**Names of other herpers withheld to protect the innocent from HB12 stings.
LONG NARRATIVE; feel free to skip to the photos at the end.
I had to make another milk run a couple of nights ago and planned to do a few passes through the Christmas Mountain (Luna Vista) cuts on the way home. However, after passing three herping vehicles on the way down, I decided that’s a fourth would be too much for such a small area and I headed to River Road instead. Before heading west, I gave the Christmas hunters the location of my property’s eastern boundary so they’d have a small slice to hunt without fear of violating HB12. I told them they were free to “hunt herps” along the first few feet of my boundary (outside the ROW) if they got tired of just “observing wildlife” or “looking for inverts” on the road and ROW.
I found a large suboc west of the Ghost Town. No photos taken because he was not in a photogenic location and moving him to the nice outcrop a few feet away would have exposed me to a truly ludicrous citation under HB12. I did work up the courage to tap his tail with my foot to get him to move off the road. Luckily, Harvey didn’t witness this brazen intrusion into his “wildlife sanctuary.” I know he wants the herps in the road to be unmolested, but I prefer that they remain un-squished. After that, I found a DOR ground snake and an AOR night snake. Both were moved off the pavement habitat that the state so generously created for reptilian thermoregulation inside their “wildlife sanctuaries”. If Harvey and TPWD really want to protect Texas herps, they should ban motor vehicle traffic.
Heading home from the River Road, I saw the same herpers in the Christmases and was told that two Alterna had been observed on the north hill (hey, that’s where my property is located –no law against hunting and collecting on PP with the owners consent!).
Well, I didn’t want to be skunked on a night when two Alterna were spotted on my turf. I decided to head home (at 2am) and drop off my boys (snoring loudly) so I could walk the interior of my Luna Vista tract. Arriving on the road that accesses the back half of my tract, I parked for a few minutes and just watched the road herpers (I mean wildlife observers). I can understand why many locals and ranchers don’t like us. Lights were blazing all over the place. We should all be very careful about where our lights shine.
Finally, I headed off into the west Texas wilderness with my headlamp, 5W Led flashlight, pocket LED light (emergency back-up), satellite phone (This is dangerous country for night hunting. HB12 will likely kill one us and cell phones don’t work in most of Alterna land.), improvised snake hook, and camera.
After an hour of bolder hoping and talus sliding, I turned right to follow a rock outcrop. Luckily, I slipped and alerted a rattlesnake to my presence. I had been angling away and NEVER would have noticed him had he not sounded off. Unfortunately, the buzz was coming from an area thick with brush and loose rock. I feared I’d never be able to spot, much less photograph, him. After ten minutes of carefully moving closer and using my hook to push aside some brush, I spotted this…
My first Lep lep since getting a decent camera! The first on my property (sorry Ozark gang)! And, my first in the real wild (not pavement or manmade rock cut)! I was thrilled and hurriedly snapped a few pics before he disappeared under the hundreds of rocks or into the thick brush. I was really wishing I had some tongs. I moved a few rocks to get little better, and what I assumed would be my final, shot. The Lep decided to help out my moving to a more open area.
At this point I was glad I didn’t have tongs. Judging from the size and shape of the bulge in this guy’s belly, he likely would have regurged a hard won meal if handled.
Check out that rattler string. This is one successful snake.
Then, to my delight, the Lep continued to ignore escape options and climbed to higher ground.
Once on his rock, he decided to pose some more.
Then he showed off his arboreal skills, still ignoring multiple escape options.
From the bush, he descended onto another boulder. However, I was unable to get a good angle without hooking him or disturbing habitat. I decided to leave him and his home in peace.
He never sought cover and remained calm and deliberative in all his movements. I worried that the photo shoot might stress him into losing his meal, but he never showed any signs of stress, and I never had to hook or restrain him. He just seemed baffled that I didn’t move away when he rattled. It’s likely that the only other large mammals he’s ever encountered are the large mule deer that graze these hills. I’m sure they’ve all beat a hasty retreat for him.
