2007 Field Herping

[Sid]

Here's a couple of small species:
Redbelly Snake- Storeia occipitomaculata
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Redbelly-1.JPG

Southern Ringneck- Diadophis punctatus punctatus
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Southern_Ringneck-2.JPG

Brown Snake- Storiea dekayi
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Brown_Snake.JPG
Sid

[adamanteus]

Where was this herping trip Sid? That Diadophis is a pretty snake isn't it? We used to see them in pet stores in the UK but I haven't seen one for years.

[abcat1993]

Do they make good pets? They look great, especially with that bright stomach. I wouldn't mind the redbelly either.

[drache]

they're all pretty
I'd have a hard time deciding, if I had to pick just one

[adamanteus]

Rhea, I have kept all the above species (short term) at one time. Small specimens can be hard to feed but apart from that they're all okay to care for. I've heard other people say they can be problematic, but that may be just the feeding thing.

The Dekay's Snake (Storeria dekayi) was great fun to keep. The adults' needs are similar to those of a Garter. I bred them and had some trouble persuading the babies to feed. In the end they took small light brown slugs from my garden (and my neighbours gardens!) After that they were as easy as any other snake to keep.

[GarterGuy]

Nice finds.....going out this weekend to do some herping, hoping for eastern hognoses.
Roy

[adamanteus]

Looking forward to the pictures from that trip Roy.

[suzoo]

I have also had all 3 of the above snakes! The ring-neck lays eggs, but the other 2 have live birth like our garters. All three take worms and slugs, but I lost some cool spotted newts to a ring-neck, so they obviously eat those too. The brown (Storiea dekayi) looks gravid to me. Mine had 11 tiny babies, and I searched my yard for tiny worms, slug eggs and tiny slugs. I released them at about a month old, Mom too. But they are fun to keep! Very docile, and none of mine offered to bite. (My daughter has been bitten by both the brown and ring-neck, but she is like the little girl off of "Finding Nemo" the monster poking the bag, shaking it "Fishy, why are you sleeping". I keep her away from my snakes now. She's 15.

[adamanteus]

Slug eggs, what a great idea! I've never even thought of that. Did the Storeria dekayi take them?

[Snaky]

Some nice findings. Very beautiful one's.

[Sid]

To answer some of the questions. All three were in upstate South Carolina- The Redbelly about a 100 yards from my house. Yes, the Dekyi is gravid and so is the Ringneck. The Ringneck in the wild prey on small salamanders as well as worms and slugs.

Will post some more finds soon. My son and I have totaled a dozen or more different species to this point. Even made my trip to the mountains hoping for field photos of Rattlers but, only saw one Nerthern Water and one Eastern Worm Snake.

Sid

[Cazador]

Sid,

It sounds like 2007 is starting out pretty good, particularily given the chaotic weather on the East coast this year. Thanks for the photos; they're really good :).

Rick

[Thamnophis]

Beautiful snakes, especially the ringneck.

[Sid]

Thanks everyone. Count these. Found 12 in about an hour the other day.
Eastern Worm Snakes- Carphophis amoenus
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Eastern_Worn_Snake.JPG

[Cazador]

Sid,

What's the most recent species you've added to your "life list," and where and how did you find it?

Rick

[Pinky]

Good grief you find a lot of different snakes lol. Must be exciting to you!! :) I love the colours in these ones. I don't believe we have them here? I don't really know which snakes we do and don't have LOL I've only really ever known the Garter and Rattle snakes. (Never was a snake person, my husband has got me half interested and curious about Garter's now lol)

Also if these are wild caught, how do you get them so calm to take a picture?

[Gyre]

I feel a little left out now. :(

The ONLY snake I've seen all spring was a massive garter in my yard, and I didn't even get my hands on it. It was either grab the snake, or grab my dog so he didn't grab the snake.. What a pickle.

[Sid]

I feel a little left out now. :(

The ONLY snake I've seen all spring was a massive garter in my yard, and I didn't even get my hands on it. It was either grab the snake, or grab my dog so he didn't grab the snake.. What a pickle.

My disapointment is, I rarely find Garter, which are my passion.

Rick, The latest addition to my "life list" was the gray Phase Redbelly. Found it a couple of days ago. Roaming the woods here at the house and lifted a piece of dead wood that was in a lot of leaf litter. At first didn't see anything. Then the tiny little guy made the mistake of flipping over and showing off that bright colored belly.

Sid

[Ameivaboy]

I just did a lil field herping today : ^ D

here's what i found

A couple rough skinned newts Taricha granulosa (very toxic)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02345.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02303.jpg





Scorpion species unknown
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02306.jpg





western yellow belly racer Coluber constrictor mormon
In Shed
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02314.jpg

[Ameivaboy]

A couple giant banana slugs

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02339.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02340.jpg

a western skink

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02318.jpg



and met a couple of deer

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02349.jpg

[Ameivaboy]

oh and this cool lookin centipede


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Field%20Herping/DSC02337.jpg

[adamanteus]

Some great pictures there Kevin. Where did you go on this herping field trip? By the way...love what you've done with your nails on that granulosa picture!:D ;)

[Sid]

Great shots Kevin. Quite interesting assortment of finds as well.

Sid

[Stefan-A]

Nice pictures. :) Any idea what species that centipede is?

[Cazador]

Looks like you had a great time on a sunny, spring day :). I'm a little jealous... for now at least :D. Temps soared way up into the 50s today, but the snow is melting fast.

Rick

[Gyre]

My mother used to catch black racers all the time. I've never seen a yellow bellied racer though.

[suzoo]

Slug eggs, what a great idea! I've never even thought of that. Did the Storeria dekayi take them?

Yes, as did the babies.

[Thamnophis]

When it is a native species, that centipede, is probably a blue legged centipede, Scolopendra polymorpha.
But I a mnot a specialist in this creepy animals.
But I love the way they look.

[Ameivaboy]

the place i went is a very small state park called china camp about 20 minutes north of san francisco (it's my fav herping spot) I have no idea what species of centipede it is (im not big on entomology but ill take a pic of a cool bug when i come across one) and you like my manicure???

:p


suck though, when my gf and i got home i had found that our cats had attacked the snake rack and knocked down tyhe new big gravid garters tub down and my python regius' tub down too, luckily both were unharmed just a bit cold and wet from the water dishes being spilled but otherwise ok

after that i took a nap, and woke up to my gf screaming happily because we have a new hatchling

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02351.jpg


been a long day (but a good one)

[Cazador]

That's a pretty little dude! Congrats Kevin.

Rick

[Stefan-A]

Very nice one you have there. :)

[charles parenteau]

Hi that is the result of one hour herping trip on sugarloaf mountain in Maryland state usa.I did'nt have time to search for more,female black rat and carphophis amoenus.http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s152/parenteau/Washington19-22-04-070005.jpg

[charles parenteau]

female black rathttp://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s152/parenteau/Washington19-22-04-070004.jpg

[adamanteus]

Nice finds Charles. The second picture, showing the habitat is good. I always like to see where they live.

[charles parenteau]

the other pic that i take are still in my cam there is a problem to get theme out of it ,they are much representative of there living area,I found the rat snake in a fallen tree 8 feet high...

[adamanteus]

I'd like to see them Charles, if you can get them out of your camera!

[Sid]

Nice photos Charles. Here's a Mole Kingsnake I removed from the road and relocated in the woods here at the house.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Mole_Kingsnake_11-11-06.JPG

My last find was a young Black Racer, no time to get a picture of that one. He was in too much of a hurry.

Sid

[Cazador]

Charles,
It looks like an awesome hour of herping! Who would have thougt to look for a snake 8' up in a tree? Did you see it enter?

Sid,
I bet there aren't any self-respecting mice within a mile of your place with all those snakes lurking in your woods ;). Thanks for sharing your pictures,

Rick

[Sid]

Rick,
You are correct. I rarely see wild rodent of any kind here. That wasn't true 35 years age though. They were everywhere. Someone you now know relocated tons of Black Rat Sankes and King Snakes into our community:p .

Here's a juvinile Black Rat- Elaphe obsoleta
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/JV_Black_Rat-3.JPG

Sid

[suzoo]

All these pictures are awesome! I need to staple my camera to my forehead or something! I never seem to have it where I'm field herping! We call the yellow-bellied racer a Blue Racer out here, but it's the same snake. We saw a big female, several lizards(Fence), a beautiful Spotted King snake, and several 5 lined skinks day before yesterday. But did I have my camers? NNNOOOO!! Darn me! :)

[GarterGuy]

Went to Cape Henelopen in DE this past weekend. Didn't see any snakes (got up a bit too late to find any out basking), but did get some good pics of Eastern Fence lizards and some amphibians.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//517/medium/Eastern_Fence_lizard.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//517/medium/Eastern_Fence_lizard2.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//517/medium/Eastern_Fence_lizard3.jpg

[GarterGuy]

the amphibians were a green frog and a redbacked salamander

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//517/medium/Green_Frog.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//517/medium/Redbacked_salamander.jpg

[Sid]

Nice herps and real good photos Garterguy.

Sid

[GarterGuy]

Nice herps and real good photos Garterguy.

Sid

Thanx Sid, yeh...got to play with my macrolense for my digital....I'm totally hooked now!:D Doing a big herping trip first weekend in May for copperheads and timber rattlers....hoping to get some good pics of them too.

[Sid]

Thanx Sid, yeh...got to play with my macrolense for my digital....I'm totally hooked now!:D Doing a big herping trip first weekend in May for copperheads and timber rattlers....hoping to get some good pics of them too.

I found my share of Copperheads last year, but haven't as yet this season. I'm leaving for in the morning for 2 or 3 days to visit my oldest son and chech out the North Carolina & South Carolina coastal area..so maybe some new specimens complete with photos of coarse.

Sid

PS. I stay hooked, so know what you mean!!!:)

[Thamnophis]

Great pics, Garterguy.
Those fencelizards... hmmm, I love them.

[adamanteus]

Nice pictures Roy. Good luck with the Rattlers and Copperheads, I love Copperheads! Hope you can get a couple of good shots of those.

[charles parenteau]

Here's a couple of small species:
Redbelly Snake- Storeia occipitomaculata
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Redbelly-1.JPG

Southern Ringneck- Diadophis punctatus punctatus
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Southern_Ringneck-2.JPG

Brown Snake- Storiea dekayi
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//534/medium/Brown_Snake.JPG
Sid
Nice red belly almost yellow is it usual in your spot

[charles parenteau]

Charles,
It looks like an awesome hour of herping! Who would have thougt to look for a snake 8' up in a tree? Did you see it enter?

Sid,
I bet there aren't any self-respecting mice within a mile of your place with all those snakes lurking in your woods ;). Thanks for sharing your pictures,

Rick
----Hi rick that tree was horizontal (break) 1 to 8 feet above the ground because of the cliff ,I was walking on that tree and I see the snake in the broken part,sorry for my english again ,as I say most of my pic are still in my cam with a short clip of my capture,I have a problem to get them out.One pic say a lot more... I can't explain myself so good

[adamanteus]

----Hi rick that tree was horizontal (break) 1 to 8 feet above the ground because of the cliff ,I was walking on that tree and I see the snake in the broken part,sorry for my english again ,as I say most of my pic are still in my cam with a short clip of my capture,I have a problem to get them out.One pic say a lot more... I can't explain myself so good

Charles, I think you explain yourself pretty well! There's not a lot wrong with your English, I wish I spoke French so well. I would still like to see the pictures and video though, if you can get them out of the camera!

[charles parenteau]

TANX I appreciate that!!!

[adamanteus]

De rien, je trouve vous parlez tres bien l'anglais.

[charles parenteau]

Tant mieux comme ca je peux échanger avec les gens Intéressant.
Donc tu parle francais parfois???

[adamanteus]

Mais non! Je suis debutant en francaise. Je comprends un peu, mais pas tres bien!

[Cazador]

Charles,

I completely agree with James. Any mistakes in your English are more than made up by your contribution to the forum with pictures and stories, so don't worry about these minor errors in the least :).

Rick