Looking back at the Midwest

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KevColubrid
Posts: 77
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:04 pm

Looking back at the Midwest

Post by KevColubrid »

Hey all :-)

So it's been an impossibly long time since I've posted anything, but I figured that now was as good a time as any for one. A series of life changing events brought me headlong into the heart of Nebraska to further my education as a full-time, working student. As such, herping has been in short supply, despite being surrounded by fantastic habitat. As we just had our first snow on the ground, I decided to post, looking back on the time that I spent in the heart of the midwest, in Kansas and Missouri. Hope you enjoy :-)

Chad Whitney should remember this one. Here's the dark side to roadcruising (and why you should never attempt to pursue a coachwhip off road in your vehicle)

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This gorgeous milk was the result of a lot of hiking into uncharted territory

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These are a big deal in Nebraska. Not so much in Kansas.

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Great plains rats were always abundant in the right habitat. (which was everywhere.)

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Fall was always a good time to be in Kansas. Lots of little guys crawling around, like this young viridis.

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These are large, cantankerous, and smelly and I still love them.

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These were always abundant but I never got tired of seeing them.

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Eastern Kansas black rat, flipped in a huge tin site.

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Watch your fingers

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Double milks flipped under tin. This was a strange one, a large adult was at one end, and a YOY was at the other. Had never happened to me before, and hasn't happened since.

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Lemon racer

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Another eastern Kansas milk

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Big horridus flipped in a massive tin pile out in the middle of nowhere

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Young prarie king. Love the spots on this guy.

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Tin

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This was the result of a night of roadcruising in the fall. I found 4 horridus AOR and 2 DOR on this night. Little did I know what this spot was capable of...

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Little guy
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Young bullsnake

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Radix

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Who doesn't love this sight?


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Duel copperheads flipped under a huge rock in Missouri

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Beautiful Missouri milk

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A pair of bulls I found mating in the road

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I love this gentilis for some reason

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Another nice timber

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Nice copperhead, found with several other forum members.

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Chocolate Missouri milk

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Lemon king Dan Krull and Chad Whitney cruised

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Really nice rat snake

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Orange syspilla

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A friend called to tell me she thought she might have a snake in her window well. 14 lined snakes later...
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When I saw this baby sauga sitting in the road, I was sure that I had found a hognose, as they are far more common in this area.

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Dexter Mardis and I photographing a copperhead. This was one crazy night.

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Timber found a few minutes later.

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On a warm evening, I found three hogs crossing the road in less than fifteen minutes. Nothing else seen the entire night.

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A not so great shot of my first Kansas eastern hog.

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I seldom flip out over a garter snake but this thing was just pretty.

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One of the nicest Missouri milks that I've seen

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Missouri cottonmouth

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That's Mike Pingleton's hand

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More Kansas syspilla

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This sauga was just...wow.

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Big viridis

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These guys have a limited range in Kansas. Red spotted toad. Cute.

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My first pigmy, from Oklahoma.

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Watch where you step, Rob :-)

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Biggest horridus I've seen.


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One morning I took a stroll in a field and practically tripped over this beautiful kingsnake.

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I climbed into a well in the middle of a well-populated city and came up with a bunch of tigers.

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Missouri emory

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You always remember your first. This was my first Kansas milk, and a screamer at that.

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Thamnophis, but the wrong kind. Found out west cruising for checkered garters...

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This big goofy rat snake was found crawling around in broad daylight.

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I saw this huge coachwhip in the road and gave chase, but upon being captured, he played dead in my hands.

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Pretty Kansas hog.

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My first Kansas longnose, but not my last.

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Cow milk

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Sauga found at the beginning of March on the road, after dark

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I finally got the hang of finding these guys.

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Godzilla

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Regina

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And just because, here's a New Mexico suboc.

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Viridis getting a meal in the road

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And a hooknose from New Mexico.

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I think that about does it. If you made it to the end, thanks for sticking around. I'll see you all next spring :-)

Kevin
Zach_Lim
Posts: 1607
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 8:37 pm

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by Zach_Lim »

Yeah...I need to get out to the mid west one day....

Milks... :cry:
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TravisK
Posts: 774
Joined: July 8th, 2010, 11:14 am
Location: Eastern Washington

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by TravisK »

Those Tigers..... :thumb:
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Gary2sons
Posts: 297
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:44 pm
Location: Camden County, Missouri

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by Gary2sons »

Great to see you back on here Kevin!

Congrats on a really productive year! :thumb:

Some really nice milks and timbers!

We are still finding between 4 and 6 coachwhips and great plains rats here in Missouri each year.

Nebraska should be fun herping plus you are still close to Kansas and Missouri.

Good luck to you!

Gary
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Brian Willey
Posts: 100
Joined: June 21st, 2010, 6:32 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by Brian Willey »

A lot of good stuff in this post!
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JEDDLV
Posts: 69
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 1:54 pm
Location: Las Vegas, Nv.

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by JEDDLV »

Nice post, I really enjoyed it.
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pjfishpa
Posts: 123
Joined: June 2nd, 2013, 6:51 am
Location: NW Ohio / SE Michigan

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by pjfishpa »

Great great post for sure! I liked all those milks and the kings too. Those tigers were a neat find. Thanks for posting.
chad ks
Posts: 634
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 1:31 pm

Re: Looking back at the Midwest

Post by chad ks »

Hilarious! I can't wait to see you dominate NE now...
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