Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am training for the FAA in Oklahoma City and am interested to know if anyone knows any good places to herp in the area. Please let me know! Also what times of day are good where, etc. Thanks!

Josh
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1.1 Rosy Boa
0.1 Mexican Rosy Boa
1.0 Coastal Carpet Python
1.0 Miniature Daschund

Well it depends on what you are looking for. Road cruising around dusk, especially as we get warmer in May and into summer, can be good. Traditional tin flipping in wooded and pasturage areas also works. The most common species in the central part of the state are Texas rats, bull snakes, sometimes prairie or speckled kings. On the venemous side, prime western diamondback habitat can be foind west and southwest of OKC, especially down around Lawton. Copperheads are found almost statewide, cottonmouths in the southwestern quarter of the state, prairie rattlers west and northwest, massasaguas central and east central. Lots and lots of non-venemous watre snakes along creeks and aroind ponds. Might check with the herp people at the OKC Zoo, as they have cniotacts with local herp groups as well. Overall you're in one of a dozen of so states, from Arizona across to Florida, with lots of species and many herping choices.

Oops, misstated cottonmouth range-- southeast rather than southwest, and along the eastern counties by Arkansas. Also most of the state is in the hognose range, and of course various garters and Dekays-type ground snakes are pretty common. And. road cruising areas are plentiful in the OKC outskirts, especially SE around Draper lake, NE in the Jones-Spencer area and west out into Canadian County. All those areas are a 15-20 minute drive away from the central city.

Thanks for the help on locations, are many out right now? or do they come out a little later in the season?

Thanks!
Josh
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1.1 Rosy Boa
0.1 Mexican Rosy Boa
1.0 Coastal Carpet Python
1.0 Miniature Daschund

We're looking at upper 70s this weekend, so I would bet lots are out. By the second week of May you should have pretty much all populations moving, and certainly into June you'll have night hunters out on the roads at and after dusk.