Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I’m planning on leaving for Florida the day after Xmas for a couple weeks of winter herping. No plans are set in stone yet and my schedule is completely open.

I’m planning on spending the majority of my time in the southern end of the state but wouldn’t mind making some detours on my way down.

A couple things I want to do for sure: spend some time looking for getula around the sugar cane fields and try and locate a croc in south FL. I don’t really know exactly how or where to go about either of these tasks so any advice would be helpful.

Also, I’m interested in seeing most all of Florida’s herpetofauna but I’m unsure of what is reasonable to expect for winter herping there. Please send some suggestions my way of obtainable herps in Florida’s winter climate.

Most importantly, I’d love to meet up with some of you Florida locals for some herping if anyone’s interested.

I won’t be bringing anything home but photos.

Thanks, Mike

http://michaelcravens.com

Mike, please post what you find when you get back. It seems that FL is a herpers vacation destination in the winter. I guess us out-of-towners have to fend for ourselves..LOL..All the people here from FL are prob out finding herps right now, I know I would be!

You can count on it.

Mike

winter is a good time to find scarletkings in dicidious pine habitat on the coldest days and the wetter or most flooded location the better, look for dead rotted pine stumps and look under the loose bark, el nino is back and supposed to cause a wet winter so thats good, but as for the fl. kings in the cane feilds, you'll have to wait till febuary to find them. stop in kissimmii - st.cloud (on 192) and pay the $10 fee to see the "reptile world" display, george has a great venomous collection and lots of native stuff too. but take state road 27 south from kissimmii and when you get to lake placid turn right (west)on st. road 70 for about 1 mile and turn south on the road that runs parrell to the r.r tracks and follow it south till it jogs a few times, this area is a redthroat indigo hot spot and december is a good time to see a male out looking for a mate. as for the post under yours...nothing moves this time of year but racers and watersnakes(too hot). anyway, good luck JB

That is an awsome pic! To be honest, I thought the thunderstorms in FL were just as impressive as the herps! Do you have a shot of just the storm? Not that I don't love the SKs!!!

Thanks a lot for the help JB! An Indigo is high on my "want to see list" I've spent many hours looking for them before (unsuccessfully) but don't mind putting in however many more it takes.

Thanks again,
Mike

Way to go. I hope you dont expect your spot to remain intact now that you've posted directions to it on the website used most by commercial collectors...

to the deadhead...I hope you don't think for a minute that someone could possibly get away with hunting to collect on that road, they would be busted without a doubt. you don't know who your talking to! JB

You're right, I dont know who I'm talking to since you use a psuedonym. I wouldn't care if I was talking to Lawrence Klauber, I'd still say the same thing: DONT SHARE EXACT LOCALITY INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE. You can try to intimidate and bully me by claiming that you are hot stuff, but that fact still remains.

damn gill netters,LOL aint done much herpin if you think your gonna see or bag a load of indigos on any excursion,the poachers have very skinny children,C
BTW i just saw an Eastern Dimondback 4 footer on an ATC trail an hour ago , i hit the brakes and just watched as he was streched out on the sand warming/sunning in 2 minutes he did a U'ie and went into the scrub COOL had a yellow /gold cast to it.btw im in Ocala north of Kissimee

I have a very clear understanding of population dynamics, thanks though. Glad to hear that you found an EDB, awesome snakes!

I didn't say anything to implaiate I'm a bad ass, I ment that I (not stupid) wouldn't post anything concidered to be "exact" all i said was drive down the road thru a heavly patrolled santuary called (ARCHABOLD BIOLOGIC STATION) ON OLD STATE ROAD 8 and if anyone wants to take pictures, its a good place to spot them and all of us here know its a felony offence and would lose their vehicles anyway. it would be like collecting in big cypress! pipe down deadhead...

Pipe down huh? Actually you didn't mention anything about driving any road in your original post...And early in the post you were giving tips on field hunting...Regardless...If you value your spots then dont post them on this website...Understand?

wrong again deadhead, your dead-head is still in a cloud, go back and read my first post, and again pipe down! I have been posting on this site fot ten years and you don't make the rules anyway so....

LOL...I've only been posting here since it was the alterna forum myself, so I guess you win. Still trying to intimidate me are ya,lol? I have already read your post, so no need to refer back to it. My head is in the clouds actually. Thanks.

so we cool now?....

I'm always cool...that's what they tell me anyway.

If you are really looking for a croc, go down to Flamingo in Everglades National Park. There is a basking spot right across from the Whitewater Bay boat ramp. I've seen stupid tourists right on top of them in their canoes trying to get a pic. Be careful in your approach........It's a small area, and they only have a small bank area to hit the water if they are spooked. If you rent a canoe, you have a reasonable chance in seeing one, especially a juvie, in the canal that runs up to Coot Bay. The winter months are a good time.

Thanks Steve,

We will have a canoe with us and we'll definitely be visiting Flamingo.

Thanks again, Mike