Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been thinking it would be fun to go on vacation somewere this summer and do some herping. I live waaay up north, in upper michigan, where most of the year it's snow and ice and I can count the herp species on both hands almost. Don't get my wrong, I love herping up here, and know where to find most anything, but it would be fabulous to go to some place with more herps... I just want to do a catch and release type thing (unless I found a real beauty, and local laws did not prohibit it) Any suggestions? I envy all of you who know warmth and reptiles for more than just 3 months out of the year!! As much as I love it up here, it's nice to get away sometimes.... and coming back again makes me appreciate the beauty of the northern forests that much more!!
-----
1.1 argentine b/w tegus
1.0 anery corn
0.1 western hog
0.1 leopard gecko
1.1 blue headed tree agama
0.0.1 ball python
0.0.1 western fox
And always looking for more!!

np
-----
Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

West Texas from mid April to mid May. During this period of time snakes are most active (darkness to perhaps 2 AM I've found to be prime time). I've spent some time just east of Del Rio and had great success by sticking to the roads and focusing on the "cuts" in the road (captured one trans-pecos rat, a gravid gray banded king, and two mottled rock rattlers in and among the rock cuts). There are a lot of Baird's rat snakes and western diamondback rattlers in this area. Mexican milk snakes have been caught as well, but most are captured further south. Gray bands are the prize and are still fairly common. I've also captured whipsnakes, coachwhip, long-nosed snakes, great plains rat snake, bullsnake. I've seen desert tortoise, collard lizards, horned lizards. There are TONS of mammals: skunks, porcupine, mule deer, rabbits (everywhere), bobcats, etc.

...All this in less than 7 nights of hunting.

I've encountered herpers from New York state, other northern states, Florida, California, and even Canada who regularly travel there for the snake hunting. However, the time of year is crucial.

is by far the best to me so many different herps and spots it almost endless. But then again im byist.

If you are primarily interested in road hunting, TX and AZ are great. West Texas produces some interesting stuff but you see nowhere near the sheer number of snakes you see in South Texas or Western AZ. A good night in most areas of West Texas shows you 20-30 snakes (most nights you see far fewer). A good night in western AZ or South Texas can produce 50 or more (sometimes many more!).

The problem with Texas is that it is all private/protected land (except for a few forests in the east) so for most people you are restricted to roadhunting or hunting cuts. SE AZ has national forest land that you can hike in the daytime and then you can roadhunt at night.

For sheer diversity of herps, the Carolinas and Georgia are extraordinary, easily outdoing any other area. Of course, that includes a bewildering array of amphibians (a rainy summer night on the Blue Ridge Parkway is amazing!).
-----
Chris Harrison

Thanks for the info!!! I apreciate it, a lot!! I may go on 2 expeditions, one out west and one near florida... But I am pretty sure about Texas as of this point... I'm gonna cruise through west texas, see what I can see, than head towards arizona for more herping and to visit family, then head on home. Right now i'm thinking about doing all this as part of an independent study project through my university, maybe gets some credits for it!! hehehe, if there is a will, there is a way!! Thanks again!!
-----
1.1 argentine b/w tegus
1.0 anery corn
0.1 western hog
0.1 leopard gecko
1.1 blue headed tree agama
0.0.1 ball python
0.0.1 western fox
And always looking for more!!

Hello,

I think (if I remember correctly) that Georgia (where I lived for a while) has the highest diversity of reptile and amphibian fauna of any state in the union. You'd think somewhere like Florida or maybe some other southern state would be higher but it's the varied terrain Georgia has that lends itself to a high level of biodiversity. Georgia has everything from montane forest environments to parched arid areas to subtropical swamps and costal barrier island sand hill habitats. That's the one thing I miss about Georgia - the herp diversity (sigh!) - Chicago just ain't quite the same.
-----
Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois