Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Talk about your slow to start Spring!!

But I have come across a few critters (the usual)

Wood Frogs (and eggs)
Spring Peepers
American Toads
Spotted Salamanders
Red Efts
One medium-sized green tadpole (oooo-how exciting.....)
and the ever present Red-Back Salamanders

Not one snake yet-surprisingly.

I live in Southcentral, PA. My son and I went to a sportsmans club on Friday to hunt for snakes. Along the way we found an Eastern Garter DOR (Dead on the Road). At the sportsmans club we found an Eastern Garter and a Northern Ringneck.
In addition to the above, we found two Northern Water Snakes that were (apparently) intentionally killed by someone at the club. There is a pond there and someone had been clearing out the weeds. I would guess that the person came upon these two water snakes and thought they were poisonous and killed them. A shame that the snakes have to suffer for someone's ignorance.
In the past we have also turned up Black Rats, Eastern Milks, Northern Copperheads and Black Racers at this particular site. There are tarps laid out over mounds of dirt and this really attracts the snakes. There are numerous rodent tunnels under these tarps as well. Of interest Friday was a nest of, what appeared to be baby rats under one of the tarps. Great place to hunt at. The best I have ever seen as far as diversity of species.

Wow! you're doing better than me. I went to my favorite place to look for herps and it's turned into such a huge tourist place-ack!-that all I found today were 2 Dusky Salamanders and a nice larval Northern Spring Salamander.

Usually I can even walk down my dtreet and find some Garters, Smooth Greens, Ringnecks, Eastern Milks, and Black Rats-just nothing is out.

But this other place I can find just about every species found in PA--except the very regional stuff (not found here) and some endangered stuff.

Yeah I do hate when people don't bother to check book and just go and kill it-cos it's a snake-hey, I hate when they KNOW and kill them anyway!! Just no reason for that!! I hear of more Eastern Milks, Waters, Hognose being killed cos people think that are either Coppers or Timbers. Then there's the really stupid people who think a Garter is a Timber. Please!! In this world where one needs only to go to the internet to ID snakes-there's no excuse for such ignorance. Sorry i needed to vent that! I'm sure you know how I feel!! It just about drives me crazy!!

Here's something I did find-a Larval Northern Spring Salamander

the photo makes it look huge-LOL!