Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Internet forums have given science a new tool and are a step forward with Herpetology research. Granted it is up to the writer or research to decipher whether the contributor is valid. Nevertheless, I wondering what herps people will come across during this (May 2005) full moon. I’m looking forward to peoples “Field Observations.” William C. Flaxington (Filednotes@hotmail.com)

Hiya F-Notes, njoy your various posts & I agree its time we looked at this full moon bidness in a systematic way, I surely have been burned more on full moons than any others....but Ive slso seen a bunch of stuff over the years...LoR those evenings as well as DoR in the AM, when I didnt go out...so its a gr8t idea to pool our notes this weekend...Im so stiff from 2 hard daze of raquetball...& another tommorow...I just cant bring myself 2 go out!!!!

I have found my share during the full moon but over the years (30)I have noticed that there are substantially more animals moving during the 1st quarter or the week prior to a new cycle. Same as fishing it seems...
Cheers
Lat

hey-
I went out herping w/ my girlfriend on fri night/ sat morn. we camped as well. I pusuaded her to do a few runs cruising from about 9:30 pm to a bit after midnight. we found a partially aor/dor glossy , it died as i was moving it off the road. next @ about 10:30 or so we found the most lively cerestes I have ever seen!!!! it crawled the rim of the car and everything, the thing was so fired up, it was unreal. Had a quick break as numbers werent so good, i figured between the moon and the heat it just might not be the best night. we made a few more runs after that and found a nice baby aor ruber and right after that a dor lyre (baby).thats it for the night. we woke up @ around 6:30 and it was off to the restrooms. first rock pile we walked pass, my girlfriend goes, wow these rocks look just like specks, that almost looked like one ha ha, i went back to see what she was talking about and, beleive it or not, there was probably the second most beautiful speck i have ever seen in the field. I have never found one in the day so i was very excited for the pics I was finally able to get, although the people in the campground that I was nuts, thats okay. So overall, not sure if it had to do w/ the heat or the moon, but it wasn't that great of a night, but, I can never complain if I find something nice! look foward to hear how everyone else and there mother did that night and saturday night since that is literally how many herpers were out. b.t.w. you can drive faster than 10-15mph to find snakes ha ha. good luck rootsrok

I have seen plenty of snakes sitting on the road at 70mph, however the ones that are NOT on the road require much slower speeds. When in middle of rocks I usualy only go about 15 - 20. Other areas no more than 45 depending on the road and the what the edges are like. It has been so hot in the desert, it is hard to say if it is the moon or the heat.

i agree-
possibly where rock piles come to the road side or in between canyons an appropriate speed would be 15-20 mph, but not way down on the s2 or roads like that, we usually go around 40-50 but some people I've been out w/ (you know who you are!) like to go 60-70, and still call the snake as we pass it, see, I know when a snake is a snake but about the only snake I can tell what it is before we stop is a cerestes or a ruber, only cause the rubers are the only snakes that look like knocked over telephone poles, ha ha! and the winders because they just have a certain look to them, dont really know why my eye catches it well.