Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'll be taking a trip to Willacy county Texas and I was wondering if anyone knows where to find Ruthven's whipsnakes there or in the surrounding area. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you'd like to e-mail me at the address in my signature that would be fine.
Thanks
-----
Roy Blodgett
Green Man Herpetoculture
royreptile@yahoo.com

1.1 Drymarchon corais
1.1 Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
0.0.1 Coluber mormon
1.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae (desert phase)
1.0 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila
1.1 Corytophanes cristatus
1.2 Varanus acanthurus brachyurus (Mt.Isa)
2.2 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

“All men lie enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.”- Herman Melville

Not a flippable serpent during the heat, my finds were of them basking on branches in mid morning near culverts or small bodies of water. Other finds were while walking fence lines and road cruising as they sped across the street. Don't really have a locale, they congregate only in winter for brumation.
Todd Hughes

Thanks for the help. Hopefully, I'll get lucky and find one or two of them.
-----
Roy Blodgett
Green Man Herpetoculture
royreptile@yahoo.com

1.1 Drymarchon corais
1.1 Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
0.0.1 Coluber mormon
1.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae (desert phase)
1.0 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila
1.1 Corytophanes cristatus
1.2 Varanus acanthurus brachyurus (Mt.Isa)
2.2 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

“All men lie enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.”- Herman Melville

As Todd points out, they aren't flippable in the heat, but I have found them (or at least other ssp. of M. schotti) under cover in the early hours of the day even in the summer. This is particularly true of juveniles.

Otherwise, I think they spend a lot of time in shrubs and bushes. You can find them crossing roads, but they are pretty damn fast. They are much more elusive than M. bilineatus in my experience. However, if you can chase on off a road, search the nearby bushes.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I flipped a few schotti in the winter under tin in Jim Wells, I would assume you could find them there as well. Chrish is right, they are greased lightning with a solid fuel booster attached. The only reason I caught the one was it went up...the fence post!
Todd Hughes