Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just to prevent anyone from getting the impression that every trip is a good one, here's a negative report.

I drove out for a one-nighter to "an eastern alterna locality". It had rained the night before but been dry that day. Thunderstorms were building in the area to the SE and there was a nice humid SE breeze. The big storms to the east had the benefit of obscuring the almost full moon.

Not a single snake was seen between 8:00 and 11:45. There were lots of Syrrhophus calling on the cuts, and Bufo on the roads but nothing else herpwise. I gave up at 11:45 since I had a long drive home and it started to pour.

The scary thing is that I had a good time, in spite of not seeing anything! I think that's a clear sign I've been doing this too long!

I might try and sneak out another 1 nighter this weekend if I can work it in. Or possible a Tuesday nighter, since I'm off wednesday...hmmm...
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Hey Chris,

Dad got a neonate "Barking Lizard" in the garage this morning before he left for church ... so even if it rains, you could probably do well on those up the canyon ...

Troy

"barking lizard"? is that an alcoholic drink? sure sounds like one.

I went out to juno the week before the dark of june (still leagal) hunted till three in the mourning. saw one fresh dor pituophis right at comstock at 3:30.

so, there is another not so good report
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South Texas Herps

I just got back from a western local where everything was DEAD! I did manage to move several animals off the roadway, but for the most part I was in the wrong place at the wrong time to save anything. Some big beautiful female breeders (post lay) and a couple that would make a grown man cry.

I drove out i-10 just look at the vast expanse over the Stockton plateau and imagine ever being able to fish out all the alterna living in there. fat chance. then I looked up in time to see a huge atrox meet an 18 wheeler face to face. ouch.

It was really a bad trip for the herps. I'm glad not every trip is that gruesome, but this one really put things in perspective for me.

California refers to road-kills as "incidental take". I'm quite sure the real incidental take is the animals removed by herpers as compared to the numbers killed by automobiles 24/7 365 days a year, give or take a few days when it's below zero.

Hey Chrish.....and Joe....you are just doing this wrong....what you have to do is spend two weeks out there and hope for the best.....we had about five nights of zero snakes.....and really only two nights were we saw more than a couple of snakes in a night.....ouch! The good news is.....you are only a few hours away....not 23! gmerker

G,
Any trip is a great trip for me. That one was just bad for the Herps. As you know, there is so much more to it than observing herps. I still feel bad when I see them smashed though, that won't change.

I agree Joe......right now, we are in the East.....the worst mayhem I have experienced in years was two nights ago in North Carolina....over 30 snakes observed in 1.5 hours....and 27 were smeared on the road by the 18 wheelers traveling those roads....brutal....

I have some info and photos for you on that when you are ready from US77, El Sanctuario Del Muerte! Also my trip was bad for #'s, except for # of friends!
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Todd Hughes

Hell,

I'd be happy with a few DOR alterna just to prove to me they really aren't the rarest snake in the US!

In about 15 years of looking for them between 5-25 nights a year, I have found a total of 4 live and one DOR. And one of the live ones was crawling up a cut and I wouldn't have spotted it if my friend hadn't seen it first (I was driving).

The hours/dollars I have spent looking for alterna would make me cry if I ever added them up. And considering I really don't care that much for them, I think I should probably have my head examined.

Oh, yeah, and I'll probably go out tomorrow night and suck at it once again for 6-8 hours and $50 in gas.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

ROCK ON CHRIS!!! I feel your pain at the pump!