Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm back in the States for a very short while, and I've got a hankerin' for some herperin'. Too bad the moon decided to go all full-like for now.

Of the nights where folks find stuff moving on a full moon, what has been the elevation of the moon (i.e. low on the horizon/just after moonrise, high in the sky, etc)? Based on field notes, one can easily input location and date and figure it out (azimuth as well). This site works well.

I might be able to get out later this week just for an overnight jaunt; it looks like the moon will be coming up at (roughly) 9:30 pm Thursday, 10 Friday, 10:40 Sat, 11:20 Sun, midnight-15 Monday.
-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Once at Sanderson the moon was full and high in the sky and a single large cloud blocked it out for about 30 min and I saw a suboc, a blacktail, a groundsnake, a hooknose and a nightsnake. Then the cloud passed and I saw no more snakes that night.

Do you think they crawl out of their burrows and don't realize they are exposed because it's so dark?

DAN

I think for them to move in sub-optimal conditions they first need a reason, hungry, thirsty, breed, whatever. When they have a need to move I think they are near the surface looking out and will move if there are no shadows on the ground.

>>I think for them to move in sub-optimal conditions they first need a reason, hungry, thirsty, breed, whatever. When they have a need to move I think they are near the surface looking out and will move if there are no shadows on the ground.

Is their above-ground movement dependent on visual cues, or would subtle changes in gravitational pull, if any, play a role (a la tidal patterns)? I think to show any correlation, you'd have to show similar numbers of snakes found during full and new moons (both phases cause stronger tides) vs. during quarter moons (weak tides).
-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

>>Is their above-ground movement dependent on visual cues, or would subtle changes in gravitational pull, if any, play a role (a la tidal patterns)? I think to show any correlation, you'd have to show similar numbers of snakes found during full and new moons (both phases cause stronger tides) vs. during quarter moons (weak tides).
>>-----
>>Chris McMartin
>>www.mcmartinville.com
>>I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I would say a combo of visual cues and ground temps would be the major factor in movement (assuming the animal needs to move - Breeding, Foraging, Displaced somehow)

Lance