Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today I went field herping for the first time ever with some friends. We had a blast, and found some neat reptiles.

First critter found was this Ornate Box Turtle.

The next citter, and first snake we found was this big Bullsnake. He wasn't to happy that we visited him, either! He had a large section of tail missing, but he was still gorgeous. This is what I was hoping to see today, and I'm so glad we found one!

I also got a video of him hissing. I'll post it later.

Very soon after the Bullsnake we found this little Hognose. What a cute little guy! He was small enough to sex him as male.

Then we discovered this little 6-Line Race Runner. He was too quick and too deep in the cover for us to catch him, though.

This gorgeous Blue Racer was found next. I'd never seen this species before, and oh man they are pretty!

Later on we found 3 more Blue Racers. Two of them were caught in the act of mating, but quickly slithered down a hole together before a picture could be taken. I didn't actually see them myself, either. But right away we found the 4th Blue Racer, and the prettiest one in my opinion. This one had quite a bit more yellow on the sides.

There were also a variety of non-reptile wildlife that we found. Here are some pictures of them.

Silkworms

A type of Skipper Butterfly

Caterpillar

Flowers

Prickly Pear

And lastly here are some landscape shots of the prairie.

All in all it was a really fun day. The Bullsnake just made my day. I was really hoping we would find one. I love how they hiss! I can't wait until we go herping again soon.
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Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Here is a link to the short clip of the hissing Bullsnake.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT5uhmhskQI

I also forgot to mention that we were herping about 45 minutes West of Madison, WI.
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Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Sweet! Excellent snake, that hiss is outrageous. Thanks for the video!

Thanks.... yeah I was so glad it was mad at us! Hissing Bullsnakes make me happy.... don't know why, lol!
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Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Sounds like an awesome day!!!!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

It definetely was, even though I was running on one hour of sleep!
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Excellent day. That box turtle is so pretty and the blue racers are stunning. I love the yellow sided one, I'd have been way tempted to bring that home.

I'm going to try to get out a little bit this weekend too, hopefully I'll uncover someones just as neat.

Thanks, the Racers were pretty cool. I may have to get into breeding them someday, lol!
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Aubrey,
....Nice hunt and really nice PICs.
Jeff

>>Today I went field herping for the first time ever with some friends. We had a blast, and found some neat reptiles.
>>
>>First critter found was this Ornate Box Turtle.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>The next citter, and first snake we found was this big Bullsnake. He wasn't to happy that we visited him, either! He had a large section of tail missing, but he was still gorgeous. This is what I was hoping to see today, and I'm so glad we found one!
>>
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>>I also got a video of him hissing. I'll post it later.
>>
>>Very soon after the Bullsnake we found this little Hognose. What a cute little guy! He was small enough to sex him as male.
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>Then we discovered this little 6-Line Race Runner. He was too quick and too deep in the cover for us to catch him, though.
>>
>>
>>This gorgeous Blue Racer was found next. I'd never seen this species before, and oh man they are pretty!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>Later on we found 3 more Blue Racers. Two of them were caught in the act of mating, but quickly slithered down a hole together before a picture could be taken. I didn't actually see them myself, either. But right away we found the 4th Blue Racer, and the prettiest one in my opinion. This one had quite a bit more yellow on the sides.
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>>There were also a variety of non-reptile wildlife that we found. Here are some pictures of them.
>>
>>Silkworms
>>
>>
>>
>>A type of Skipper Butterfly
>>
>>
>>Caterpillar
>>
>>
>>Flowers
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Prickly Pear
>>
>>
>>And lastly here are some landscape shots of the prairie.
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>>
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>>All in all it was a really fun day. The Bullsnake just made my day. I was really hoping we would find one. I love how they hiss! I can't wait until we go herping again soon.
>>-----
>>Aubrey Ross
>>
>>©
>>www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Thank you Jeff!
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Coluber constrictor mormon

Although they are listed as Blue Racers in some texts.

Blue Racers are a different subspecies Coluber c. foxi

You found lots of quality animals on your first trip. Many people who hunt a lot do not have such a lucrative day ever.

Makes it addicting days like that. I haven't been out field herping in a long time.

Bull snakes are very impressive in the wild state.

I have caught only a San Diego Gopher Snake and Northern Pine Snakes. The Pine snakes are more like the bull snakes in regards to how the huff and puff and hiss rather loudly. The Gopher snake was beautiful but lacked the theatric's of it's cousins to the east.

Looks like you picked a hot spot to hunt as well. Where the racers out and about or under artificial cover such as the metal in some of those pictures you posted ? (not the ones that where in the act of mating)

Also did the Hognose do anything when you found it. The ones in New Jersey are very theatrical and hiss, piss, and inflate like a cobra and when that don't scare you off they start to convulse and play dead while musking an odorous liquid/solid mixture that smells quite badly. Interesting display for a protection mechanism.

Oh and that type of lizard is almost impossible to catch...out of a 100 I would say I caught two LOL!!!

(involved diving into sticker bushes and scrambling on ones knees as well, not very smart, I prefer the word determined. lol)
-----
=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Coluber c. flaviventris

Not realy sure, the last one is not foxi and may be a different subspecies then the others you captured depending on the exact location of the snakes their ranges do overlap.

>>Coluber constrictor mormon
>>
>>Although they are listed as Blue Racers in some texts.
>>
>>Blue Racers are a different subspecies Coluber c. foxi
>>
>>You found lots of quality animals on your first trip. Many people who hunt a lot do not have such a lucrative day ever.
>>
>>Makes it addicting days like that. I haven't been out field herping in a long time.
>>
>>Bull snakes are very impressive in the wild state.
>>
>>I have caught only a San Diego Gopher Snake and Northern Pine Snakes. The Pine snakes are more like the bull snakes in regards to how the huff and puff and hiss rather loudly. The Gopher snake was beautiful but lacked the theatric's of it's cousins to the east.
>>
>>Looks like you picked a hot spot to hunt as well. Where the racers out and about or under artificial cover such as the metal in some of those pictures you posted ? (not the ones that where in the act of mating)
>>
>>Also did the Hognose do anything when you found it. The ones in New Jersey are very theatrical and hiss, piss, and inflate like a cobra and when that don't scare you off they start to convulse and play dead while musking an odorous liquid/solid mixture that smells quite badly. Interesting display for a protection mechanism.
>>
>>Oh and that type of lizard is almost impossible to catch...out of a 100 I would say I caught two LOL!!!
>>
>>(involved diving into sticker bushes and scrambling on ones knees as well, not very smart, I prefer the word determined. lol)
>>-----
>>=========================================================
>> Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
>>=========================================================
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Frank Roberts
>>
>>
>>
>>I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.
-----
=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

I was told it was the Coluber c. foxi. We went with one of my friends that has been taking a class on WI wildlife, and he seemed to know exactly what it was.
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

I forgot to answer your Hognose question! No, it didn't really do anything but try to get away. No musking, biting, or feigning death.
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

>>I forgot to answer your Hognose question! No, it didn't really do anything but try to get away. No musking, biting, or feigning death.
>>-----
>>Aubrey Ross
>>
>>©
>>www.SlipstreamSerpents.com
-----
=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Upon further research I have found that Wisconsin Racers are under review and most likely the "Blue Racer" will be reclassified.

That explains why they are teaching it's classification as the Blue Racer in your friends wildlife class.

That last racer was a yellow bellied racer I KNEW as soon as I looked at it to be honest.

(although the east and western look very similar it's location being a major factor in identifying from a photograph)

No offence to your friend or what they are teaching him in school.

I am an actual Amateur Herpetologist who studies classification and sees many problems with the nomenclature.

It is possible that some of those snakes you captured and pictured where in fact Blue Racers.

That last and one you said was the prettiest is a Yellow Bellied Racer for certain.

You may have both in the state in my opinion and therefore may also be an integration zone of the subspecies making study even more interesting taxonomically speaking.

Because of this many are listing the snake simply as the Blue or Yellow Bellied Racer and using just Coluber constrictor as the specie due to this uncertainty.

below:

Wisconsin populations of this species have typically been classified as the Blue Racer(Coluber constrictor foxi), but Oldfield and Moriarty’s (1995) recent classification of Minnesota specimens as Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer (C. c. flaviventris) calls this desig-nation into question (Casper 1996). Additional work with Wisconsin specimens is needed in order to assign the correct subspecies.

The recently adopted regulations cover-ing reptiles (NR 19.26, Wis. Admin. Code) refer to Racers (C. constrictor).

The Wisconsin Herpetological Literature

the Blue (or Yellow-bellied) Racer

Wisconsin’s Strategy for Wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need
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=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

At the rate these studies are performed.

It could take decades to straighten that out (low priority)

I wish I was there to actually see them. As I said it most likely is an integration zone of the species in question.

This happens with many NA colubrids and makes classification difficult if not impossible. I have believed for years all the North American obsoleta rat snakes are the same snake, just different pattern color variants.

I do not recognize their reclassification scientificaly into Pantherophis with the corn snakes.

I do like knowing what the heck I am looking at and don't believe everything I am told.
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=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

That's good to know. Thanks for the info, Frank.
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Regardless that was one Beautiful Racer...

I would have wanted to keep it.

I have kept several Black Racers throughout my life. They are my favorite snake found in New Jersey explaining my slightly anal opinions about their subspecies classification LOL.

As a note most people do not keep racers as pets, they have reputations for being aggressive and not the hardiest of captives. They do tame down and are voracious predators once properly acclimated.

I had a 5 foot plus Black Racer stand its ground instead of fleeing once in the field. Lunging at me to protect itself and literally coming off the ground. They usually flee like grease lightening. I assume this one felt it's get away zone was blocked or it was just very brazen to protect itself and choose fight instead of it's flight response.

I would be interested to know about that area in Wisconsin because some of the other ones you captured looked to be blue racers and another one with a little yellow could have been an intergrade animal.

It is very possible you where hunting in an actual zone where the species are abundant in all forms.

Blue,Yellowbelly, and intergrade's!!!!

Most people do not get to hunt "special" areas like that, and it also seemed quite abundant with other Herpetofauna and other critters as well.

So whoever picked the hot spot found a "honey hole". I hope it's protected land and gets to stay the way it is.

Thanks for the pic's and a mind provoking experience. (best types of pic's)

You even had me googling stuff to find if they where studying the populations of Wisconsin Racers for reclassification. From what I see and what I read looks to be an integration zone.

Fun in the sun!!!

>>That's good to know. Thanks for the info, Frank.
>>-----
>>Aubrey Ross
>>
>>©
>>www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

-----
=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
=========================================================
Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Beautiful critter and environment shots; looks like loads of fun! But Wisconsin has prickly pears?! I thought they only grew further south!

I'm hoping to help with the herp survey in June the MHS does at a park every year for the DNR. I've never been field herping either, but there are lots of old hands to help out at that event, so it should be quite an experience.
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Renee

2.0 amel & anery corns (Foxfire & Daguerre)
1.0 BRB (Loki)

Thanks Renee! I didn't know we had those either.. what a wierd sight to see in the midwest, huh? LOL

Good luck with your field herping! I hope you find lots of critters.
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Aubrey,

Wow, looks like you had a great day! All very nice animals. I think you've inspired me to go hunting this weekend (with my camera this time!)

Thanks for sharing,
Ed

>>Today I went field herping for the first time ever with some friends. We had a blast, and found some neat reptiles.
>>
>>First critter found was this Ornate Box Turtle.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>The next citter, and first snake we found was this big Bullsnake. He wasn't to happy that we visited him, either! He had a large section of tail missing, but he was still gorgeous. This is what I was hoping to see today, and I'm so glad we found one!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I also got a video of him hissing. I'll post it later.
>>
>>Very soon after the Bullsnake we found this little Hognose. What a cute little guy! He was small enough to sex him as male.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Then we discovered this little 6-Line Race Runner. He was too quick and too deep in the cover for us to catch him, though.
>>
>>
>>This gorgeous Blue Racer was found next. I'd never seen this species before, and oh man they are pretty!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Later on we found 3 more Blue Racers. Two of them were caught in the act of mating, but quickly slithered down a hole together before a picture could be taken. I didn't actually see them myself, either. But right away we found the 4th Blue Racer, and the prettiest one in my opinion. This one had quite a bit more yellow on the sides.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>There were also a variety of non-reptile wildlife that we found. Here are some pictures of them.
>>
>>Silkworms
>>
>>
>>
>>A type of Skipper Butterfly
>>
>>
>>Caterpillar
>>
>>
>>Flowers
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Prickly Pear
>>
>>
>>And lastly here are some landscape shots of the prairie.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>All in all it was a really fun day. The Bullsnake just made my day. I was really hoping we would find one. I love how they hiss! I can't wait until we go herping again soon.
>>-----
>>Aubrey Ross
>>
>>©
>>www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Thank you Ed... hey if you find anything cool, please share!
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com