Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a good herping spot for me and my daughter to look around in. Neither of us has been herping before, and this is a photographic expedition only (especially since collecting is illegal here anyway.)

I live in the Seattle area, but I was thinking maybe Cle Elum might be a decent locale with a fairly wide species diversity. We mainly hope to spot snakes and lizards, but frogs would be equally cool. How about Walla Walla as another choice? Probably not too many frogs there, but might be a few spadefoot toads, and I would suppose plenty of snakes. Rubber boas, maybe?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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Chris

2.0.0 Coleonyx variegatus
1.0.0 Gekko vittatus
0.0.1 Tarentola mauritanica
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Terrestrial? Who you calling terrestrial?!!

Hey Chris,

I'd say skip Walla Walla as that is an agricultural town...not much herping going on there. Try the South Eastern part of the state around Lyle and White Salmon. Lots of diversity in the Colombia basin and along the Klikitat river

J

Hi JW,

The Klickitat river sounds promising. There's a bunch of wildlife refuges around there if I'm not mistake. I plan on doing a short trip around Cle Elum/E'burg in September, if that doesn't pan out we'll probably try the Klickitat.

Thanks for the info.

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Chris

2.0.0 Coleonyx variegatus
1.0.0 Gekko vittatus
0.0.1 Tarentola mauritanica
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Terrestrial? Who you calling terrestrial?!!

I live in Vancouver, hike and explore the Gorge area often around White Salmon & Bingen. The Gorge, since it's drier, has many more reptile opportunities (other than Garter Snakes) than the Willamette Valley. Common in the Gorge:

Southern Alligator Lizards (these are most common, oddly)
Northern Alligator Lizards

Skinks

Yellow-bellied Racers (these move so fast you only hear them)

CA Mountain Kingsnake (rare, but found in canyons near Bingen)

Try Catherine Creek, or along the Klickitat River with its 41-mile hiking trail. Or, just west of Catherine Creek is an unamed canyon with seasonal creek that spills over a bluff next to Highway 14.

If you find that elusive Mountain Kingsnake, put it back! They are a very rare, isolated population hundreds of miles north of their main range. I've searched many times for them, still trying...

Thanks for the info. As my daughter's name is Catherine, perhaps Catherine Creek is the place we oughta check out! 3 weeks from now, and I'll post photos if we spot anything. Thanks again.

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Chris

2.0.0 Coleonyx variegatus bogerti
1.0.0 Gekko vittatus
0.0.1 Tarentola mauritanica
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Terrestrial? Who you calling terrestrial?!!