Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just found out I am going to South Georgia and North Florida next week to go birding and herping, and am not having the most luck figuring out where to go. Any parks in particular people like, especially at this time of year?

thanks,
duncan

Without being specific, I think you could not do much better than heading to FL/GA in the next month...
Look for tin and boards to flip.
Good luck.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

I really liked Okeefenokee. You can see herps on the boardwalk. When I was there (quite a few years ago) it was Summer and we saw lizards (skinks and anoles mostly) as well as gators. We also found a racer, grey rat snake and cottonmouths - as well as a pickeral frog - all just from walking the public boardwalk.

The real highlight came as we were leaving the boardwalk area: my first rattlesnake, an eastern diamondback, was right there in the middle of the road! Needless to say, many pictures were taken (maybe I'll try to scan them and post them tomorrow). I was in disbelief at how impressive the snake was (although in retrospect, it was probably average-sized). Not five minutes later, as we were driving away, I straddled something in the road with the car. I slammed on the brakes and my buddy just looked at me like "What's up with that?"

"Another snake," I said. And there in the road was a pygmy rattler. We took photos of that too.

So yeah, I'd recommend Okeefenokee.

Tim

I've herped in N. Fla and S. Ga for over 30 years. The parks are nice and senic, but for the most part, any herps you see will be the most common, (anoles, skinks, racers, waters. etc.) with exception of course. Your best bet if you want to see corns, kings, scarlet kings, canebrakes and EDB's is to find the agriculture areas. Look for pump houses, barns, and tree lines between fields. These are usually good tin areas. Springtime is excellent for flipping tin. Watch, the weather. if you catch it prior to an approaching cold front, even during the passage in the rain, the herps will be up on the surface under tin, boards etc. If the front has passed and you have low humidity and high pressure, the luck won't be as good.
I live and work in Tx these days and long for the good ole' days in Fla. Good luck and post how you did.
Bob

Well, I am leaving tomorrow morning, thanks for the suggestions. Still no definite plans, but pending further negotiation I hope to spend a night or two at Okefenokee.

Well, hopefully I will post of pictures of all the great things I find when I get back.

thanks,
duncan