there for their spring season and have enough time to experience variable weather conditions.
Leaning strongly towards Panama now. Money is tight, so thats a huge factor. Even if we could afford Australia, I wouldn't get to experience rainforest OR desert, the two habitats that made me want to go in the first place. Its also still a college experience there, I'm not sure I'd want that when my time in Panama is spent in a remote biological station, with classes that are 100% in the field. There are more reasons as well, but I am disappointed knowing that getting to Australia is nigh impossible at times, so it is admittedly a huge missed opprotunity.
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bwaterherper
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by bwaterherper »

I have some simple goals, get good pictures of some lame lifers.

Big goal is to find interesting snakes within 30 minutes of my house (copperheads being the goal)
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klawnskale
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by klawnskale »

A Crotalus atrox in the Colorado Desert while working out in the field. Haven't yet had the opportunity to see a CA atrox .
MonarchzMan
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by MonarchzMan »

DracoRJC wrote:Leaning strongly towards Panama now. Money is tight, so thats a huge factor. Even if we could afford Australia, I wouldn't get to experience rainforest OR desert, the two habitats that made me want to go in the first place. Its also still a college experience there, I'm not sure I'd want that when my time in Panama is spent in a remote biological station, with classes that are 100% in the field. There are more reasons as well, but I am disappointed knowing that getting to Australia is nigh impossible at times, so it is admittedly a huge missed opprotunity.
Panama is really awesome. I'd love to spend more time exploring more of the country. Most of my time spent was in Bocas del Toro, and I have been to a few other spots, but not as much as I would like. I would really love to get to El Cope or the Darien (the latter is a little dangerous, at least along the Colombian border). Panama is particularly awesome because you get North American and South American fauna meeting.

That said, my own plans are as of yet undecided. I'll be spending a bit of time in Mississippi, and I'd like to check stuff out around here. I'd really like to find some pygmies and an Eastern Diamondback if I get to southern MS. I'm happy with whatever I find. My summer plans are up in the air. I could spend the summer in Australia, French Guiana, and/or Borneo. It'd dependent on if I get funding to go to the different spots.
Zach_Lim
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Zach_Lim »

Lampropeltis getula californiae from San Mateo County
many more zonata
Long nosed snake
Glossy snake
Coluber Constrictor
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Coluber Constrictor »

.
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ALT
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by ALT »

Get back to Australia.
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Kevin McRae
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Kevin McRae »

Go to British Colombia and find my first oreganus this spring! I'd like to find some more plains hognose in Manitoba as well.
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Andrew G
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 1:53 pm
Location: South-Central Kansas

Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Andrew G »

I am going to focus on my home state of Kansas as I have A LOT of potential lifers (last year was my first year of really herping).

Top 2 species that I want to see the most are Timber Rattlesnakes and Milk snakes. After that I want to see Viridis, Saugas, and hognose snakes. Hoping for a great Spring! :D
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krismunk
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by krismunk »

1. Finally knock Ichthyosaura alpestris off the list this spring. It's the final Danish species I'm missing - dirt common just a little further south in Europe it has a very restricted range here that I haven't visited. It should be easy once I get there.

2. Go to Sweden for Coronella austriaca. Again, something I "should" have done a long time ago...

3. Find the time and money for a dedicated herping trip to some more southerly, species rich destination. I'm hoping to get back to Israel in May but uncertainty in relation to my employment is a huge factor in terms of finances as well as time :(

4. Get my son (and, if possible, wife & daughter but I know from experience not to push that) more involved in my local herping.

5. Be more patient and take more care not to disturb the animals when herping - particularly locally where there are no new "ticks" to chase anyway. Hopefully I'll have the chance to observe some more cool behaviour that way ;)
Paul White
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Paul White »

Get a county record or two in the panhandle (try Gray County, Deaf Smith maybe).

Post less. Don't take part in internet fights over taxonomy, locality, etc.

Find a damn milksnake!
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

- Ophiophagus hannah

- Bungarus fasciatus, adult

- Bungarus candidus, preferably > five feet

- Tropidolaemus wagleri, adult

- Crocodylus porosus, although those are easy to find around here, I've just been too cheap to shell out for a good boat & guide)

- Ptychozoon kuhli

- any of the ~150 other Bornean snake species I haven't seen yet

- Nycticebus coucang (THAT would be hyper-cool!)
tai haku
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by tai haku »

I have a litte trip planned in March wherein I'd really like to get Ophiophagus hannah, Naja naja and/or Python molurus molurus but I suspect I won't as I'm focussing on Panthera tigris and Ursus ursinus. Any 3 of those 5 would be awesome.

I'd also like to get decent photos of the 2 ( :( )natives in my area.
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DaneConley
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Re: Your 2012 plans and wishlists

Post by DaneConley »

1. Get Timber off my list
2. Get Copperhead off my list
3. Document Nerodia ethryogaster in my county, Ive seen and caught them but had no camera on me all three of the times
4. Get a milksnake off my list
5. Find another Eastern Kingsnake been 2 years since I've found one
6. Find a mole kingsnake
7. Find a Farancia
8. Find more herping spots
9. Find a blue racer in Illinois
10. Take a photo of a snake eating in the field
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