Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am an avid hiker who has recently started looking for snakes and I notice that most of the people who post here enjoy driving roads at night. I understand the advantages of a comfortable car and the idea of the snakes seeking the warm road. I am just wondering if a trail could serve the same purpose for the snake. I think it would be more fun for me to be out walking at night and it seems like I would have a better chance of being alone. I just want to make sure I am not missing something that people who have been doing this longer than me have already figured out. I guess I should also mention that I have no interest in keeping anything I find. The benefits of a car become fairly obvious when you are trying to take stuff home with you.

good luck out there,

Jake

Hiking at night with a lantern is a productive way to herp in some areas. However, on foot with a lantern, you can probably only cover an area about 10 feet wide in front of you at about 2-4 miles per hour. In a car, you can cover and area 30 feet wide at about 20 mph. Therefore you generally see more by driving.

However, you can walk in more interesting areas than you can drive (like along creeks).
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Chris Harrison

That's how the first Whitewater albino rosy boa was discovered, walking a creekbed at night.

The first albino whitewater was found walking behind the windmills at 11 00 AM in the sprintime.

The second albino rosy was found a year later walking at night in WW.

The first one was a male and the second was a female.

The first time you walk up on a bear at night... you'll get back in the car.
:Mark

I personally think both things are productive IF you are in the correct area. Now night walking is an awsome way to get out there and really find stuff that road crusier will hardly come across. Although, walking is way riskier.(cactus, rattlers, and misc. bad guys to contend with.). I live in southern california, and there is no lack of roads to cruise on, so usually this is my prefered method when I am herping alone. Sadly walking is fairly unsafe here( I am usually armed and with multiple people when I night hike due to the risks). So my basic advice is night hike with a partner. If you are by yourself, be safe drive. Till then good hunting.
-Doc Rojas
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Swift, Silent, Deadly

Thanks for all the input everyone! Herpers are pretty cool people.

Jake

Jake,
It depends on where I go. Higher elevations I like to hike year round durring the day. The herps are abundant durring the day because it is cooler. In spring I hike the desert but in the summer it is time to drive it at night because it is cooler at night.
In So.Cal. you can literaly hike the mountains during the day and do the desert at night.
I do all the time. More herps more fun!

Tony Lanzi