Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I guess this marks the definite end for this years Alterna Season. (Not withstanding the occasional one offs)

Did anyone have a bust out year? How about any multiple alterna nights?

Here's to a BETTER and hopefully WETTER 2007...

Steven

Our first year to actually find an alterna...
Found two in one night on Black Gap in the spotty rain.
Some people think it's a big deal...
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

...how "blind-luck" was with you at that time. You had a once-in-a-lifetime experience down there. Congratulations! I hope you will remember it for what is was...absolute good fortune that come to few people. Talk about being in the right place at the right time...

Cheers,
Bob Haase

AMEN Bob! When Shaky first posted about finding them I posted basically the same thing you just said but alot more in depth about the documented history of alterna on the Gap and he just blew me off as it was insignificant to him. Too bad it had to be a newbie hunter looking for atrox and night snakes that lucked into them. I compare it to a greenhorn gold prospector 150 years ago finding a gold nugget in a stream when he went fishing for something to eat! oh well at least they ended up with an alterna collector who will take great care of them. BA

Double amen to that! I spent all my time around the gap this year and found some great snakes and lizards and even a luteola but no gbk's for this year so I bought a c.b.! HAHA, I never shoulda said never as I swore I wouldn't untill I got one myself! I think I am now fully in the grasp of west Texas, and armed with a camera finally, I can at least contribute some of the other fineries the area has to offer but I will always be on the hunt. Obsession?, you bet!
Todd Hughes

Hey todd, what is in that cage with the spiney? Is the spiney lunch?
here is a pic of the dad to the one you got

and a pic of the mom

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South Texas Herps

Mike, that is where east meets west in my herp room, four western slender glass lizards from the Island, I know, I know, don't be mixin' the saurians but yeah they are all potential king food, as I have many splendidas from the barrier islands around here. Here's a hatchling that got saved from a horrible fate of drowning or baking in a gas well pit, along with 3 glass lizards and a checkered garter. Yeah, the gbk hasn't fed yet but I have a few more tricks before brumating it for a short period.
Todd Hughes

Oh, I couldnt actually care any less about housing lizards together, I was just curious what that was in the back. I have only cought one slender glass, it was down east of sarita, towards the la parra gate. I gave it to my herp prof.
Out of that clutch I had 8 hatch, I gave the one that you have to Jimmy, and out of the 7 left, I had 3 eat for me a couple days ago. They will all eat eventually, just need to keep them full. I was told by some friends about using a cathater tube and veal baby food to feed non eaters. They use it on non feeding crotalids and on corals and their snakes are doing well, growing and shedding. I think I am going to give it a try on alterna. They added 5ml of Canine RED CELL to a 2.2 oz jar of Gerber Veak Baby Food. The Red Cell stuff is from Premium Pet Care and is a vitamin and mineral supplement. Hopefully it will work and get these guys growing and eating.
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South Texas Herps

Just for moments like this, double post.
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South Texas Herps

Oh, I couldnt actually care any less about housing lizards together, I was just curious what that was in the back. I have only cought one slender glass, it was down east of sarita, towards the la parra gate. I gave it to my herp prof.
Out of that clutch I had 8 hatch, I gave the one that you have to Jimmy, and out of the 7 left, I had 3 eat for me a couple days ago. They will all eat eventually, just need to keep them full. I was told by some friends about using a cathater tube and veal baby food to feed non eaters. They use it on non feeding crotalids and on corals and their snakes are doing well, growing and shedding. I think I am going to give it a try on alterna. They added 5ml of Canine RED CELL to a 2.2 oz jar of Gerber Veal Baby Food. The Red Cell stuff is from Premium Pet Care and is a vitamin and mineral supplement. Hopefully it will work and get these guys growing and eating.
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South Texas Herps

Of course I realize how unusual it is, but I certainly cannot be the only person to ever have been so lucky. MAYBE the first since the internet's been such an important component of herping.
The reason I "blew off" the whole thing is precisely because it was dumb luck. I was happy to find a grayband, sure, but as a non-collector of alterna, it was not the finest moment of my life (though it certainly made our summer).
Once in a lifetime? OK. I'll believe that of The Gap, but I appreciated it exactly the right amount, and I expect someone - anyone - blind luck in tow - to top it one day.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

I guess it all boils down to right place right time and I know what it is like to find multiples but only in a locale that is inundated with them. (and I was always on the wrong side of the car, lol! No slight to Zee's owl eyes!) But this year I have spent all my time in the gap with only a few snakes seen and definitely no gbk's this year. More time = more snakes usually, but conditions and some other factor that I don't want to call luck comes into play. It's not like it is raining gbk's on any given day!
Todd Hughes

I've been told,I dunno, maybe 100 times that "You hafta put in the time."
Dana and I can only go once a year so we "put in the time" by staying out all night and hammering the roads as hard as we can. We actually go as slowly as we can get away with and examine everything.
That one night it paid off.
The other quote is "Snakes are where you find 'em." That's about all you can say sometimes.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

because you and I illustrate the opposite ends of the extreme when it comes to the Gap.

Just out of curiosity, where and when on those two in one night? Approximations will do for my curiosity.

Honestly, I don't know the Gap well enough to name the parts, but I can approximate: South end, within 4 miles of the bottom and both snakes were on limestone cuts. Sites were probably separated by 1/4 mile, but about 4 hours apart.
The next night was almost identical and we saw only night snakes and atrox.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

thanks

Translation........................ Between parking areas 5-9.

Wayne

you can translate a little more specifically with the info he gave you. Limestone, and within 4 miles narrows it down to one stretch.

agreed.

Shaky,

On only one other night that I'm aware of (and I've researched word of every alterna to ever come off of the Gap) were there two alterna caught, and that was by different people.

Your night was the best on that road ever by a single car of collectors (at least in terms of number of alterna).

Troy

Hi All, I am just a little curious about these specific areas where it seems that hardcore alterna hunters go to find their elusive prizes. I have never been to these areas, the closest I have ever been is when passing through El Paso on I-10 on my way either east or west. And I know this in a long way from these areas. What I don't understand is, when ever I have driven through Texas I pass miles upon miles of open unfenced unposted areas. Is this not the way it is in Brewster,Val Verde,Pecos,Terrell,Jeff Davis,Presidio county etc? I would guess by the posts that I read, that all land in the entire region is fenced and posted no trespassing. Which restricts everyone to just road hunting? Or is it that road hunting is just the easiest most economical way to find them? By economical I mean able to cover more ground and areas in a given night. Just wondering. Jack

most of the land in Texas is prvately owned and posted.
If you want to search on private property you need permission, or better yet buy your own place. That's why folks hunt the right of way.

Also, most of the "public" land is state or federal parks or wildlife areas with strict prohibitions against hunting.

found two ugly males in sheffield some night in late June. Did anybody find a riverroad snakes this year? how bout x-mas?