So it's that time of year...the time of year where everyone throws up their prizes from the herping year just past...Well, low and behold we have yet ANOTHER Arizona post from yet ANOTHER Arizona herper...Well, truth be told this post isn't ALL Arizona....there's a pinch of California and a smidge of New Mexico mixed in for good measure.
I wish I could throw these up with some kind of semblence of chronology...Alas, that's not the case, so instead you'll all be treated to a whole lot more pictures than are really necessary to get my point across. Before I begin, I will say that I ran into quite a few fellow herpers this year and it was a pleasure herping with you all (even if our encounters were by and large unplanned)...ErikNM, Marisa, Tim Warfel, Chris Law, Brendan O'Connor, Richard Legere, Brandon La Forest and the list goes on...These people along with a few of my more "regular" herping peeps (i.e. Jeff "Jaffo" Miller, Bryan Hughes, Aaron Mills) have truly made my herping year something that won't soon be forgotten.
Alright...with all the tear jerking stuff out of the way allow me to present my 2010 herping year in review...
Anybody that spends any time at all herping in Arizona has likely run into more C. atrox than they can shake a snake hook at...Even with as common as these guys are, I still enjoy seein' them every chance I get...
While we're on the subject of common desert denizens, these next two species are quite abundant in the right habitats as well...C. cerastes and C. s. scutulatus.
Now, if you haven't figured this out already I do love the buzzworms...this year afforded many opportunities to see a variety of species. But because I don't want to lose all you "non-crote" people just yet, I'll rattle things up a bit and throw in a few decidedly less venomous critters...
Gopherus agassizii
Terrapene ornata ornata
Ok, so maybe turtles and torts aren't your cup of tea...how about a few lizards?
Urosaurus ornatus
Aspidoscelis tigris
Sceloporus magister
Gambelia wislizenii
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Crotaphytus collaris
Plestiodon callicephalus
Phyrnosoma hernandesi
Well, if that doesn't "do it" for ya, I don't know what to say...maybe you're an invert lover....If so...
Hmmmm...STILL not seeing what you came to see? Well, that means you might be a phib fanatic...Admittedly I saw FAR more phibs than I photographed this year, but perhaps there's a little something here for ya....
Hyla arenicolor
Rana yavapaiensis
Well, if you're still not satisfied, I'm kinda running out of options here...Perhaps you're a colubrid fan?
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
Diadophis punctatus regalis
Lampropeltis pyromelana pyromelana
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi
Masticophis flagellum (eating an Aspidoscelis lizard)
Thamnophis marcianus
Hmmm...Boas maybe? Elapids?
Ok...after ALL THAT if you're still looking for something different, it means one of 3 things...my first guess is you like mammals and things that fly...In THAT case...
If that's not it, maybe you're just into cool landscape/nature/scenic shots...
Ok, if all else fails then you're a "crote-head" just like I am and you had to suffer through the entire middle section of this post just to get to some more rattlesnake pictures. Well, I hope your patience has been aptly rewarded. Enjoy.
Crotalus cerberus
Crotalus lepidus klauberi
(In situ)
Crotalus molossus molossus
Crotalus mitchelli pyrrhus
Crotalus pricei pricei
Crotalus ruber ruber
Crotalus tigris
Crotalus viridis viridis
(in situ)
Crotalus willardi willardi
Crotalus willardi obscurus
Well, that's about it for my 2010. If you got all the way to the end and still didn't find something that tickled your fancy, then in the immortal words spoken by someone at some point before now: "I ain't got nothin' for ya man."
-Kris
