Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay it's kind of stupid, but after a summer of searching for snakes in the 2500 acres of woods behind my apts. and finding nothing I took the advice of several people and went somewhere else and found three different actual (live) not dead on road garter snakes! Oh my gawd, can you believe it? Told you it was stupid, ha ha

I discovered something else today too, under freeway bridges there is usually water, thus the need for the bridge right? In addition there is all kinds of left over debris from both construction and motorist throwing out stuff or just losing it out of the back of pickups etc. In any case I parked on the side of the freeway here in Dallas at two different bridges and found alot of stuff to flip over, a few snakes and a water supply nearby.

Garters are nothing exciting but I just started field herping for the first time earlier this summmer and this is the first thing I've found on purpose, while actually looking for snakes.

Kind of exciting for a new guy... Still haven't found my dream snake in the field though, the black ratsnake.

If anyone comes across a large specimen drop me an email I would probably be willing to take it off of your hands for a few dollars (something reasonable).

Kerry in Dallas TX

Kerry,
If your dream snake is a black rat, cruz up to Oklahoma via I-35. Once you cross the Red River take the first exit east. Look for Illegal dump sites. The snakes there are probably intergrades with the TX rat, but to look at them you wouldn't know the difference, and they are every bit as common as their Texas cousin.
Just trying to help make your dream come true....good luck,
Bob

You need a hunting license in TX to field herp. Technically, you also need to have completed a Hunter Education course if you were born after 1973, but they don't ask when you buy your license, and I haven't heard of any herper being asked to show proof of hunter education.

In Oklahoma, you will also need a hunting license, and I'm assuming you'll need a nonresident one. If you don't have one, and you find a "black" rat snake and take it home, now you've just committed a Lacey Act violation.

I herp all over the country (http://www.mcmartinville.com/chris/reptiles/trips) so I try to keep up to speed on the various regs. I have a list of regs, including the TX and OK ones, here: http://www.mcmartinville.com/chris/reptiles/trips/equip.htm

It's fairly easy to "do the right (legal) thing;" any questions can be directed to the fish & game folks of the respective state (talk to a biologist; the Law Enforcement folks sometimes don't have a clue about the herp aspect since they usually deal more with the "big ticket" animals like waterfowl, game animals, fish, etc. and some LE are anti-herper).

Hope this helps you cover your butt in case a curious individual decides to hassle you!
-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Congrats on finding snakes,It's raining right now as I type.
Saturday 8/28
If you wan't to herp a little today give me a call.
Are you sure those were Garter snakes!! I have been herping the Dallas area for 20 years and have not seen any/ well maybe one or two. Also the Rat Snakes that we have here are Elaphe.Obsoleta. Lindheimeri "Texas Rat Snake" no Black Rat Snakes here. I have caught literally tons of them in my herping years. Some are very high strung and only a few will not strike out at you.
take care
Barry
If you read this today and want to go flip some stuff, call me early because I am going to a Martial Arts fight tonight.

I've done some research on the www via herps in the Dallas area and they were definitely red sided garters, all three of them.
I'll have to draw you a map sometime to my secret stash of tin strewn all around under a nearby freeway bridge I35 and 190 area.

I'm going back Monday morning to have another look and see if anything moved in since last time I was there.

Kerry