Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

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Jeremy Westerman
Posts: 634
Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
Location: Utah
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Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Jeremy Westerman »

I had great fun traveling/backpacking/canyoneering/herping across the bottom of Utah on a couple of consecutive trips in the last month or so
:thumb:
Ovis canadensis nelsoni Desert Bighorn Sheep
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Crotaphytus collaris Eastern Collared Lizard
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
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Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis Plateau Tiger Whiptail
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Crotalus viridis viridis Green Prairie Rattlesnake
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Crotalus viridis viridis Green Prairie Rattlesnake
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toads
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad and tadpole polywog
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad tadpoles and fairy shrimp
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad tadpoles and fairy shrimp
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Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
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spadefoot pothole
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Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
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Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
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Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
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Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
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Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snake
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Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter Snake
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Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
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Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus Desert Striped Whipsnake
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Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus (neonate) Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonate) Great Basin Gopher Snake
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonates) Great Basin Gopher Snakes
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Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
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Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
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Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard* corrected previously thought it was a Sceloporus graciosus graciosus Northern Sagebrush Lizard
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Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
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Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
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Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
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unkown moth species lizard food
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Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snakes
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snake
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Crotalus oreganus concolor Midget Faded rattlesnake and a nice beautiful red one at that, what a waste it is a road pancake before I could find it and save it
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise with a face full of cactus spines
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
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Spadefoot tadpoles Spea intermontana (Great Basin Spadefoot Toads) in abundance here in the Beaver Dam Wash
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Lynx rufus Bobcat
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Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
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Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
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Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
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Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
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typical Desert Iguana habitat in creosote flats
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Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
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Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis Plateau Tiger Whiptail
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Gambelia wislizenii Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
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Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
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Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
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Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii (neonate #2) Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii (neonate #2) Desert Tortoise
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Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
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Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
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Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
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Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
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Anaxyrus puctatus Red-Spotted Toad
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Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
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Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
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Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
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Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
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Aphonopelma iodius Utah Desert Tarantula
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Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
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Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
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Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
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Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
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Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
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Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
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Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla
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Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla
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Sidewinder disk and in-track
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Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Great Basin Fence Lizard, Western Fence Lizard
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Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad
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Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad
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Sceloporus uniformis Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
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Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
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snake track
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Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Great Basin Fence Lizard, Western Fence Lizard
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Sceloporus uniformis (neonate) Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
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Sceloporus tristichus Plateau Fence Lizard
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Crotaphytus bicinctores Great Basin Collared Lizard
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder DOR
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Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Mojave Rattlesnake
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Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Mojave Rattlesnake DOR
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Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake DOR
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Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonate) Great Basin Gopher Snake
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Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake
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Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Mojave and sidewinder rattlesnake DORs
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
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Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
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Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
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Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
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Gila Monster tracks
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Gila Monster tracks
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Gila Monster tracks
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Gila Monster tracks
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Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
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Uta stansburiana stansburiana Northern Side-blotched lizard
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Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
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Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
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Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
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Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
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Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Crotalus oreganus concolor Midget Faded Rattlesnake
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
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Just kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the Gila Monsters and all rattlesnakes after the Gilas are replicas that I hand painted! I wish I saw specs and Gilas on this trip. I tracked the slightly old Gila tracks (rained 3 days before) but could not find him.
Also had a coachwhip in my hand on this trip and it got away with no pic (well one other forum member shot a pic of the head)
What a great couple of weeks in the deserts of Utah and Arizona. 8-)
*edits to correct lizard identity/to correct broken picture links
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occidentalis
Posts: 39
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:13 pm
Location: the west

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by occidentalis »

fun pics. were your iguanas actually in utah? what county were those spea from? also, i think that your s. graciousus and s. tristichus might both be u. stansburiana.
Mark Hazel
Posts: 28
Joined: March 8th, 2011, 2:08 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Mark Hazel »

I agree with occidentalis about those two being Utas. Who is this occidentalis person who sees lizards like I do?

In that area you have to be up pretty high (higher than your habitat pics suggested) to see S. graciosus, at least according to my experience so far.

Thanks for the post. I may have a chance to get down there myself a bit before November--I can hope.

--Mark
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Jeremy Westerman
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Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
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Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Jeremy Westerman »

Alas, even though the Utah border was very very close, the Dipsos were firmly on the Arizona side. The first group of Spea in the pothole in a slot canyon was in Garfield County very close to the Kane County border, the next groups of Spadefoot tadpoles were in Washington County. Thousands of toad tadpoles and red spotted toadlets in various states of change were seen and no adult red spotted toads compared to a handful of spadefoots in that area. In Washington County the opposite seemed true, spadefoots appeared more common and many adult Red spotted toads were seen. I will agree the S.gracious right before the washed out patternless Tree Lizards was misidentified mainly because it looked so different than many I had seen that day and had faded pattern colors with no side markings with the dorsal a vibrant pink. Closer examination of the photo and I believe you are right it looks more like Uta. the S. Trich however was with more numerous Uta on the same rock outcrops and was much larger and obviously different in appearance with rougher scalation and lacked the blue spotting and orange hue of the Utas of both sexes all around it.
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frodaman
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Joined: August 29th, 2011, 10:54 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by frodaman »

Awesome stuff! I am green with envy! :mrgreen: Now, be honest, how long did it take for you to put up all these pics? haha.

-Jeff
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cody.lee81
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Joined: June 28th, 2012, 12:49 pm
Location: Springville UT

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by cody.lee81 »

look like fun, the moth is Arctia caja a species of tiger moth commonly called great tiger moth they are really rare so your lucky to have seen such a nice specimen :thumb: im so envious
sonorandesertman
Posts: 103
Joined: August 30th, 2010, 2:39 pm
Location: Columbia, MO

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by sonorandesertman »

Ridiculous beauty! Great post. Hey...those gopher snakes...were both of them out on the crawl together?
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Bryan Hamilton
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Joined: June 10th, 2010, 9:49 pm

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

Wow! I can't believe its taken me this long to go though this post!

Incredible!

You completely fooled me on the gila's. I was even comparing their patterns to see how many individuals there were. At first glance I thought mitchelli was really strangely patterned but then when I saw the sidewinder below I knew something was up.

Great post.
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Fieldnotes
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Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Fieldnotes »

WoW WoW WOW!!!

Amazing adventure. What’s the story with finding the Gila? That is an amazing mitchellii I never seen one look like that, matter fact many of those animals look different from those I've seen in California. Could that final "sidewinder" be another mitchellii, the pne that looks as coiled DOR? Really neat habitat, the sand makes that place an amazing herping spot. What’s the theory on the dead bobcat; near a road = hit, dehydration. Love the post.
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Jason Hull
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:43 pm

Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Jason Hull »

Nice post Jeremy! Southern Utah is a beautiful place.
I enjoyed the Iguana and Tortoise pics.
Looks like your plastic snakes are pretty convincing. The Gila would get anyone.

Cheers,
Jason
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Jeremy Westerman
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Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
Location: Utah
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Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Jeremy Westerman »

Frodaman I take a billion pics and I have not learned either the fine art of photography or of forbearance. I tend to upload most crappy pics I take.

sonorandesertman the two neotate Gopher Snakes were found 4 feet apart in a desert slot canyon less than 3 feet wide. A third was found 70 feet later in the same slot. I speculate that they may get trapped in there as I frequently encounter snakes of all kinds in slots, it usually is way more productive for snakes than flipping cover or trying to walk one up by chance in red rock country. They may crawl in but cannot get out or they get washed in from flash floods, I'm not really sure. They do appear stuck as I see dead snakes frequently in the cracks. Alternatively perhaps it is preferred habitat either for thermal reasons or for hunting trapped quarry?

cody.lee81 thanks for the moth ID it was definitely an unusual looking fuzzball.

Bryan...Bazinga! got you on at least some of my replicas. ;)

Fieldnotes, the bobcat was definite roadkill, I dragged it off the road for the pic.
I see you breezed the pics but didn't read all the captions. Gotcha!
the Gilas and all of the rattlesnakes pics below them are replicas that I handpainted for some films I was working on. They are cast from real specimens by Joe Morgan of Morgan Replicas in North Carolina http://www.reptilereplicas.com/html/pro ... tails.html I can't afford his finished pieces so I just buy the blanks and finish them myself. Here is pics of the Morgan's Gila Monster blanks I hand painted
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Apparently I need to repaint this speckled it didn't fool anyone enough just raised questions
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Jason thanks for the kind words I had great fun on my trip photographing real reptiles and painting my fakes.
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Fieldnotes
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Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)

Post by Fieldnotes »

:lol: You got me for sure! :shock: Those are amazing especially the Gila, it looks spot on!
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