As some of you know, "I am a volunteer with a nonprofit organization," and that organization is sending me on a summer working vacation in the next couple of days, so this will most likely be the last topic you see from me until the fall.
Although my departure date is approaching quickly, I couldn't pass up the combined West TX Herp Society/DFW Herp Society/Austin Herp Society field trip and meeting which was today. After work yesterday, I sped down to Sanderson and the Outback Oasis Motel. One the way, it sprinkled off and on--I hadn't checked the weather and was not aware of the forthcoming cold front. D'OH!
After dropping some things off in my room, I called Todd Hughes ("antelope" on here) since I knew he would be in west TX somewhere. He was out in Del Rio, and had gotten skunked on Thursday night. I told him I was considering going towards Black Gap, but he said his latest check of the weather showed huge storms in that region. I naively trusted his judgment 
and decided instead to drive Hwy 90 towards Dryden, then north up 349, then looping back on 2400 to Sanderson.
I shined pretty much every one of the small cuts on 349, but saw nothing except for one millipede on the cut (millipedes were EVERYWHERE) and lots of fireflies. Following the Vehicle Speed Rule of Road Cruising (your speed increases with the length of time since the last item of interest spotted), I was going about 65mph when I crested a hill to see a large western diamondback sprawled arrow-straight across the road. I cringed as I attempted to straddle it, but was certain I had hit it. I doubled back to happily find I had not. I took a few pics, but since I hadn't bothered to get the hook out of the car, I didn't try posing it for a better shot:
This atrox was about 4 feet long. Found at 10:10 pm, air temp 84 deg, surface temp 81, 54% humidity, overcast skies and no wind.
I didn't see anything else until I turned onto 2400, where I found one DOR longnose and many toads starting around 11 pm. I returned to Sanderson and went to sleep.
This morning, I met up with Michael Price and his son Nathan, John Lopez, Tim from Austin, Ralph and his son Patrick, Dusty Rhoads, Nathan from Austin, and Ruth Ann from I-don't-know-where. Turns out most of them had indeed hit Black Gap and met with moderate success--a few subocs, juvenile molossus, and some other assorted snakes. Never again shall I consult Todd Hughes for my weather!
After breakfast, Mike headed west to look for lepidus and Roy Engeldorf led us to a private ranch to drive up onto a mesa and flip. Habitat shot, with L-R Ralph, Patrick, and Dusty:
I only saw one herp--a whiptail moving too quickly to identify, much less photograph, around 10:30. 82 degrees, surface 81, 64% humidity, scattered cumulus and a NE breeze. If you're an invert fan, you'd love the diversity in millipedes. It almost made me want to bring some more home for my kid--almost. I saw three varieties; golden:
Black with red legs:
And zebra-striped:
Now, having had fairly poor luck thus far, and thinking about how I should really spend more time with my family whom I won't see for a long time instead of traipsing around the trans-Pecos, I made the decision to forgo the formal meeting which was this afternoon, and instead go on and drive back home. Dusty was to give a presentation on subocularis, and I'm sure it was great. Also, more of the herpers would be showing up (many had decided to sleep in rather than flip this morning, and others were still inbound from parts unknown). I'm sorry I couldn't stick around to meet everyone, and I hope they had/have good herping tonight.
Anyhoo, I made my way back up 2400 and stopped to take this pic of the road looking southwest, lined with sotols in bloom:
It's a good thing I stopped when I did, for precisely as long as I did, for a few minutes later, as I was zipping along at circa 70mph, I saw a large pink snake booking across the road--coachwhip! Again though, it was so large I did all I could to straddle vs. hit it, including doing some impromptu off-roading in my fairly-new Corolla. Alas, as I looked in the rear-view mirror, still decelerating, I saw the snake coil and flip over. I approached for this shot:
On closer inspection, the snake didn't LOOK hit at all! I can't say for certain, but after the following series of pics, he snapped out of his momentary daze and took off for the opposite shoulder. I chased him through the brush, grabbed him once, and got chewed up by various pointy and poky vegetation. Yes, several pics of the same snake, but you don't see them as often as other species on the forum, and I was pretty excited (flagellum's not a lifer, but this was my first pink), so if you don't like it, nuts to you!
Notice the faint wide bands on the body:
One of those artsy narrow-depth-of-field-at-the-snake's-eye-level pics:
Illustration of excellent binocular vision, prerequisite for a diurnal hunter:
Tongue flick; my only successful such shot after numerous attempts:
Ventral shot; this snake was PINK through and through!
The fun happened at 12:15 this afternoon, 84 degrees, road temp 104, 44% humidity, partly cloudy with cumulus and a NE breeze.
I was still shaking from the thrill of the pink coachwhip when not half a mile further down the road I saw a whipsnake, but this snake turned around and disappeared into the unusually-lush vegetation before I could run after it.
However, a few more miles down the road and I couldn't believe my luck--ANOTHER pink coachwhip; this individual was resting in the middle of the road. In situ:
I never got a hold of this one, though I chased it on and off the road.
A few MORE miles down the road produced a DOR gopher snake--I had just been passed by 2 pickup trucks and intially thought they were responsible, but the snake was sufficiently stiff to assume it had been dead for some time.
I returned home several hours earlier than planned, which meant I could get my yard work done in time to spend most of tomorrow relaxing and taking the kid fishing one more time before I depart. All in all, the trip was worth it just for the pink coachwhips and the (albeit time-limited) camaraderie with the other herp nuts.
I'll try to reply if y'all have any questions/comments in the next 24 hours but if not, I'll talk to you guys in the fall! Happy Herping!
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet
