Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I headed out west yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately the 30% chance of thunderstorms in the Trans-Pecos turned into 100% enroute, and I was poured on pretty much the whole night. I shined a few cuts north and south of Alpine (with nothing found) but as the temps kept dropping due to the rain I decided to drive south and see what I could find road-cruising, to at least see SOMETHING. I ended up chasing the thermometer as it fell, ending up as far south as Study Butte before heading back north where it was already below 60.

The only AOR I saw was a juvie gopher snake (and several more DOR--all this year's hatch). 1 DOR checkered garter, 1 DOR blackneck(?) on the Observatory Road, and one DOR juvie atrox on 118. It was really your night if you were into toads--lots of redspotted and spadefoots, and even the what's-a-leopard-frog-doing-in-the-middle-of-a-desert leopard frogs. I saw several hundred amphibs and I'm sure I ran over about as many. It looked like a toad Gettysburg out there.

It rained quite a bit out there today as well, with temps staying in the low 60s until almost noon when I departed the area. Maybe if the rains would've fallen earlier in the day yesterday I'd have better luck on the cuts. The cuts were only marginally warmer than the road surface. I quit shining cuts somewhere around 10 last night since it was so cold and rainy, but road cruised until 2:30 this morning (last snake found on 118 around midnight, then the blackneck around 2:30).

Then again, I have yet to find a snake on a cut (besides a patchnose before sunset a couple of years ago) so perhaps my technique is all wrong. Perhaps I can meet up with one of y'all in the spring for a quick trip.

Regardless, it was a good trip--the rain made the desert smell real nice with all the creosote, and it was pretty cool trying to shine a cut up high only to be blinded by the abundant lightning all around. I'm glad I went, if only to get some good driving in, sleep in my car, and lighten my wallet a little.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Then again, I have yet to find a snake on a cut (besides a patchnose before sunset a couple of years ago) so perhaps my technique is all wrong. Perhaps I can meet up with one of y'all in the spring for a quick trip.

It took me almost 10 years to find a snake on a cut. I started to think that it was all a big joke being played on me by other herpers. I finally found a bogey on a cut in the Delawares and have subsequently found a few snakes on cuts. I find more snakes on cuts by driving/shining them (illegally of course) than walking them. I suspect others do the same.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I get bored with and end up moving to fast.. I have had my best luck when I idle at walking speed or slower, it is also harder to shine if you hunt solo. You do not end up covering as much ground as you would hunting the road, and it is only better than walking in that you can bounce from cut to cut easier. The cup holder is nice too.....

Also, I believe, and this may just be me..... That animals will be more active in the "comfort zone" of a cut than crossing the road when things like weather and moon phase are less than ideal.

Agreed on all counts, especially the cup holder! I walked some primo real estate my last two trips and the moon may have been a factor this time, but last trip was as good as it gets road cruising and I did see massive prey items on the cuts both day and night. I guess I am starting to beleive in luck....maybe....the snakes are where you aren't, that's for sure. I have a huge krick in my neck from trying to spotlight both sides in one pass, lol!
Todd Hughes

I get bored with and end up moving to fast.

I actually worry I walk to slow when walking cuts. I have made a concerted effort to walk faster, but when I do that I don't get

I have found 2 alterna on cuts. One was sitting dead still when I spotted it in the headlights. I was driving so I approached it at around 20 mph. It was the first alterna I had ever seen on a cut.

Last summer, I found an alterna on a cut while we were driving and it was hauling ass up the cut. If I had been walking, it would almost certainly have been gone by the time I got down there. It almost got away as it was.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I actually worry I walk to slow when walking cuts. I have made a concerted effort to walk faster, but when I do that I don't get to see the cool inverts and stuff.

I have found 2 alterna on cuts. One was sitting dead still when I spotted it in the headlights. I was driving so I approached it at around 20 mph. It was the first alterna I had ever seen on a cut.

Last summer, I found an alterna on a cut while we were driving and it was hauling ass up the cut. If I had been walking, it would almost certainly have been gone by the time I got down there. It almost got away as it was.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

just like driving slow vs driving fast. too bad we don't get the data on what we miss, only what we find!

Forky

and let us remember the " white BB " car that had jet or airplane lights attached to the front of the car that woulda even scared UFOs off ! LOL !
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

I finally found a bogey on a cut in the Delawares and have subsequently found a few snakes on cuts.

I've found one suboc, AOR nowhere near any cuts. Couple of years ago.

The cool thing about this past trip was all the bats circling just over my head near the cuts. I'd never noticed them before.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Did you see the cliff swallows? There were a ton of bats active this month.
Todd Hughes

Finally, some honesty! Thanks for that Chrish, and no gbk's for me this year as well, but they are on the cuts as evidenced by Zee's 4 last year around Langtry witnessed by me, also caught one bogey and saw a bogey on cuts this year. No doubt, if you don't put in the time you won't find them, west Texas dues, ante up. Saw lots of crotes before the storm and a few gophers, a few toads.
Todd Hughes

2 Alterna both on cuts - 1 walking a cut, 1 spotlighting
2 Subocs - 1 walking the cut, 1 on the road
1 Pictigaster on the cut spotlighting
TMTC nightsnakes on the road
TMTR Atrox on the road
1 Blacktail on the cut spotlighting (But we saw him over and over and over again)

I made a total of two trips out West, one for a week, and one for a night.

I would say that overall I had my favorite finds on the cuts...