Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i cant wait!!!! theres finally a herpetology club here at nc state, and we're already going on our first big trip! i think for the most part we're going to be hitting up key largo, an entire week of nonstop herp excitement! most of the guys im going with (i think theres around 8 or 9 others) are snake people so the prize animals on our trip down there are going to be diamondbacks. im a full-blooded herp enthusiast, but i have yet to get the cajones to try handling venomous snakes, but who knows after a week with these guys they might get my confidence up. last trip they took down there they ran into a bunch of corals, which i think would be awesome to see! anyhow, to relate this to the forum, my friend (president of the herp club and organizer of the trip) mentioned that one of the guys down there in the keys he talks to says there are actually uroplatus that have established. im 99.9% sure that this cant be true, because the key, from what i know, are WAY too hot to be hospitable for any uroplatus species. second of all, who the hell in their right mind would let their uroplatus get loose, not to mention in numbers large enough to actually establish themselves. im not totally familiar with the gecko species, both native and introduced, of florida but i sure am looking forward to this trip. and you guys better believe that if i run across ANY leaf tails down there ill bring them back to share the spoils with all my chums around here but dont get your hopes up, like i said, ive NEVER heard of any uroplatus in the wild in the US. supposedly we're allowed to pick up exotics if we choose so, but with my nearly maxxed out collection i doubt ill find anything that will convince me to take it home. i was just wondering if anyone knows of any florida gecko or other lizard species which i should keep a special eye out for. this is my first real herp trip, and its a long one! ill probably have a gazillion pics when i get back, but then im right back off to hawaii (plan to do some herping there too, but this is more of a family trip). i wanna know what i should keep my eyes peeled for, although i know in florida its pretty hard NOT to spot some sort of lizard, snake, frog, and so on. its still a week away but im already jumping out of my skin im so excited!

Dude....you would be surprised, I read a log from someone in Madagasgar (I can't spell tonight), and after like 4 days they handn't spotted any substantial herps at all.

Hope you hit it big and fine some cool stuff..

Didn't know you could take exotics from FL wild..makes sense though.
Would be a good place to get free Mexican RedRump tarantulas then
-----
Uroplatus sikorae
Uroplatus henkeli
Ball python
Hogg Island Boa Constrictor
Several species of tarantula

I highly highly highly doubt that there are estabolished Uroplatus there... If there were, everyone would know about it and I have never heard anything of the sort...

Secondly, your trip sounds like a blast... I've been herping in FL many times, but it was when I was younger and nieve (my g-pa lives in West Palm)... It's been several years, and I'm waiting to get back there with the knowledge I have now... Since it sounds like a well organized operation, I'm sure you guys have it covered, but be aware of FL law, I know that there are things you can't take (Indigo snakes for example)... When I herp, I take nothing but photos, a couple bitten limbs and the smell of snake musk and excrement home with me... But that's just me...

Viper is right though, there are some AWESOME inverts to be examined in FL, native and introduced...
-----
Ben

I forgot to add... Post a tread on the Field Notes and Observations forum about spp to look for... Someone on there will surely know... You may also even be able to line up some ppl from FL to join you, maybe show you the ropes... There are a TON of herpers in that state!...
-----
Ben

luckily some of the guys going on the trip are also entomology minors/double majors, and we've also got an experienced guide, of sorts. dont worry, the guys planning the trip are checking up on all the wildlife laws and such, and like i said, i really dont plan on bringing anything home with me. i think we'll be getting permits to hold whatever herps we choose for like 2 days or so, simply for observation and pictures. this is my first trip that far south in the US, although i was lucky enough to take a 3 week trip to costa rica with my spanish teacher after my junior year of high school. thanks for the advice for checking out the other forums....i tend to stick only to the rhac and uro forums and not look much elsewhere. im sure ill be able to get some good advice there. and yea, im expecting to get a message today from my buddy thats organizing the trip that'll tell me "yea, you were right...no leaf tails in the US." but he's a big snake person, so i guess i can forgive him.

Mike,

You should look for some of the anole species that were introduced to the area. I used to breed a few of the larger ones that can be found down there, particularly the florida mut mixes of Anolis equestris and A. garmani. Really quite beautiful if you find ones that are not all beat up from mating battles.

Cheers,
jason

I am going to email you. Let you know which species are in the Keys you should look for. My email is leland@dwgeckos.com

well you better email me quick! im leaving on my trip tonight, then soon after i get back i leave for hawaii! its gonna be a killer winter break, although i regret somewhat that i wont be able to go snowboarding. but i really balances out when i think of all the herping i get to do. so far im looking to bring back some giant day geckos, and possibly some jamaican giant anoles. ill have a whooooole lotta pictures when i get back, but its not gonna be till after new years. wish me luck guys! merry xmas and happy new year.

I was reading in a USA reptile Field Guide at a bookstore the other day and found that there are Gonatodes in the USA. They are in the Keys somewhere. I think they were Gonatodes albogularis possibly. They are established there now. There are also several species of Sphaerodactylus down in the Keys as well. If you go to a bookstore and look for the Field Guide to North American Reptiles you should be able to locate these geckos with some success during your trip. I would be interested in buying either of these species you bring back. It also states in the book where they are located (which Key, etc). There are also Phelsuma, Gekko gekko, and several other introduced species down there. There is also a parthenogenic species down there. I've caught one before in Islamorada Key. It isn't easy finding these geckos in the keys, as it is very hott and the sun is harsh (i've been to the keys many times). I am going to make a trip there this summer and I will bring back some of these species mentioned above to ad to my collection. Can you email me please? I would like to talk to you about some Satanic leaftails. My email is leland@dwgeckos.com Thanks.