Since my trip to Texas last November, the main herping has consisted of a 4-day weekend to California that I will post about separately, but also some cool day-outings around here in the Missouri and NW Arkansas Ozarks. Late last November, I closed up the year in salamander herping with one last lifer in Arkansas, the newly-ish split Southern Grotto Salamander, Eurycea braggi, of which I saw a larvae and confirmed my ID with some Arkansas herp gurus.
Southern Grotto Salamander, Benton County, AR
On this frigid morning hike to a few cave entrances and among the mixed woods atop the ridges outside Eureka Springs, Ozark Zigzag Salamanders were like candy in the woods! Of six or seven logs I flipped for old times' sake, four had Ozark Zigzags.
Ozark Zigzag Salamander, Benton County, AR
The cave entrances where I saw my lifer E. braggi had several Cave Salamanders hanging out at the twilight zone despite the chilly high 30s air as well, which was surprising, and some Slimy Salamanders:
Western Slimy Salamander, Benton co., AR
Cave Salamander, Benton co., AR
That wrapped up the day, and from there, the weather got much too cold for even salamander herping in the Ozarks come December.
YT video for Arkansas cave day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO3kmcy ... e=youtu.be
The next major trip was to California, but this will be its own post. After the late February foray to the Golden State, I did some poking around familiar caves here in SW Missouri on a few rainy nights and during day hikes, and found some early season salamanders to kick off 2024 here in the Midwest.
Dark-sided Salamander, Greene co., Missouri
Western Slimy Salamander, Greene co., Missouri
Cave Salamander, Greene co., Missouri
YouTube video for early March salamanders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbYvb55 ... e=youtu.be
A few weeks later, I was headed up to Kansas City during a warm spell in late March, and got 2024's first Midwest reptile on the glades in a new county:
Rough Earthsnake, St. Clair County, MO
Late March and the first few weekends of April both saw me out on the dolomite glades of Southwest Missouri flipping with old herping friends and new, under blue skies, moderate temperatures, and with the smell of the first shoots of spring fragrant on the glades. The longer I live in Missouri, the more I fall in love with the sight and smell of a dolomite glade during this time of year, and again in October when the temperatures moderate again. Some snakes from these ventures:
Wormsnake kabob, anyone?
Speckled Kingsnake
Sub-adult Eastern Coachwhip
Red Milksnake, my favorite Missouri serpent!
Missouri glade herping YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZLke8 ... e=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCyr84c ... e=youtu.be
Thanks for reading, and happy herping everyone!