I went to Wasco County last month and had a great time herping. I took the weekend and did it again.
fence_swift by Derek Halm, on Flickr
fence_swift_macro by Derek Halm, on Flickr
lazy_fence_swift by Derek Halm, on Flickr
Swifts were common and enjoyed posing for the camera. Well, maybe not "pose" for it...but they had to strut their stuff. I was more than happy to oblige.
gopher_snake by Derek Halm, on Flickr
The gopher snakes I found were *grumpy* like nothing else. This one was barely a foot but it wanted my blood. This is funny, because two months ago I had a fer-de-lance run from me! Guess there's no counting on size, or danger.
crotalus_oreganus by Derek Halm, on Flickr
My only rattlesnake of the trip. It was curled beneath the perfect flipping log. Never rattled. Maybe a foot and a half in total length. I liked the way this picture turned out. It gives a great look at the loreal pits.
southern_alligator_lizard_head by Derek Halm, on Flickr
I saw tons of alligator lizards (more on that later). Some clouds went overhead for a bit Thursday, and this dude started soaking the heat up from the trail. This gave me a good chance to get a (in my mind) cool pic. I'd never seen one in the wild before!
jumping_spider_macro by Derek Halm, on Flickr
Too cute.
whip_snake_macro by Derek Halm, on Flickr
The first night was cold. Around 6, I had called it good and was going for a leisurely walk sans camera. Of course, what happens? I see a huge snake in a ditch. I eyeballed it at like 5 feet. I jogged back, grabbed my camera, and came back. By then I saw it was two snakes, not one. They were both whip snakes. Where I was in Wasco County is relatively close to the gorge, and I didn't think they came this far north. Not one to complain, I fished one onto the road where it was quite compliant. The one picture was a gravid female, but it would not stand still for a shot of the egg bulges. From the feel, it had to be far along.
deschutes_river_lanscape by Derek Halm, on Flickr
All in all, a lovely weekend.
My questions for those more knowledgeable than I:
1) Why did I see so many alligator lizards this time? I've spent days hiking in E Oregon and never seen a *single* one. I lost track of the lizards after 13. Why did I see so many? Time of the year? Weather? I don't know the species well and the internet doesn't provide any easy answer here.
2) Are whip snakes often found this far north in Oregon? I was hiking a little from the Columbia Gorge. My impression was that they were more limited towards Southern Oregon. Finding two, particularly a gravid female, was a fun surprise.
Wasco County Round 2 with some questions after
Moderator: Scott Waters
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Re: Wasco County Round 2 with some questions after
Very nice with the whipsnake!
-Corey
-Corey
Re: Wasco County Round 2 with some questions after
Thanks man. I was quite shocked to the see the two of them. I did a double take, haha.
Re: Wasco County Round 2 with some questions after
Nice finds man!