Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I completely agree with tanks' assessment below...a lot of headway was achieved between the herper community and TPWD last weekend. HOWEVER, it will take some time (a few years? more?) before mutual trust is fully regained.

A perfect example of this is that TPWD needs data on herps. Most records on a variety of species are decades old. Graybands (and other snakes) were restricted from take for a long time because there was no data to provide useful population estimates (either high OR low)...it wasn't until dedicated hobbyists/collectors could demonstrate that they aren't rare, just rarely encountered unless you know when/where/how to find them, that TPWD could reasonably allow them to be collected.

I'm working on compiling the results from last weekend, as far as what herps were seen, photgraphed, released, etc. I made it very clear at the event that the data would be completely anonymous, i.e. if someone perceived the data would be "used against them" by LE, it wouldn't (and couldn't) be.

I made 200 copies of the event data sheet for people to use while out hunting. I think less than two dozen were taken, and of those, less than 10 were returned. Granted, some people are still compiling their own notes and a trickle of reports has been coming in via email, but I think there is still a lingering fear that this sort of information will be used "against" herpers, so many people are keeping a close hold on their own notes.

I hope to publish the initial compilation of the event observations in the next SWCHR Bulletin, for which I'm the editor, and the deadline to publish is the end of the month! If you attended Snake Days, and you have observations to share (anonymously! Obviously I'll have your contact info if I need clarification on your notes), please send them to me at chris.mcmartin (at) yahoo.com.

I understand many of you have already, or are planning to, submit your information directly to TPWD, or to NAFHA or other databases. That's fine and does not conflict with this project--the purpose of this Snake Days report is not only to ensure the data is put to good use, but to show that events like Snake Days an be a powerful benefit to wildlife agencies, university research, etc. and should be supported rather than viewed as an "us vs. them" scenario. Furthermore, the more we as a "herper community" can demonstrate "legitimacy" in the eyes of academia and even LE, the more "clout" we have in helping to change/shape laws to allow us to further contribute (such as being able to salvage DORs for universities, which is currently still prohibited without special permission) and yes--perhaps even to fully return back to the "way things were" (legally picking up an animal on a roadway, for example).

NOTE: This is not just for observations/capture of alterna, but ALL herps--lizards, amphibians, etc.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

>>I understand many of you have already, or are planning to, submit your information directly to TPWD, or to NAFHA or other databases. That's fine and does not conflict with this project--the purpose of this Snake Days report is not only to ensure the data is put to good use, but to show that events like Snake Days an be a powerful benefit to wildlife agencies, university research, etc. and should be supported rather than viewed as an "us vs. them" scenario. Furthermore, the more we as a "herper community" can demonstrate "legitimacy" in the eyes of academia and even LE, the more "clout" we have in helping to change/shape laws to allow us to further contribute (such as being able to salvage DORs for universities, which is currently still prohibited without special permission) and yes--perhaps even to fully return back to the "way things were" (legally picking up an animal on a roadway, for example).
>>

Hey Chris

I took a sheet and lost it somewhere between Sanderson and Milwaukee. Could you please outline what info you need again so that I can send as close to accurate as I can?
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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I took a sheet and lost it somewhere between Sanderson and Milwaukee. Could you please outline what info you need again so that I can send as close to accurate as I can?

The following is basically a cut-and-paste from the instruction sheet; it lists the various columns and info requested on the actual data sheets. Don't worry if you don't have the info for every block; I'll take what I can get!

2012 Sanderson Snake Days Herp Survey

Welcome to Snake Days! Your participation is requested in helping us gather data on herp and herping activity in the Trans-Pecos by completing this data collection project as part of what is hoped will become a multi-year survey.

We are interested in ALL herps (not just snakes!) found, primarily June 15-17 (the “official” event), but feel free to include additional info if you showed up earlier or are staying later. Lots of information can be gained, not just through observation of live herps, but data on road mortality, persistence of dead specimens on roads, and species collection rates, which may prove useful in helping shape Texas herp management strategies.

Chris McMartin is the point of contact for this survey. He will gather the completed data sheets at the end of Snake Days on Sunday, June 17th, and compiled results will be published in the SWCHR Bulletin. Though your contact information is requested, published results will be anonymous, unless you consent to having your name associated with the data. Personally-identifiable information will not be provided to any law enforcement entity.

Important note: you must have landowner permission to hunt on private land, or the data can’t be used! Snake Days organizers will have a list of land where permission has been granted. If you have additional information, photos, etc. you would like to submit, or have any questions or feedback for improving the survey for next year, Chris can be reached at chris.mcmartin (at) yahoo.com or via cell phone/text at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Participation is voluntary; however, it is highly encouraged. Please take only one survey form per family/team. If additional forms are needed, see Chris, and congratulations on finding so many animals.

How to Complete the Data Sheets
This survey is in a “one size fits most” format. Data sheets are double-sided. If you need to annotate additional information that doesn’t fit neatly into one of the blocks, you can write in the margins, on the back of this page, etc. Please write legibly! If you don’t have the info for a given block, leave it blank.

Surveyor’s Name(s), Phone(s), Email(s): Self explanatory, but please annotate each page in case they get separated!
Date: Self explanatory
General Area Surveyed: Highway/Road, Ranch/Property, County, etc. If you don’t see any herps on a given road/area, note this too
Start/Stop Time: Times herping activities started/stopped, NOT when the first specimen was seen (important!)
Time: Local, 24-hr preferred (i.e. 2230 for 10:30 pm); otherwise annotate AM or PM
Location: GPS preferred; highway and mile marker, or distance from geographic reference acceptable
Air Temperature: Degrees Fahrenheit
Surface Temp: Degrees Fahrenheit, if you have an infrared temperature gun
Species: Common or scientific name, or recognizable abbreviation of either (e.g. suboc, alterna)
Status: AOR: alive on road, DOR: dead on road, On Cut, Flipped (under cover), etc.
Gender: M/F (if determined)
Length: In inches; annotate an estimate with a ~ (e.g. ~18”)
Disposition: OBS: observed (no pics), PICS: photographed and released, COLL: collected (or DOR salvaged)
Remarks: Anything notable. If DOR, note additional times same DOR spotted (e.g. “also seen 2245, 2253”) and time it’s noticed absent on a subsequent pass. Trust me, it’s important!

For your convenience, a list of Federal or Texas Threatened/Endangered herps is printed on the back of this page. TPWD tracks sightings of these species; please report them and Chris will coordinate submission of this data.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED SURVEY TO CHRIS BY NOON SUNDAY!
If you are unable to do so, please email scanned or typed results to Chris. Thank you for your contribution to citizen science!

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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Thank ya kindly! I will get as much info filled out as possible. We were in lizard heaven on the 90 cuts so I will get that info to you.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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Chris can you copy and repost this on the face book accounts of snakedays, there seems to be a lot of traffic on there
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