Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Went to a pond that has a goodly population of nerodia. Was walking along the banks looking in the reeds, finding nerodia. Saw a really pretty one; made a grab for it, forgetting that A: It was in the reeds. which are in water, and B: that my camera was on a wrist strap...

It really was a pretty one though It got away while I was cussing myself for drowning my camera...

I hope it'll turn back on after it dries a few days...didn't get totally submerged at least.
Also saw some baby RES's which are cute, and a box turtle which was awesome. Makes my month finding an ornate.
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Since nerodia are so common I make it a point to try to find the most unusual ones, and keep some kind of record. I've had to think "do I want to carry this camera across the water or actually catch the snake?" on more than one occasion. Do you see a lot of genetic diversity in your area?

Len

Not really. Most of the Nerodia I find are in one particular place, actually a city park. Most people never see 'em cause they're so cryptic. You gotta look for 'em but when you do they're all over the place.

During the summer I usually find 3-5 per trip. The walk around the pond is like a half mile. It's also a good place to find all sorts of turtles (I've found mud turtles, snappers, sliders, and boxies in the park). I've also found prairie rattlers in a rarely used field there, thamnophis, bullsnakes, raccoons, coyotes...it's at the edge of a small town bordering farmland so you get lots of stuff. Herons in season will be there too. And bull frogs. Oddly, I've never seen leopard frogs there. I have found spadefoots, and green toads (B. debilis) as well as Woodhouse's.

I used to live about 5 blocks from it when I was going to college so I've spent lots of time in that park in the early morning and evening looking for herps I only go back 1-2 times a season now though.
They bulldozed a vacant lot near it where I used to find boxies and the odd hognose this year though That hurt.
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

That's cool. I've noticed the best spots for nerodia are always near a man-made impoundment like a spillway, cement-sided pond, diverted river or rocky burm. Some counties have only one of these locations (like mine). I also see 3 to 5 per visit.

Len