Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was out radio tracking some of my copperheads the other day and had the video camera with me... I was tracking the animal, was getting closer, then all of a sudden the signal died down. I turned around and there was my snake at the end of my foot.

The video quality isn't all that good, but it gives you an idea of how well these guys blend in (and I was looking for the animal!).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWJdSHsLxec

Pretty cool Bobby!
Maybe thats why we couldn't find anything in Nacogdoches! LOL!
Right under our nose.

Randal

Bobby,

What receiver do you use? I'm using an AVM LA-12Q to track wood and box turtles, and found that its not as easy to pick up the signals as the digital ones (Comm Specialists R-1000). We found that the R-1000 often picks up signals best when you try tweaking the frequencies maybe 1 or 2 kHz from the 'target' frequency of the transmitter. When trying to use the AVM, on our same frequencies, its a real &*&(&(* to find a turtle. On some we have to go back to the programmed frequency of the transmitter, rather than what comes in best with the R-1000(these were loaned to us by the NY DEC).

MH

I'm using a TRX-1000S from Wildlife Materials. It is a receiver that was bought years ago for a Alligator Snapping Turtle telemetry project. The transmitters that I'm using are old SOPI 1038 LD models that were last used in an Opheodrys study in the early 80's. I took them, replaced the choke coil on them and converted them from a tuned loop to a whip antenna and they're working once again. The receiver I'm using does a great job, these snakes just blend in too well sometimes. If people saw the things I see while locating these copperheads they probably wouldn't walk in the woods at all. The night before I found that snake like that, I found him at the base of a tree, covered in about 1.5-2 inches of dead leaves. 10 minutes before I found him then, I found another, non-transmittered animal at my foot as I was walking down a path. I heard something move, shined my flashlight, and there was a cute copperhead striking repeatedly at my leg. It was along a trail that rodents probably use and he was probably just sitting there waiting for some food.

Hey Matt,

We are getting ready to start tracking western fox snakes with the AVM LA-12Q too; hope our's is a little more user friendly but your comments are making me a bit nervous. We did some field trials and they worked okay but that's a lot different than the real deal. I'll let you know how it goes.

Take care, Rob

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>Bobby,
>>
>>What receiver do you use? I'm using an AVM LA-12Q to track wood and box turtles, and found that its not as easy to pick up the signals as the digital ones (Comm Specialists R-1000). We found that the R-1000 often picks up signals best when you try tweaking the frequencies maybe 1 or 2 kHz from the 'target' frequency of the transmitter. When trying to use the AVM, on our same frequencies, its a real &*&(&(* to find a turtle. On some we have to go back to the programmed frequency of the transmitter, rather than what comes in best with the R-1000(these were loaned to us by the NY DEC).
>>
>>MH
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL