Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took a quick trip this weekend to a location I was told was loaded with Storeria dekayi ... didn't find a single one (of course hehehe ... although I will be heading back to try again) but did come across an adult and juvenile Nerodia sipedon basking the reeds together.

Candace

I find dekayi in the woods and under debris. Look for them crossing roads at dusk and at night. I have found a dozen in a half hours time working the roads. Nice watersnake pics.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

That's exactly what I was doing but absolutely nothing that day in that location. I've found quite a few in other places like you said but there no luck. Area was perfect for them so I'll head back again in a bit and see what's there.

Thanks though for the compliments on the watersnake photos!
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The Sticky Tongue Project : Addressing biodiversity, conservation and wildlife news & issues. Home of The Herparazzi: a wildlife documentary video series featuring reptiles and amphibians.

Nice pics. I've only seen a few DeKay's out in the open. Most are seen under rocks in open fields or around man-made structures like barns - under boards, metal, etc. on the ground around abandoned buildings.

Tim

Thanks Tim!

And wow ... great photo of a Storeria!!!

That describes the area I was in ... hence my shock when there seemed to be nothing around ... could have just been a bad day.

I'm usually finding them, as everyone else typically does, under pieces of wood, metal, discarded tires etc ...
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The Sticky Tongue Project : Addressing biodiversity, conservation and wildlife news & issues. Home of The Herparazzi: a wildlife documentary video series featuring reptiles and amphibians.

It could be too warm/dry for them. Around here we've been having a lack of rain and temperatures in the 80s. Small snakes are prone to dehydration and also need a certain degree of mositure to find slugs and earthworms to eat. I've seen a few in March around here, but none in the month of May. Though I wasn't specifically looking for them.

Tim

That's exactly the problem around here - without rain lately everything is really drying up fast. The ground is bone dry even in the forests. Marshland is drying up at a rapid rate as well.

The last Storeria that I came across was back in March as well ... nothing since then (although like you I wasn't specifically looking for them ... just herps in general to film).
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The Sticky Tongue Project : Addressing biodiversity, conservation and wildlife news & issues. Home of The Herparazzi: a wildlife documentary video series featuring reptiles and amphibians.