Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am going to be in Arizona the second week in March. I will be in the Tucson area and the Scottsdale area. Any suggestions on timeing and/or GENERAL areas to look would be great.

Thank you.

Dan

that is generally a little early for road cruising. (Phoenix is about 2000 feet lower than Tucson and warms up quicker.) You'll need to get up in the hills and hike. Also, our extreme drought conditions may have a major impact on herping this year (1/100" since mid Oct). Right now, the researchers say the animals with transmitters are tucked very deep for this time of year. If you catch the timing right and come out here when it rains, you may score big - even on the roads.
That said, Scottsdale is even higher than Tucson so that could be even tougher in March. Send me an email when you get closer to the trip and I'll give you an update and some ideas for Tucson.

...didnt kno ya did Mark & furthurmore....remind me never to fly w/ you if your altimeter indicates phx @ 2k lower than tooscon!!!

Now from my fwiw file...

Hiya, Ive given alot of decent advice over the years & a couple-a 3 stumblebums have actually fd. something worthwhile by that advice, however I've de-volved to needing something back on the deal...

I think we locals otta encourage herp-ecotourism, in large part to help our State Game & Fish (which while far from moderate) is light years ahead of the full-prohibitionist - police states... yuch,... but hey.... the american dummies keep voting for these folks who promise....& then deliver...more laws...n wars...

Anyway...heres my new deal....for folks like you...whom I dont know nor recognize as regular contributers on the forums....to get spps. specific info from me..ya gotta email me (azdiadophis@aol.com) a jpg of your current hunting license (any state)...aint that a fair proposition...then you're contributing to conservation... or am I missing something...??

& FWIW...to read Fowlie or Stebbins (try Google "arizona reptiles" ) & buy a DeLorme Az Gazeeter (a map book w/ roads & elevations)....& youre 95 % there anyway...heres a last freebee...go to azgfd.com & buy thru the publications link....the guide to Reptiles of Maricopa Cty. (Brennan & Holycross)....thats all ya need your camera...n a bit-o-luck...

Lucky you. Thats a very scenic region youre going to, bring your camera, hit the sunny rock faces from dawn until midmorning (its mostly public land). Walk the trails (carefully flipping bark & flat rocks...& please put them back) work the edges of the dry stream bottoms mid-day, & roadcruise from 1 hr before sundown until 11-ish unless a heavy storm makes things too cool for everything but toads.

Remember....Good luck never hurts & always complements a good plan. Probability of an encounter is directly proportional to persistance! Cheers / RxR

That sounds like the best deal goin' as well as some awesome free advice! All hail the green rat in hand!!!!
Todd Hughes

Alright, 2000 feet was a little high but not a lot. The airport at Phx is just over 1100" and Tucson is just over 2600". That gives a difference of 1500'. You got me.
I bet the CA action is starting to pick up. Where are the pics?

you and Brett have had plenty of time to scour the CA countryside. You're clearly just holding out on us.

IF he ever drags his lazy arse out here we might actually go see some things but NOOOOOO too busy all the time, hurt his back, his daughter beat him up again and put him out of commission, stubbed his toe on a rock, always some lame excuse or another
Wheres the ratty?
Oh yeah, hey Mark my ratty has a tail just at 12" in length from the vent, sound like a boy?

cheers
B

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

What is the total length?

You gotta worry about Ms Gunn. Winter is packing up pretty quickly and still not getting out??? He must be waiting for the easy ones - the critters that crawl up to the door aand ring the bell. Where's the self-respect (and how can we squash it?). The sun's in his eyes, there's a hole in his mitt...yep, ya gotta worry about that boy.

hes pushing 30" mebbe 32, very slim though firm in the body, tail is large, tapering slowly with a large BULGE posterior to the vent...
yeah, I think the dirt bikes did him in...

ciao
Brett
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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

It sounds like we might be a little skeered of the big bad Greenie. They are squirmy buggers, aren't they? If your length estimate is anywhere close, that must be a male. That tail length if 37-40% of totaal body. The longest-tailed spcimen we've examined so far was 32.43%.

...nah, just havn some fun...actually I am plotting to go ck out Lats gorgeous woman...i mean woma's... & other beastly stuff here in the next few weeks....but its still too early, I heard of 2 atrox out on the trails this past balmy week & did p/u a dor neonate pituophis on my way home last nite...tasty regal chow...nice green ratty btw

Hiya Todd those are nice Tx rattys too...now lets see some real tx snakes...indigo shots

Hey keep your eyes on the road and watch out for those dirtbikers would ya! and they aint womas they're Sand Pythons.
geez, r u alone?

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

Ha the Bloodhound hasnt sent me a jpg...so I guess I can trash my advice txt
Glad to hear your deaddonkey got out today....now lets start see'n some jpgs & stories eh?
One of these daze I gotta pontificate on why I suspect the caly-coastal herps appear to begin their year so much earlier than the desert herps of the same taxons...

whhhooaa whats this...

Sorry I havent gotten back to you yet. I was out of town the past few days. I am a 25 year old zoology student from Illinois. I will be heading to Arizona on March 11 and staying until the 17th. I do have an Illinois hunting license and stamps if the offer still stands! I just need to find a scanner or digital camera to get you the picture. Thanks again!

Dan McCauley

Only have a few I would be proud to share lol! Here's a Jim Wells county yearling from a few years past on my camera phone. One day I will gradyiate to a real camera!
Todd Hughes