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Ill be going to Sa Antnio this october and will have a little bit of time to herp! Does anyone know any good herping spots around there? Do i need to go a little farther south to more populated areas? And also what other herps can i find down there?

Thanks advance!

Blake

You'll need to probably get permission to access a private ranch, Texas is all barb wire and private land, so you just can't walk out into the wilderness. It is against the law to collect from the roads (see HB12) recently passed, and there is a plethora of snake and lizards in and around the area, I would recommend that you talk to Texas Parks and WIldlife to get the scoop on what you need in order to herp here......Someone else may have a better insight than I do, but I don't think I am far off.......
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www.phrynosoma.org

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

Blake,

If you really want to find an indigo, you will need to go south of San Antonio, but not very far. They occur in the scrub country just south of town. They are easiest to see driving quiet country dirt roads that run near watercourses. They are active first thing in the morning until it gets too warm. In October, they might be active later in the day as it won't be as hot.

October nights are often just at the border of too cool for roadhunting, but if the mornings are cool enough, flipping stuff can be productive. Look around empty fields, etc, within the city for trashpiles. South and east of town is better than north and west for flipping.

Also in October, you can supposedly find TX Alligator lizards crossing quiet country roads in the steep hilly canyons west of town. They are generally active just before dusk.

With that all said, you should be aware that TX has a new law that prohibits hunting on a road or right of way. This technically outlaws roadhunting for these species. Whether this law is going to be enforced is another issue. If you are only taking photos (no bags/hooks) you can do it legally. If you are taking animals, you are hunting.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Ok thanks for the help i might look for indigos on the road with a hidden snake just so i could move a rattler if i see one not so i can collect.How could i get acces to private land?
i realy want to find some cool snakes.

Blake

call up some land owners and offer them $20 or so to tresspass on their land, that's what we are doing.
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

You and me both! Corpus Christi is about 140 miles south of San Antonio and there are indigoes within 15 miles of the city. That being said, they are found in Choke Canyon State Park between here and there. All of the answers above are correct, and don't mess with the indies, they are protected. You can photo them, and as Chrish said, look around water courses, railroad bridges are good too. Good luck!

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Todd Hughes

Yes I know there endangerd . Thats makes an indigo find even more special! So were can i find the numbers of land owners? Are they pretty easlily bribed(lol)?

Most indigos I have observed were as Chrish explained, crossing seldom or infrequently used roads near a water course. I have had in the past accwss to private hunting leases and seen them while building ground blinds and fishing aroumd the Nueces river. Maybe you can ask some of the cotton farmers that are harvesting now about walking their property in hopes of photoing an indigo. You may get lucky or you may get "the look" and told to scram, lol! People are funny about strangers on their property but some will tell you "take 'em all"!
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Todd Hughes

Do people of post sings that say hunting or fishing lease?