June Species Counts

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Time for a new monthly species count thread. As I miraculously made it out into the field on the first of the month for once, I decided I'd go ahead and get it started. Below is my count from this mornings trip with rman and jeffro.

West Feliciana Parish, LA
06/01/2014

Snakes:
1 Coluber constrictor (Black-masked Racer)
1 Lampropeltis nigra (Kingsnake)
1 Lampropeltis triangulum (Milk Snake/Scarlet Kingsnake) DOR
1 Storeria occipitomaculata (Red-belly Snake)

Lizards:
2 Plestiodon fasciatus (Five-lined Skink)
1 Plestiodon laticeps (Broadhead Skink)
TMTC Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink)

Turtles:
1 Terrapene carolina (Eastern Box Turtle)
1 Trachemys scripta (Red-eared Slider) DOR

Amphibians:
1 Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog)
TMTC Anaxyrus americanus (American Toad)
TMTC Lithobates palustris (Pickeral Frog) *never seen so many before*
1 Ollotis nebulifer (Gulf Coast Toad)

Hope everyone has a safe and successful June in the field.

Chris
User avatar
jlzachary1
Posts: 93
Joined: May 12th, 2013, 1:45 pm
Location: Edmond, OK

Re: June Species Counts

Post by jlzachary1 »

I went out last night and some randoms from the first.

on the first:
Common Snapping turtle DOR
Ornate Box Turtle


Last night:
Red-Eared Slider
Great Plains Ratsnake
Rough Green Snake DoR
Broadbanded Copperhead
Black/Texas Ratsnake
Woodhouse's Toad
A juvenile Armadillo
and a whole pond of various frog species making a cacophony like none other.


Also, I did some records using the old app on my tablet and they sync'd but I can't see them on the database.
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Made a quick trip down a local road this evening with hopes of turning up something interesting. Like last time I had decent numbers, but still not the greatest diversity. May have to venture a little further from home next time.

Ascension Parish, LA
06/03/2014

Snakes:
1 Agkistrodon piscivorus (Western Cottonmouth)
9 Nerodia fasciata (Broadbanded Watersnake)
1 Regina rigida (Glossy Crayfish Snake) DOR
1 Thamnophis proximus (Western Ribbon Snake) DOR

Turtles:
1 Kinosternon subrubrum (Mississippi Mud Turtle) DOR
1 Trachemys scripta (Red Eared Slider)

Amphibians:
Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog) CALLING
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad)
Hyla cinerea (Green Tree Frog)
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Ran a little further from home this evening hoping to add some diversity to my recent species list. Only a brief window of activity immediately after dusk, but managed a few species haven't seen in a while. Here's the list:

St. John the Baptist Parish, LA
6/7/2014

Snakes:
1 Agkistrodon piscivorus (Western Cottonmouth)
1 Farancia abacura (Western Mud Snake)
1 Nerodia cyclopion (Mississippi Green Watersnake)
1 Nerodia erythrogaster (Yellow-bellied Watersnake) DOR
1 Nerodia fasciata (Broadbanded Watersnake)
1 Thamnophis proximus (Western Ribbon Snake) DOR

Turtles:
1 Kinosternon subrubrum (Mississippi Mud Turtle)
1 Trachemys scripta (Red Eared Slider)

Crocs:
1 Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) DOR *Who doesn't see a 5 foot gator crossing in front of them on a straight road??*

Amphibians:
TMTC Lithobates catesbeianus (Bull Frog)
User avatar
Soopaman
Posts: 924
Joined: March 18th, 2012, 7:34 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: June Species Counts

Post by Soopaman »

Sweet! Nice find on that mud, Chris. Hope you took pics.
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Soopaman wrote:Sweet! Nice find on that mud, Chris. Hope you took pics.

Only took one or two quick voucher shots. The window of activity is so short this time of year, I didn't really want to burn too much of it messing with my camera. Muds are clearly still active though. I tallied at least 6 more DOR on the side of the interstate on my way to the road (could have been double that, but 6 were definitely muds).

Chris
User avatar
jlzachary1
Posts: 93
Joined: May 12th, 2013, 1:45 pm
Location: Edmond, OK

Re: June Species Counts

Post by jlzachary1 »

I ventured down into Louisiana yesterday in hopes of finding red bellied mud snakes or alligators or just about anything cool. I only made to Caddo parish as I had already spent tons of hours in the car. No alligators or mud snakes but

2 black rat snakes (1 DoR)
1 Black/texas rat snake maybe? do you have intergrades there? it was very red.
1 three toed box turtle
tmtc narrow mouted toads, cricket frogs, bullfrogs.
3 ground skinks


at Red Slough in Mccurtain County, OK
2 Black racers, ! DoR gravid female
1 dead juvi cottonmouth
1 yet identified turtle
1 yellow-bellied slider-DoR
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: June Species Counts

Post by Jeff »

Friday morning I drove down to St. Charles Parish to check on a rattlesnake (gone). The only thing noteworthy was that I counted 15 dead mudnakes on I-10 between Sorrento and the bridge west of Laplace (about 22 miles). They were fairly fresh, probably from last night and the night before. All were about 2-3.5 feet, so probably mostly or all males. I have never seen more than 2 muds in one trip prior to Friday (6 June). I counted 11 on the south side, and 4 on the north side (westbound). I also saw about as many other snakes that were either smashed flat or could not be identified at 70 mph.

Jeff
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

That would be the same stretch of interstate, Jeff. The six I feel confident calling muds at 70 mph all appeared fresh. A dozen or so other snakes were too smashed to call definitively. By the time I was back on the highway heading westbound, it was too dark to spot anymore.

Chris
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: June Species Counts

Post by Jeff »

That would be the same stretch of interstate, Jeff
Something fun was happening the 4th and 5th. I wish I knew what triggered them to move like that.

Jeff
dbh
Posts: 78
Joined: August 29th, 2011, 8:38 am
Location: New Orleans, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by dbh »

I got my first Farancia on a road in Plaquemine parish I have hunted hard for several years on the evening of the 6th DOR. Several other Muds since, they were definitely crawling last week.

David
gretzkyrh4
Posts: 661
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: June Species Counts

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Tallied two more day old DOR muds along everyone's favorite stretch of road in Ascension parish on 6/8 as well. Only live herps were a Trachemys and a broadband water. Debating slipping out this evening after all the rain today.

Chris
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: June Species Counts

Post by chrish »

I found a bunch of the most unnecessarily protected species of amphibian in the US - Hypopachus variolosus

Image

Image

This was in a county for which there are no records and I didn't find one, I found dozens (I probably heard hundreds). It actually is a slight range extension by one county.
You just have to go if/when it rains to find them.

Why someone felt this species needs protection is beyond me:
1. They are of no commercial interest so no one collects them.
2. They are common from south central Texas all the way to Panama

I'm all for protecting species that need it, but Hypopachus? C'mon!
Post Reply