Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Made a trip down to west Texas to look for bugs and photograph anything else I came across. I left all my bags, hook, containers, etc at home. My plan was just to photograph.

Arrived in Sanderson at 11pm Thursday night. "Observed" the cuts east, north, and to the west of town. Saw millipedes, solpugids, tarantulas, and a centipede. That was about all I saw and having worked that morning, I was tired and headed back to town.

However, before getting a good night's rest, I did manage to observe this absolutely perfect milk snake:

I met up with Eby the following night. I waited on him for a little while and he finally showed up. What was the hold up? He had found this awesome alterna:

Congrats to him! We hiked around his property that night and although I haven't seen it during the day, it looks like perfect habitat for all sorts of critters. Eby did flip a huge black scorpion (I've never seen any in the wild and it was way bigger than any of the bark scorpions I've seen).

We saw a couple other things and at around 2-2:30am we parted ways. Thanks Eby for taking me out there! Here are a couple subocs that were found crossing the road.

- found with Eby

- orangish juvie found in the rain at 4:30am

The snakes were on the road, I did not touch them, so that's what you get...road habitat shots. I also ended up seeing the following:

atrox (aors/dors)
viridis (aor in NM)
longnose (aor/dor)
glossy (AOR - MASSIVE snake, I thought it was a gopher snake...close to 4'!)
gopher snake (aor/dor)
splendida (aor - found 20' from the above glossy, he scooted off into the grass before I could get pictures...he was also very big)
checkered garter (aor/dor)

Surpisingly no coachwhips were seen. I usually get to see some of those pink/red ones when I am down that way. Not even a DOR was to be seen. Not a bad trip this time around. Thanks for looking and thanks Eby for taking me out to your property!

Flash photograph my impede the intended and unrestricted movement of the animal and constitute hunting which is a violation along a public right of way.

the surrounding lightning and my impeccable ability to hit the shutter release button on my camera at that same time enabled me to get photographs of the above animals.

I talked to a fish and game guy there. He said that it was not his opinion but some of them would cite me for photographing a Gila because the flash would disturb the animal.

He was not joking... He wanted me to watch out for that as a real concern. A really good guy, but I am afraid that TP&W is headed that way that they will make it some kind of harassment of wildlife issue to even take pictures with an artificial light.

I do not have a high opinion of this new law being embraced so quickly...

My centipede pic again...

I think that the smaller, shinier one is prettier, too.

LOL

Troy

I knew that and thought that I just did not type that... It is like a mental constipation sometimes

Erik, All nice photos but that Celaenops is stunning! Clark

Erik,

I had a a blast meeting and herping with you yesterday. I'm just glad that you didn't seriously hurt yourself when you took that fall. I was NOT about to carry you out. LOL.

Did you notice the DOR Pituophis and Atrox on your drive back to Alpine?

BTW, I felt pretty good about my photos until I saw yours. Time for me to get a REAL camera (or at least learn how to use mine).

That sounds like a testimonial to write up for Joe... I assume that you were herping open country when your personal safety was in peril.

Lance

Sure thing. What information would you need? I can write a short account, but want to make sure I include any info that might be needed.

Just tell me how dangerous it was and email it to me

LanceBenton @ sbcgobal DOT net

Congrats, Erik. That is ptobably the prettiest celeanops I've seen, particularly from Terrell Cty.

JH

Erik,

I think that is about the best looking celaenops I have ever seen that was w/c. Of coyrse Daryl's alterna was equally neat. Congratulations to you both.
-----
Gerald Keown
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
www.southwesternherp.com

ok erik you asked for it lol!!

Jon, did you have to take the wind out of his sails?????? Shame on you!

Wayne

Those are both perfect 10's to me. I've gone back and forth looking at them and I can't decide. Eric's has brighter red [or is it just better photography?] but Jon's is cleaner and with more red on the head. Would love to see them next to each other. Guess I'll say Jon's is a fraction better to me but 50 other people would probably say Erik's. Was it really a Terrill Co snake? Thought it came from near Luna Vista? BA

Jon's photo doesn't do his snake justice. I have better ones at home. Jon's snake is almost perfectly clean and exceptionally bright red. One of the top 5-6 celaenops I've seen.

Troy

Sanderson. Like...right inside Sanderson town.

That is a real beauty for sure. Never ceases to amaze me how many alterna, celanops and pics are found within the city limits of Sanderson. I've got photos of 7 alterna found in Sanderson and have heard of at least that many more.
On another topic, how come you never responded to my email of a couple of weeks ago regarding New Mexico alterna???????
I hope to be out in your state next week. Bad moon phase I know but thats when I can go. BA

I don't believe I received an e-mail about NM alterna. Send again to: nmherper(at)hotmail(dot)com

Well I wasn't saying my milksnake was better than anyone else's. But from the ones I've seen, it's the cleanest most perfect looking one I've seen. Basically, a textbook milksnake. Yours is also very nice, looks very similar to the one I found. My criteria is something like:

bright red, jet black, bright white bands
no crossovers
bands are equally spaced apart
pattern continues throughout the snake (ie, even to the tip of the tail)

As I mentioned, I'm not trying to say mine or yours is better. Just that I had found what I thought was the perfect textbook milksnake.

and you did! Just gorgeous!
Todd Hughes

Here's another picture of the milksnake. I looked at the Texas Snakes book and it shows I was in the range for annulata, although it says it's a huge intergrade zone from Del Rio to the Davis Mountains.

That is a clean machine! Nice red on the head, no speckling, clean bands, bright. Textbook!
Todd Hughes

Eric,

The area where you found it is an intergarde zone for celaenops and annulata so it likely may be an intergrade, but it certainly appears to be celaenops. Regardless, it is still one of the nicest ones I have ever seen.
-----
Gerald Keown
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
www.southwesternherp.com