Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in Dallas and in case you don't know, it's mainly a concrete jungle here. Decent patches of woodlands are few and far between around here, so you would think that if you could find a decent patch of woods it would literally be crawling with once native wildlife right? Wrong! I live in N. Dallas TX and I have an unusally large patch of undeveloped woods (primary, old growth) about a 5 min. walk from my apts. It's behind a park and there are probably 2500 acres back there with a very nice clear, rock-bottom creek running thru it. I came from Missouri originally 10 years ago and I would think (compared to MO) that it should be prime habitat for snakes. So far all I have found is 2 diamond back brown watersnakes, and I have invested probably 20 hours this summer in the field in that particular patch of woods. I really haven't looked elsewhere because that local habitat is so convenient for me and because I refuse to believe that the snakes aren't there.
In any case, I'm VERY JEALOUS of you folks that live out WEST and in all the other good areas for herps. I'm thinking about moving to the Phoenix area in the next year just to be closer to good habit.

Kerry in Dallas

I'm not sure how you are looking, but here in Texas during the summer (really mid-May to Mid September) most snakes are nocturnal and hard to find during the day. The same thing would be true around Phoenix.

Try going out at night and road hunting some quieter roads and you will improve your chances of seeing a diversity of species. If you can't find a Texas Ratsnake, you must be doing something wrong!

Also, July and August are usually the slowest herping months of the season. Try hitting your patch of woods on a warm March day, and you should be successful.

Also, scout out areas at the fringe of town where people dump trash (wood, boards, etc). Those can be productive as well, particularly in the spring.
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Chris Harrison

Chris is right. In Phoenix you'd have problems finding snakes at home too, probably. Most are found at night and outside the city.

I used to live near Dallas, in Greenville. Even though it was a small town, I still liked to go to places like the State Parks to spend time looking for herps. They usually had some type of water, like lake or stream, and some woodlands, so you could search edges, etc. Other than springtime, I made most of my finds on the roads at night.

TC

Kerry,
Chris and Terry are correct. Other than springtime, night road cruzing will produce the most success. Pick areas just outside of the suburbs. Look for illegal dump sites. Above all...get out and explore North Texas. You will be amazed at the diversity of species found. And I also agree that if you can't find a Texas Ratsnake, you are doing something wrong. I even found one of them next to the Farmers Market in Downtown Dallas off of Taylor Street.
Good Luck,
Bob

I guess I must be doing something wrong. It really seems like the habitat I'm searching is almost TOO natural... Just woods and streams and meadows. No trash to flip etc... occasionally a down tree or a large slab of bark to turn over or some large flat rocks down by the creek area but as of yet no results in that "pristine little patch of nature" here in Dallas.

The other day tho, at the advice of several people here in the forum I looked elswhere and found some garters. I also found a stack of left over tin from construction (finished years ago) under a bridge so I spread that all out under the shade of the freeway overpass bridge. I'll probably go back and check it out in 3-4 more days time.

Kerry in Dallas

Ok Kerry, call me and I'll take you to a few of my haunts. I went herping on Saturday for 30 minutes and saw 2 rough earth snakes, 1 female broad headed skink and 2 woodhouse toads. We need some more rain first though. The boards that I have placed are dry underneath right now.
if you are interested
Barry aaron
972-470-9449hm
972-783-8888wk

Will do Barry, next decent rain we get I'll be on the phone with you. Do you typically have weekdays or weekends off to go herping?

Kerry

Hey Kerry, The place I usually herp is 5 minutes from my house, so I can hit it just about anytime week day or week end.I live in Richardson, right by Central {75} and Arapaho Rd.
take care

Texas is one of the best states in the US to go herping in my opinion. Phoenix is about 100 miles by 100 miles of pure concrete with practically nothing spared in between. You have to get way out from the city to even find areas that are not under construction, farmed, or otherwise heavily travelled. The same is probably true of your area. You really ought to try out West Texas. Go hunting for alterna and you'll see the Texas I am talking about.
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Jaren
Desert Canyon Reptiles

I live in the middle of Houston. There are places where you can herp in the middle of the city. Even concrete ditches around here yield Nerodia, Regina, Heterodon, racers, etc. And this is in the middle of Houston. Just keep looking. Something will turn up. There are herps around. Just because you can't find them in one spot that you have invested 20 hours in doesn't mean much. Just head towards the end of town and find some county roads or FM roads. Find some trash heaps, cruise some roads, etc. Within 15 or 20 minutes from the Galleria area of Houston I can be out finding kingsnakes, rats, Farancia, coppers, cottons, etc.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

Okay, I'll have to branch out a little bit more and see what I find. Now the question is how do you guys get away from your women for that long? I'd go herpin, everyday if I could, but my wife would probably have something to say about it. Ha Ha...

Kerry in Dallas

PS. Poll-Time - How many of your wives/husbands/girlfriends/boyfriends approve of your snake fascination?

I don't have a wife or girlfriend. Just starting my first semester of college. My past girlfriends and a lot of my friends that are girls are pretty cool about the herping thing. I have had a ton of different girls go looking for snakes with me. Most are a bit squirmish at first, but they quickly become fascinated by the herps we find. I feel if you are very passionate about herping as a hobby, your significant other should respect that. That doesn't always happen, but in a perfect world it should. Good luck.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

Soon to be ex-wife was in favor of keeping herps......as long as she could contribute from the couch.
New girfriend is more excited than I about keeping,breeding,hunting........

FYI, when I was just in Phoenix visiting, I had to drive an HOUR from my hotel to get to good herping locations.

Well, it's about that way here too probably, but in AZ once you drive that hour you have ALOT more variety in what I picture to be pristine habitat???

Kerry

In my limited time there, I saw 6 species of snakes, 4 species of lizzards, 2 species of toad and 2 species of tarantulas.

The cool thing about phoenix is you're only a few hours away from several different ecosystems. High pine forests, barren deserts, planted deserts, farm land, etc.

As for ideal terrain, I found very few rocks, etc to look under. Mostly hard packed sand full of burrows I assume were k-rats, but maybe not. I found nothing during the daylight hours other than some skink/lacerta type lizzards and a collared lizzard.

You have that fantastic fossil hunting territory right in your own back yard.

If you check out that area when the water receeds you are guarenteed to find ammonites, pelecipods, gastropods and sometimes brachiopods.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Yeah I know, Fossil Hunting is my other passion in life... I sure do sound boring huh?

I've found some decent fossils here in the Dallas area and other places in Texas. I've also found ALOT of arrowheads in that area with the creek.

Kerry in Dallas

UMMMMMM, Any parks nearby?I live just outside of Richmond Va.I volunteer at a local county Nature center,approx 100 acres,much of it parking lot and playground.When the park/nature center were fairly new,it was not unusual to see 2 dozen snakes in a day.I recently had a personal best of 12 snakes of 7 different species........in less than two hours!

I know Richmond is not as "huge" as Dallas,but my first collected herp was a six foot Black rat,caught within a short walk of our downtown business section,mebbe 100 yards from one of our largest buildings

In short,don't give up,and don't discount the "city",there are herps waiting to be found

Good herping to you

Bear