Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'll be there next week on business.
If I have time, I may try to get down to Dry country. If not, I may poke around the outskirts of Houston...

Anyone know any hot spots? (for herps)

Dean,

It may be getting just a little late for much luck flipping stuff, but we have had rather cool weather in TX this week so it might still produce.

If it is warm, roadhunting could produce a few things.

My lived in Houston in the late 70s and herped a lot on the west side of town. I have done a bit of herping around there off and on since then as well. Standard herping rules apply
- look for trash at the edge of residential areas (new housing developments can be good)
- the coastal prairies of the southern sides of town are pretty snakey. Either flipping or roadhunting can be good, but the mosquitos will drive you mad!!!
- on the north and northeast sides of the city, you get into the east TX Pineywoods (there is a National Forest not too far north of Houston). Different herps here than on the south side (more copperheads rather than cottonmouths, speckled rather than prairie kings, etc).

It really depends on what your target species are.

It isn't more than a few hours drive from Houston to get down into cribo country however!
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Chris Harrison

I doubt I'll have the time to get down into Dry habitat...but it looks like I'll have a few hours to hunt on Tuesday evening and possibly again Wednesday afternoon like 3-5 PM...

I think I'll plan to hit the south side and see what turns up.

THANKS
Dean

Deano,I agree with what Chris says, but the big problem is it will take 1-2 hours nowadays to find someplace undeveloped in the greater Houston area!!!

SW was where I always went as a kid in the 60's-70's and always had good luck like Chris said..NE piney woods are very sterile..Probably the best thing to do is find a bayou, any one, and walk the banks...Should turn up some water snakes, speckled kings, maybe a mudsnake if you're really lucky! Plenty of moccasins and copperheads..

I would really suggest you go to the Houston Zoo..One of the greatest herp houses in existance!!!You'd have a lot better time seeing their collection!! And if you ask for a curator and explain who you are, they might let you into the back where the vast majority of the collection is..

Sorry I'm not there..Working in Waco until the 17th..

Have fun, my friend..
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Carl W Gossett
Garage Door Herps
Monument,Colorado...northern territory of the Great Republic of Texas

>>Sorry I'm not there..Working in Waco until the 17th..

Carl,

Have you been to the Waco Zoo? They have one of the coolest Herp houses in the state. Their collection is average, but the display and building are extremely cool!

Certainly worth and hour of your time if you have to be in Waco.

Chris
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Chris Harrison

must have changed a bunch!!!Used to be about 12 cages in a small shack..I'll check it out sometime soon..Thanks, Chris
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Carl W Gossett
Garage Door Herps
Monument,Colorado...northern territory of the Great Republic of Texas

Funny your in waco, I lived in and around waco most of my life. The waco zoos reptile house has gotten alot better over the years. When are you gonna be back in the springs area Carl? I would love too see your collection sometime, or evan just talk to you sometime about herps.

Next week..e-mail me @ snotex@adelphia.net..
My collection is down to only 1 pair of Easterns and a few other species, but I love to talk about Dry's and would be happy to have you come up to Monument! I'll be home for almost 1 month..
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Carl W Gossett
Garage Door Herps
Monument,Colorado...northern territory of the Great Republic of Texas