Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'll be driving down to Cape May New Jersey from Montreal (Canada) beginning July for about 10 days. The wife and kids will be hunting bargains at the boardwalk and trying to get a sun tan thru 1/2" thick 30 sunscreen on the beach. Since I wouldn't wanna get a sunburn from the sun bouncing off them, I'd like to go herping instead.

Does anybody have any recommendations? I'm told Lyme's disease may be carried by ticks there; we don't have that here to my knowledge, so I don't really know what to watch for. Any cues on places to go or not to go? Also very interested in botanic, entomology and birding.

Cheers. JF

Go to the Cape May zoo. They have a great reptile house and its free. You can also got to the wetlands institute. They have a great Diamond Back concervation program. You can also walk through miles of brackish trails and streams. On the Garden State Parkway you will see everything road kill. It sucks but there are hundreds of turtle and snake dors.I see a spotted turtle, black rat snake, and Diamond backs all dor. Help this helps,
Tom

I will be happy to let you know of places to go. However, I don't want to do it on a public forum. I could email you some more detailed information. What I can tell you on here is that ticks and chiggers are nasty right now. By July they may have subsided a bit. However, your going to want to apply plenty of bug juice. Also make sure when you go out to the woods you only have a camera, if you have snake handling equipment, or collection paraphenalia your going to get harrassed by rangers(if you actually see one).

Thanks to both of you for the tips. What are chiggers?

Jean

info@naturama.ca

Just typed it up in google... yuck! Another invisible herper ennemy Still, from what I just read, I prefer chigger bite to Lyme's disease, or een better : no bite at all.

Jean

Jean, I have never come across as many chiggers down by cape may as I have in the heart of the pine barrens about 45 minutes north. Chiggers are found in similar areas as ticks but I've encountered them more in brush around bogs, swamps. They are nearly invisible look like a spec of dirt. They bury into your skin and make you itch like all hell. Dog ticks are what you are going to run into, bigger then a deer tick and only about 10% carry lymes. Where as 90% of deer ticks carry lymes. As long as you were bug spray, hat, tuck you pants into your boots you'll be all right. Just have someone do a good inspection of you when your done. There more of an annoyence then a health problem.

Thanks,

and what should be done if you actually find deer ticks on you? I've had dog ticks wedged pretty deep a few years ago (still have zit like scar) and it took two weeks for the health dpt to get in touch with me from my message. By then I new I was dealing with a dog tick, but the first thing I heard was that you had to act within 48hrs Do I just pull it off, disinfect and hope for the best or am I suppose to get somekind of shot or preventive treatment?

Jean

Here is what I normally do. I bring an extra set of clothes with me. When I'm done hiking I use a sticky tape lint roller and role my clothes this will get alot of the ticks off. I then put all my clothes, shoes etc in a plastic bag tie it in a knot. When you get home wash the clothes in warm water. The ticks won't burry into you right away check your body,simply take them off with tweezers or fingers put them in alchol this will kill them or flush them down the toilet. You don't have to get a shot or any meds or anything like that. Simply remove them and check good around meaty areas waist, thighs, butt, stomach, etc. Don't worry to much there more of an annoyance. I go out in the woods once a week and you learn to deal with them. Also check yourself the next morning for any signs of them digging into you, sometimes you don't catch them the first time around.

I just herped the Barrens on 06/03, and im headed back on the 17th. Use a good bug repellent, wear long pants, and be sure to spray your clothes and sneakers. I believe the tick has to be feeding from you for at least 12 hours before Lyme disease can be transfered. There are a few tick species present. Just do a thorough search afterwards, but don't let the bugs stop you from having a good time down there. Good luck.

Thanks alot for the tips. Seems I may not be able to go at the planned dates (new contract), but I may go a bit later and the bugs wont stop me, don't worry

Jean

Mike, just a heads up the ticks are real bad here right now. I don't know if it is from the rain we've been getting or the heat. Make sure you bring plenty of deet when you come down. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

Gentleman, I was in the pines yesterday and it was loaded with ticks. Everytime we got out of the car we were invaded.I usually spent 1-2 minutes picking them off my pants when we returned to the car. I used a well known spray and did not notice any on my skin when I returned home and checked. As the last post said the rains we have been having may have something to do with this. That being said it was a great day, until the rains came and cooled the temp. to 65 degrees. Lots of turtles and frogs, unfortunatley only one green snake, but it was a great day to be out.

A green snake is a good find in the pines. You see any spots or boxies. I've seen many so far this year, but the ticks have kept me out of the woods for the last two weeks.

No spotteds yesterday,but many in the past. Did find one old male box yesterday as well. The others were red bellies and painteds

Yeah I think the spotteds are starting to aestivate. There probably out in the a.m. for a few hours, but it seems like in the afternoons they are sleeping. Glad to hear you've seen many spotteds, sounds like poachers haven't gotten all of them out of the pines.

Thanks. We're going all out this time. I read that using the 98% deet actually isn't as effective as the lower solutions, because pure deet doesn't stay on your skin long. Use the lower percent because its usually mixed with lotions and stays on your skin longer. If you feel you need to re-apply, then you can spray yourself with the 98% solution. Also, bring a lint roller for your clothes and back of legs. The folks at the Pine Barrens forum swear by the lint roller. I'm waiting to see those extended forecasts for next weekend!