Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks, I am just looking to see as many native texas herps as possible. I would love to find alterna but just want to herp in texas. Any tips on which roads or areas are best first in the year or any other useful info.

Dan

It is more weather dependent that time of year dependent. I have seen alterna and trans-pecos rats in late april on a warm night. If it is warm enough and we keep getting some rain, you could do OK. I would probably stay east where it cools more slowly at night and choose the end of april, not the beginning.
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Chris Harrison

np

What are the dates you are planning to be out there. I am heading out in the last week of May first week of June. 28th-5th I think. I would like to meet any herpers who are out there.
Thanks Jason

Pretty sure that will be my weekend of adventure as well. Where do you plan on staying and what areas will you hunt? I'm still up in the air as this will be my first trip to "alterna land".
Todd Hughes

Right now I am reserching the crap out of West Texas. I basically plan on starting near Del Rio and head West. I would suggest you get a DeLorme Atlas Gazaterre of Texas and take note of what anybody says on here. Remember that the same place that the animals where found last year will still apply. You got a few months look online on some of the book sites and also buy a book or two. I just picked up a "Field Guide To Texas Snakes" By Alan Tennant that list every Co. with some great locations by milelage that Alterna have been found. There is way more listed in this book than I would ever type out for you here. No offense but I suck at typeing and it would take me about a hour or two. E-mail me and we can swap info or try to meet up in Texas. SnakesUnlimited@sbcGlobal.net

Later Jason

Got them books and have been planning this adventure for 2 years just never had the time so I said wtf and couldn't live with myself if I didn't come back with an alterna or two and/or a bairdi and/or a suboc and/or a celanops and/or......LOL. Those pictures drive me crazy and the wanderlust kicks in. Most of the people who posted had me living vicariously through them and I feel as though I know them or could almost pick them out of a lineup! I'm psyched as we went camping at Kickapoo caverns state park last year and I was so close and even hit the spots Tenent's book around Brackettville. No luck but got a feel for the countryside and we even found a baird's rat snake but it was in the park as well as some patchnoses and a lot of Central Texas whipsnakes.
Todd

where's that getula from? I've seen DOR animals that look like that in Guadalupe County that the pinheads in DFW say are splendida, but I think they're intergrades with holbrooki (Tennant paints a wide intergrade range in his book).
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Sorry so late Chris and YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR! That is a splendida/holbrooki from Calhoun county found January 18th by yours truely! Now if I can find him a girlfriend with the same influence I'll have a project. Don't listen to the pinheads 'cause, well, they're pinheads!!!
Todd Hughes

Sorry, I meant this one!
Todd

And this...
Todd