Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All,

I just moved out to El Paso and was wondering who all the herpers in West Texas are? I was trying to figure out who all the people were that moved to Alpine? Randy Ellis(moved back to San Antonio) told me(I know but he did) that 5 herp dealers moved to Alpine. Is this true? I know Robroy's employee Sam comes out and catches a bunch of stuff. And Dr. Ellis said that the guy from KCRD(?) comes down and catches a bunch of stuff too. I know Timaeus gets stuff for Robroy.

Doug Beckwith when did you move out to Alpine? Didn't you use to live in Tampa? I know of Norman and Buzz. And Ray Queen and his workers(#?). I know Mueller (academia) and Denny Miller (not really a herper, retired?) from Sul Ross. Who else is there? Bryson moved East, right? What about that guy named Neil(?) that was catching alterna on the long short cuts coming out of Alpine south on 118 for a hundred and some odd nights? Troy Hibbits lives close to Rocksprings. And Ellis' buddy's Earl Turner and Bob Sloan live in Del Rio, right? Mike Webb up towards the panhandle. There are some guys from El Paso, Sun City Reptiles and some others(?). Who else is there? Jason Penney lives in Uvalde and Hollister lives somewhere close. The rest of the folks that herp out here are from further away, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and out of state.

Are any of you concerned about TPWD's Matt Wagner and the "new" law ideas? What about the number of herpers in West Texas? Any thoughts? Just curious. I put my email below if you want to respond off list.

Laters,

Mike Welker
OHI2007@elp.rr.com
(915) 595-8831

Welcome to paradise!

I'm not much of a herper (probably spent 4-5 nights driving/walking cuts in the last 3 years), but I live in south Brewster county (Terlingua Ranch).

However, I've been lurking here for awhile and plan to do some serious herping (catch, photo, release only) come spring. I'm working on a website for my land sales business that will also feature photos of plants, animals and scenery from the area. While going through all my old photos, I was VERY disappointed to NOT find decent photos for many of the herp species I have collected. So, out of pure stubbornness, I have to go catch them again.

What on earth are long short cuts?????and you were joking about the DR.Ellis thing about Randy right??LOL...Doctor my @$$.

Shannon

I thought you guys might enjoy a little ha ha ha about Dr. Ellis. The "long short cuts" are the first set of cuts you get to when you are heading south on SR118 out of Alpine. They are long and short. As apposed to tall and short or tall and long. I think the strata is vertical kinda like Musquiz or "the cuts in the middle of know where" on 90 between Sanderson and Marathon. Those "cuts in the middle of know where" on 90 are not to be confused with the "cuts in the middle of know where" on 118 south, in the flats between Elephant Mountain and Xmas Mountains. Just wanted to clarify. Okay back to the "long short cuts". They are not quite "minis". There is that big curve near the beginning and a wide shoulder. The road climbs at a shallow slope. They start on your right and then pick up on your left. You know. I think they are 6 or 7 miles south of US90 but I am not sure on the mileage. Okay to answer your next question, "minis" are cuts that are super short one or two levels off the ground or similar size. A level is a horizontal fracture in the rock. North Florida boy cut terminology. But we also use mileage and names like "Timaeus Cut". Mileage would have been a lot easier. Instead of a paragraph I could have said "6 miles south of US 90 on SR118" You live and learn.

Shannon, how many people do you know that live in West Texas? Where is Shawn Moseley anybody know? What about Dave Long?

Laters,

Mike

Hi Mike,

Welcome to WesTexas. Historically I am terrible w/ names, which I'm making a conscious effort to improve this sometimes embarrasing shortcoming. With that said, I only vaguely recognize your name, so if you would be so kind as to let me know how or when we met it would be appreciated.

As to your question. I moved just nw of Alpine in Sunny Glen Canyon on July 25th '06. My wife, Nancy, was recruited by Big Bend Regional Medical Center earlier in the year and she moved out ahead of me in mid April of 06. We lived in and are natives of the Tampa Bay area of FL, St. Petersburg to be precise. We are thrilled to finally be here full time. We have been working towards getting out here full time since we bought our property in '94.

I'm not aware of any commercial collectors/dealers, let alone 5 of them, living here or nearby. That doesn't mean they are not here, but I have not heard of any at this point. Sense I am not a fan of collecting commercially I hope that your info is wrong.

The Galvans work for The Mouse Factory (Queens) and do go out looking at night. Neil Novisaid(sp) no longer collects and hasn't for years as far as I know. As of a couple of years ago Neil got rid of all but a few of the alterna he had collected. I don't know if he still has any at this point or not. Denny Miller worked for CDRI, not Sul Ross for many years. He now works in Alpine for the small business develpoment agency. I have heard of, but don't know the names of the guys in El Paso.

The "long short cuts", as your call them are referred locally as the big hill (not the river road big hill) or 5 mile hill. Neil did find quite a few up there in one stretch a while back, but had many many nights of zero alterna before hitting a bit of a hot streak. I have put in many a night up there as well these last few years w/out success. Hopefully I can change that this year.

Hope this helps w/ some of your curiosity.

DB

Hey Doug,

We have met a few times over the years but I can't recall all the times. I think we met at the Expo in Orlando early on and out in alterna land. I have one of your "Alternatives" business cards. I used to head the Herp Department at the Central Florida Zoo. I am a SFCC zoo school grad. I know the Gainesville herp crew of herpetologists and the breeders pretty well like Brant, Cope, Bessette and Guerriere. I use to work for Doug Foster at Hogtown Herps. I have been making trips out here since 1990. I lived out here for two summers 1997 and 2000. I know a bunch of different people from academia, agencies, zoo herpers, museum folks, vets, collectors, dealers and breeders. I have been doing herp research for the past seven years working on different herp projects through UF, FLMNH, UCF, UA, and Ray Ashton. I have published some stuff in Herp Review and am working on a paper with Dr. Dan Smith on our Indigo work in central Florida. I have been working with herps professionally in one way or another for over 20 years. And like you was able to make the permanent move out here. Thanks to my wife. I am not getting any younger and I wanted to be able to enjoy it while I could still climb up a cut. I love it out here, as all alterna nuts do. I hope something in my herp experience stirred your brain but if not when I see you, you will say, "Oh yea, I have met you before." You know? How many nights have you met people out here on the roads and forgotten there name before they even pulled off? Thanks for the info on Alpine. And I will talk to you soon.

Take Care,

Mike Welker

Mike,

Thanks for stirring my memory....... into more mush than it was previously. While your name does in fact ring a very faint bell, I would like to think that if we see each other this summer I will remember you. As you suggested, there certainly have been too many times when I have spoken to others on the roads at night and forgotten their names soon there after. As I said, that is something I'm working on since moving to such a small town where one usually meets everyone at sometime or another. It's still very strange, but in a good way, seeing people you know out and about most every day. My world truly did get smaller with the move west.

Most of those times you recalled are quite sometime ago, but good times nonetheless. The alternatives card made me chuckle and is a definite collectors items these days...well to some anyway.

You mentioned you lived out here in 97 and 2000, which town did you reside and were you doing some sort of research project?

If you want to get together sometime let me know. I would be interested in your indigo work and catching up. My email address is below should you wish to contact me directly.

Take Care and enjoy your new home. We enjoyed 4 inches of snow here on Wednesday after noon and into the late evening. There is quite a contrast of the white pristine snow against the brown mountains and rock outcroppings. This place is very special even in winter. Very special indeed!

dougbeckwith at wildblue dot net

DB