Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys

Just came back from a trip to the SoCal area last week and did pretty well (46 AOR and only 7 DOR snakes in 3 nights). Not bad for herping for the first time in the SoCal Desert. Found 3 Great Basin Gophersnakes but I particularly like how this one looked. I could not believe how pretty he was under natural light. Of course he was released in the same area he was found under appropriate cover. Here's his pic. Just thought I'd share.

Great Basin Gophersnake Gallery

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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

That is beyond ridiculous!!
What a gorgeous snake!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
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Genesis 1:1

Exactly, my first word when I found him was...........NIIIIIIIIIIICE!
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

That thing is incredible Jonel!!! I love that nice light yellow background color.
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Randy Whittington

Hi Randy

I love the colors too. With a bright background color and a nice consistent black he is definitely a looker. BTW, here's another pic of a deserticola from another area for comparison. Definitely not as pretty as the first one but cool none the less.

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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

What a beauty!

Very nice shot!!!

//Todd

Thanks Todd

Here's another shot of him.

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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Wow! Really nice! Thanks for that!
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Todd Hughes

Wow!

Amazing camera work!

I need to RTFM one of these days to understand what all the settings and terms actually mean... those are print quality!

//Todd

Thanks Todd

I'm still trying to practice with my P&S super zoom first before I get an actual DSLR. Still learning but I'm starting to like what I'm getting with my camera. Thanks again.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Think I'da kept that one......
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

Hi Lloyd

But I promised myself when herping that I would ONLY keep 2 headed or mutant snakes if I find 'em, hehe. I rather him make more pretty babies in the wild though. No doubt that he does have the "keeper" looks. BTW, how are the animals?
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Yea, I think I would have kept him too. Those are both nice finds! Thanks for sharing.

Dan

Hi Jonel:

Fine, still have that great Male Cape I bought from you, but I lost his mate in Brumnation last year.

Yours??
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

excellent photographay as always, and I commend you on your "catch and release" philosophy. That shows a great deal of maturity and selflessness!

keep the killer images coming

JG

Hey John

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy working with my CB animals enough so I really see no need or reason to keep any WC animals that I encounter out there (unless for that one-in-a-million finds, hehe). Seeing those animals in the wild is why I'm there in the first place.

Nice vertebralis. I miss working with those guys. They're defintely one of the prettiest Pits.

BTW, I'm heading to your area in the next few months for another round of herping. Hopefully I'll have another exciting trip (like last year) with some new lifers/finds. With 5 AZ trips under my belt, I have yet to see one of those "hands-off" lizards. Wish me luck. Take care.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Hi Jonel

very good picture of a pretty snake.
Well done - a please for my eyes.

Bernd

That is a beautiful snake Jonel. The SoCal deserts produce some pretty nice ones, and I am amazed @ how variable their patterns usually are depending on locales. I don't have as much self-control as you, and when I saw this girl on the road I had to take her ona field trip (back home).

Hi Reako

That's a nice deserticola. I like how clean looking it is and the orange highlights on each scale. BTW, know anyone named Sam from NorCal?
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Hey, Jonel,
Small world. I know Sam. He's one heckuva cool guy. I'm just bummed my $$ situation @ the moment won't let me get up to NorCal to do some herping w/ him, seeing as we keep missing each other when he comes down to SoCal. Tell him I said what's up!

reako45

Awesome! That is hands down the prettiest Basin I have ever seen. I love the contrast. Thanks for posting. Take care.

Jeremy
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Jeremy Pierce
Shade Tree Exotics
shade-tree-exotics@att.net

Snake #1 is amazing. Snake #2 looks like it could be intergrade affinis.

Care to share the general locality where these were found? Just wondering.

Congrats on a tremendous trip!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

NAMED BEST REPTILE STORE IN LOS ANGELES

Hi

The first one pictured is from Inyo County and the 2nd pictured is from the middle of San Bernardino county so the intergrade theory is a possibility. BTW, what areas are covered in the intergrade zone? Thanks for the input.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

HI Jonel

Stunning animal. You take the best pics. I like checking out your field photos on your site "great stuff".

Jason

Hi Jason

Thanks. You have some nice finds on your site too. I love the Black and White Great Basin Gopher from Corn Creek, Utah that you found. Very axanthic looking. Also looks like you has a pretty good KS trip last month. That's one state that I'd like to visit in the future. Thanks again.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

HI Jonel

You have to make a Kanas trip some time. We seen 39 Reptiles and amphibains is 3 days and 5 more species counting road kills. The first day was like a dream, you know to crazy to be real. We stopped on a road cut. We only had 30 mintutes of light before it was totally dark. it was storming, raining and was only 48 degrees. We were wearing coats and gloves. In this 100 yard area with these 30 mintutes of time and conditions we found
3 Gentilis (one was crawling around on some rocks).
1 Desert X Speckaled King
5 Emori
3 lined Snakes
1 Racer
Ringnecks, to many to count
1 Redsided Garter
3 Legless lizards
8 Collard Lizards
6 Great Plains Skinks

We want to finds some Bulls and Hognose in Kanas but we struck out on those.

I want to make herping to Cali next, I never done that yet.

I was checking your site a month ago, great photos bro. I dig your site!

Anyways heres a couple pics from AZ last fall.

jason

vine

Blacktail

Good looking basin Man. Here is one I Saw last week near Ridgcrest.

L8r

here is something you don't see everyday either.I smacked this rat on about my second pass up this road and about half hour later I found this.I have seen this only with rattlesnakes.Weird.......

L8r

Hey Shannon

I saw a few sidewinders myself during the trip but not as cool of a find as that one eating the rodent. Sweet find on the deserticola too. Looks like another high contrast animal. Here's a pic of one of the 'winders.

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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Great pics man.What type of camera do you use.Just outstanding photos bro.

L8r Shannon

I use a Panasonic DMZ-FZ7 super zoom. I think it's around $200-250 now. Thanks for the kind words man.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Hi Shannon

Thats a very nice Basin. Thats a trip, well at least someone got dinner.

Nice pics bro.

Jason