Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you prefer night driving, In the field or both?

Me personally - in the field.
Night driving often gives better results though.
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6.8 L. getula californiae - 11 eggs (Cal. King)
1.2 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 L. getula floridana (Brooksi)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Pacific gopher)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata - 14 eggs (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Very true, but those long night drives start to play tricks on your eyes. If I cought every stick, rubber hose etc, I'd be rich!

Isnt that the truth! Not to mention how quick you go through breaks. Man, you start out slow and then forget how fast you are going until you see a stick and slam on those breaks at 60.
But wow, seen some spectacular sticks.

Jasonmc

I hate people who throw bannana peals out their car window.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

Yeah I've stopped for those too!

After a while you get to recognize the "fake" snakes like fanbelts, string, rope, eastern kings, LOL! (just had to throw that one in).

I used to have a picture of a rope snake that Calif F&G puts out to cathc snake collectors. It is a black rope with white masking tape across it mimicking a kingsnake. I'll see if I can dig it up.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

That's too funny, even still with tape holding my eyes open, 12-to 20 cups of coffee and 8 hours on the road. I think I've seen everything, but what I'm looking for those night..SNAKES!

I used to have pictures of that decoy too. Kyle Change lays it out on Whitewater rd. and waits in the bushes for you to stop.

I can speak for So Cal. the coastal kingsnakes are a lot easier to field hunt then road cruise but the desert Cal kings are easier to night drive, but still not many are found that way. During perfect spring days in S.D. Co. 20+ coastal kings have been found before.

I'm from S Ca, what part is this in?

Most of the kings up North look just like that but you can also find them in the Anza Borrego area. Most of the Cal kings from the deserts have wider white bands then that but Borrego has some thinner banded ones like that. There's even pictures of kings found in the S.D. mountains (lagunas ect.) that look a lot like that. In So Cal any king with bands that white usually comes from the desert never the coast.

I cannot believe how many banana peels I have braked for, lol!
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Todd Hughes

I think that depends on where you are and the time of year.

Eastern Kings are more common under trash in the spring and then on roads in the morning, rather than at night.

Florida Kings are more often found under trash. People also find them on roads during in the day and at night.

Speckled Kings are similar, but more likely to be found on the road at night than the more eastern ssp.

Desert Kings are easiest to find on the road at night, although I have found a few on the road in the day and under cover in the spring.

Cal Kings (with which I have the least experience!) are found under trash in the spring and on roads at night in the summer.

The only nigrita I have seen (n=2) have been DOR at night.

As for preferences, I would much rather flip a king than find one on the road. I love to roadcruise, but flipping one is more exciting.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Have you ever hit it out west in the deserts when everything is "on". Low pressure, recent rain, no moon, the road crawling with snakes and all you have to do to keep up is open your car door and reach down to pick them up as fast as you can. I have. And let me tell you its more fun than flipping. Though i do like flipping mountain kings because of their black-white and red colors ortherise I really remeber those magical nights when you can even find rosy boas on the in cities under streetlights and off to the side of the interstate. I have not heard of such nights in over 15 years now because the conditions have not been "right". Probably the droughts and global warming, El Nino .. have something to do with it.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

Do that lots here in NM!

Only Kings I've ever cruised have been @ WW. All the others in NorCal and SoCal I've found have been in the field.

reako45