Reptile & Amphibian Forums

went out with my friend the informed herper, aaron, we found a half dozen of these



sadly saw new rock damage from scumbags who cant replace the rock correctly/jon

You got some nice ones there. I thought it was to late this year with the early heat and no rain. I guess i was wrong. The timing of finding those is at a different time every year. I caught 21 memorial day a few years ago.
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I still don't need no spell chack.

Great looking "zonata"!,.....are those "parvirubra", and
"multicincta"??.....in any case,....great finds!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

STUNNING.......n/p
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research

Being from south Texas, I have never been to california to even see what kind of rocks you are looking under, much less the type of damage that uneducated herpers to to the area. Can you post pics of both, for some of us who have never been out west before?

Thanks
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South Texas Herps

I have lots pics of rock dmage of zonata habitat but I have to get a new scanner to scan them.

The problem with rocks and zonata is once you move the rock it has to go right back EXACTLY in the place you found it otherwise you won't find anything under it on your next trip. Snakes like mounatin kings (zonata) like certain rocks and even though some are removed you can still find more under the same rocks in subsequent years. If a rock is placed even a couple inches to the side it is useless the following season.

The rock damage to a certain private spot is usually all or most of the rocks moved out of place by some careless or uneducated herper. This can be very discoraging for someone who showed his spot to a friend and then later on that friend shows it to his friend and so on. Then you will have people going to your spots and destroying the habitat every year until it is completely desecrated.

Best thing is if you have any spots DON'T SHOW OR TELL ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS. That is the unfortunate lesson most that have been around a while have learned. Today there are not many experienced herpers that will share their spots with anyone because of this. You can show a friend and it might take a while (friends do sometimes come and go in and out of our lives)but the rock outcropping you have, you might want to visit again 5-10-15 yearsd later. Its no fun to see it destroyed and never find any more zonata under anything.

nothing to do with rock damage but it is my favorite field herping pic:

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I still don't need no spell chack.

Nice pics Jon and yes the rock damage was truely sad. The awesome 3' x 2' slab with the manzanita root underneath just flipped down the slope was particularly sad for me. I found this animal underneath it a few years ago.

It's a heavy slab but I managed to lift and put it back several times. What an uncaring and unskilled hunter it is to destroy a part of this animals home. If you are reading this just think of having a room of your house torn away. Next time think before you lift.