Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I found this mountain in upstate NY, less than 30 miles from Manhattan, a couple of years ago but never found anything on it. However, I couldn't shake the idea that it looked perfect for Timber Rattlers and yesterday I decided to search it again. Well, this time I found Northern Water Snakes, Black Racers, a Black Rat snake and this gorgeous girl, whom I not only photographed, but decided to make a short video of. Hope you enjoy seeing her even a fraction of how much I did! Only you people here can understand my excitement. She sure looks gravid, huh?

Denis

Exciting to find a good herping spot so close to the city. Looking forward to seeing some pics.

That snake is beautifull!!! She sure looks gravid too! Thanks for sharing. Kevin

Yes, it is amazing to find a reptile like this so close to NYC that you can almost hear the traffic. And I agree, she does look very gravid! The nicest part is that I sincerely doubt there are many people who know about this spot... which is why I call it secret mountain. I'm hoping to find some Copperheads there eventually. The lower part of the mountain looks ideal for them. And you're very welcome. I'll be back there next week and hopefully have some more photos or videos to share.

Wow! Nice Timber. Do not let anyone know where you saw this, I had heard they were nearly extinct in your state. Some jerk will try to make that happen if they know where it is..

Sincerely,
Matthew

Don't worry about that Matt... that's why I call the place secret mountain. It's also a very small mountain and if it got out, the snakes could be extirpated in a few days. This mountain will remain a secret with me... but thanks for the good advice. When I was younger I might have shared this info, but i've learned better. I once told my brother of a secret spot I had where I would consistantly catch 8-10 Milk Snakes everytime I went there. I only told him after making him promise never to tell a soul. A couple of years later I found out he was telling anybody and everybody who said they liked snakes, even if they never went out looking for them before, just to "make friends". He taught me an important lesson. Like they say... some things are better left unsaid!

Yeah, I made that mistake back in Florida in the 90's. Someone came & removed my pile of boards that had produced amongst other things, an Eastern Indigo, & 5.5ft Cornsanake.
"loose lips sink ships!"

Matthew

Are gravid timbers usually that mellow? I mostly work with Helleri and Scutulatus, and every time I find a pregnant one they are ready to let me have it. Non pregnant, usually a little more low key. I’m in California and plan on taking a trip out to the Ozarks in a few weeks. Hoping to find some sweet timbers to get some pics of. If any are found, ill post the pics here. Sure is a damn shame how people have killed them off putting them on the endangered species list.

I would have expected her to have more attitude as she certainly appears to be loaded with little ones, but she never made a sound. She didn't move a muscle either and i'm thinking she was hoping to blend into her background using camoflage. I circled around and came back to the rock about 30 minutes later and she was nowhere to be seen. I found another darker one and that snake shot under a rock without me even getting very close. Like the one in the video it didn't rattle, even after I stuck my camera under the rock for some pictures, but it did not sit motionless. And yes, I think it's ashame when people kill any animal without a very good reason. Seeing how passive the snake in the video is, it's hard to hear people say "I killed it before it could kill me".

n/p