Very interesting project! I have a couple records I could contribute if you still need any from New York. Both locations have robust populations of P. glutinosis.
-Alex
Search found 141 matches
- March 31st, 2017, 8:06 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Soliciting for Slimy Salamander locales [research]
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3021
- January 29th, 2017, 11:34 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Snakes In Situ, Partially Hiding - Request for Images
- Replies: 28
- Views: 11909
Re: Snakes In Situ, Partially Hiding - Request for Images
Here's an eastern ribbon from NY that was sitting motionless in the weeds staring at several small frogs that were sitting nearby. https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7450/26857925233_9e753469f5_b.jpg Eastern Ribbon Snake playin' peek-a-boo by Alex Roukis , on Flickr This eastern rat from PA was peeking o...
- December 30th, 2016, 7:46 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2128
Re: EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
Thanks Dave! The widow pictured is from Ridge, but I have seen them in Manorville, Yaphank, Calverton, and Massapequa. They can be really abundant in certain areas. In Manorville I found hundreds of spiderlings and adults at one time!
-Alex
-Alex
- December 30th, 2016, 12:24 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2128
Re: EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
Thanks guys! The NY species that aren't on here are stuff like blue-spotted salamander, wood turtle, northern slimy salamander, and some non-natives like yellow-bellied slider, northern red-bellied turtle, and Chinese softshell. For the wood turtle and yellow-bellied slider, I only found DOR this ye...
- December 30th, 2016, 12:19 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)
- Replies: 45
- Views: 49484
Re: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)
This was a concern for me for a while too, and the method I like best now is to use a flashlight instead of a regular flash. I lay the flashlight on the ground a few feet back so it isn't directly in the animals eyes and take the pictures on manual setting so the flash doesn't fire. I find that not ...
- December 30th, 2016, 8:43 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2128
EOY Report: New York State (Very Long Post)
This was an awesome year for getting out in the field, meeting new herper friends, and finding lifers. NY is not usually thought of as a great state for herping, but there are plenty of scaly critters to keep a guy like me occupied. The pictures shown below are in no way a representation of all the ...
- April 29th, 2016, 6:13 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
Re: Photo Critique
Thank you very much! I do still have some trouble with composition and depth of field. This summer i am planning on really learning more about both of those factors so i can improve my photos. And yes, the grass definitely was not an ideal substrate for the slider picture. Although i do feel it "fit...
- April 27th, 2016, 2:01 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
Re: Photo Critique
I use a Maglite 168 lumens. I didnt buy it specifically for photography, but for general night time herping instead. It works really well for finding frogs and other herps at night and so far has been really sturdy! The best results i've had so far, as far as settings go, is with ISO 800, 1/500 shut...
- April 27th, 2016, 12:26 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
Re: Photo Critique
Thank you both! I like the idea of that too, taking a variety of different types of photographs. Night photography is a fun challenge too! Of couse, as you said, natural light can be a bit of an issue for that lol, it is fun to experiment with different techniques. This year I have been experimentin...
- April 26th, 2016, 4:35 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
Re: Photo Critique
Thank you very much for taking the time to explain more, i agree with all you said! The DOF issue has been something i have had very conflicted opinions on. On one hand, in the hognose photo i like the shallow DOF because it draws the eye to the important part of the snake, the spread hood. On the o...
- April 26th, 2016, 12:57 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
Re: Photo Critique
Thank you very much! I dont find your advice to be negative at all, we all need to hear others' advice to get better so it's great when people can point out the possible negatives so that they can be changed in the future. Personaly, i like a less tight crop on a photo, but then again my taste is a ...
- April 25th, 2016, 3:54 pm
- Forum: FHF Image Lab
- Topic: Photo Critique
- Replies: 12
- Views: 17059
- March 14th, 2016, 12:54 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Spring Emergence 2016!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 8042
Re: Spring Emergence 2016!
Its been warm and dry here too. The peepers have been going nuts, but other than that, i havent seen much myself or heard many reports from other people in the area. I did get to see plenty of redbacks, newts, one yearling laterale and some four-toed salamanders, but no spotteds or even wood frogs y...
- February 22nd, 2016, 1:44 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Spring Emergence 2016!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 8042
Re: Spring Emergence 2016!
Sorry to hear about the water snake, Andrea. The other night i saw a bunch of dead frogs frozen in a small pond, including one enormous male bullfrog. It's especially sad to see big adult animals dead that have survived for so long! On the other hand, my luck hasnt been all bad lately! After i poste...
- February 16th, 2016, 10:23 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Spring Emergence 2016!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 8042
Re: Spring Emergence 2016!
The weather here on Long Island has been pretty inconsistent, so i'm going to play it safe and guess the big emergence will be around March 20th. Obviously its impossible to predict this early though. The rain and warm temps we had today and yesterday night were really good for melting almost all th...
- January 26th, 2016, 3:01 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main forum)
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2585
Re: 2015 Highlights (Northeast, KS & FL) - (same as main for
Fantastic post, Justin! It made me remember just how much i'm dying to visit the NJ pines next year! Everything about this post was amazing, especially the milk snake diversity you saw. I'm also jealous of your worm snakes, since i have such a hard time finding those lol.
-Alex
-Alex
- November 16th, 2015, 2:57 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3258
Re: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
Thanks Andrea and Nick! For as long as i've been following FHF (long before i finally became a member), the EOY posts were something i always looked foward to! It was great to see everybody's photos on regular posts and even on the Facebook group, but there's something special about seeing them all ...
- November 10th, 2015, 1:29 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3724
Re: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
Thanks Porter! The screech owls are pretty common here, and the red and grey morphs seem to occur with about the same frequency, as far as i can tell. Eastern newts are extremely common here! I've always felt that if the efts were rare they would be at the top of every herper's list! Since they are ...
- November 9th, 2015, 3:15 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3258
Re: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
Thanks Kyle! I'm still somewhat new to bird photography, but I'll get a lot more practice this winter to pass the time when the herps aren't out! I'm glad you enjoyed them! In certain parts of NY they are fairly common, but they are absent from my part of the state. The spot I herped in to see them ...
- November 9th, 2015, 3:09 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3724
Re: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
Thanks Dave! The milks we get up here are gorgeous, especially as juveniles! Italian Wall Lizards are very common here, especially in the suburbs of Long Island. They are also found in some parts of New York City too, which is pretty amazing! Very adaptive little critters! That's very interesting th...
- November 8th, 2015, 8:09 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3258
Re: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
Thanks so much MC! That is one of the nicest comments anyone has ever left me! I'm so glad my passion seems to be translating through my pictures, that's the whole goal!
-Alex
-Alex
- November 8th, 2015, 8:07 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3724
Re: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
Thanks reptologist!
- November 7th, 2015, 7:25 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3724
Re: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
Thanks Justin! For whatever reason i have trouble with Desmognathus. I guess its because i dont have much experience with them compared with others, since we dont have them on Long Island. The primary ID characteristics are a more rounded tail (or is that fuscus, or maybe i'm just making that up ent...
- November 7th, 2015, 2:19 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3258
2015 in the New York State (same as main forum)
Now that the herping season is coming to a close in New York, I thought i'd put together an end of year post. 2015 was a great year for me with several amazing lifers! Most of the photos here are from Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and the Catskills. Unfortunately some species are missing because t...
- November 7th, 2015, 2:16 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: 2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3724
2015 in the New York State (Pic Heavy!)
Now that the herping season is coming to a close in New York, I thought i'd put together an end of year post. 2015 was a great year for me with several amazing lifers! Most of the photos here are from Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and the Catskills. Unfortunately some species are missing because t...
- October 27th, 2015, 1:59 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Finds from NYC
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3711
Re: Finds from NYC
What a fantastic post! It's great to see that there are herps in Manhattan! I've seen garter snakes, fowler's toads, and a box turtle in Kings County, but had no idea there was anything left on Manhattan Island itself! I'm from Long Island and find a lot of great herps (including those Two-Lined Sal...
- August 9th, 2015, 7:28 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Birthday herping
- Replies: 12
- Views: 3958
Re: Birthday herping
Happy belated birthday, Thany!! Those are all some awesome finds, especially on your birthday! Mine is in January, so the only herps i get to find are the ones in my room lol. The shot of Dawg is awesome!!!
- August 9th, 2015, 4:54 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: A strange ocurrence - Skink playing dead ??!!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2494
Re: A strange ocurrence - Skink playing dead ??!!
I've never seen it in skinks, but have observed it in other species that are not known for that behavior. I had an eastern ribbon snake play dead a few weeks ago, i was handling it very gently (as i do with all herps) and it just opened its mouth and "died." It did not appear to be breathing and it ...
- August 3rd, 2015, 2:29 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Unusual Abnormalities in Eastern Newts?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1464
Unusual Abnormalities in Eastern Newts?
I visited a pond in Greene County, NY and quickly noticed that many of the newts there had some abnormalities. Many of them were lumpy, asymmetrical, and had weird swelling. This particular pond has a very high newt population. The pond is fed by a creek that dries up in the summer, so it becomes sl...
- July 30th, 2015, 6:54 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Snake education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa!
- Replies: 11
- Views: 7523
Re: Snake education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa!
Thank you so much for posting! Educating the public is such an important part of herping, and you're doing a fantastic job at it! I love how you utilize the live snakes, both the venomous and non-venomous, to help you. From the looks of your photos, those people seem to be very willing to listen and...
- July 6th, 2015, 6:06 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3205
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
Definitely could be a timber! I've seen timber rattler sheds that look exactly life that before. I don't think it's Nerodia because the scales look very large and spread apart. Nerodia tend to have smaller scales that are almost overlapping, while timbers tend to have larger scales. I'm no expert on...
- June 14th, 2015, 12:48 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Relocating to NYC
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2283
Re: Relocating to NYC
I live on Long Island, so it's quite a bit different than NYC, but there are some excellent herping oppurtunities in the state! I go to Harriman State Park a lot for herping and it's GREAT there for lots of different species, and I'm almost positive you can take a bus there from NYC. I have seen ple...
- June 7th, 2015, 7:37 pm
- Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
- Topic: Question about frequency of shedding
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2723
Re: Question about frequency of shedding
Thanks for the quick reply, y'all! I'm so relieved to hear that this is normal and a sign that he's on his way to healing completely. I had a feeling that's what it was, but of course there was still a little piece of me that was worried about him! Thanks again!!!
-Alex
-Alex
- June 7th, 2015, 4:43 am
- Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
- Topic: Question about frequency of shedding
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2723
Question about frequency of shedding
Hi all! Recently i got a new adult L. g. splendida as a rescue, and he has shed twice in the last month. He came from a questionable background (the people didnt even know that he was a desert kingsnake), and he had a nasty scab that completely covered his rostral and internasal scales. Since having...
- June 1st, 2015, 12:21 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Anybody recommend a good tick repellant?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 6117
Re: Anybody recommend a good tick repellant?
Thanks for the information, Andrea and Jimi! If i invest in Permethrin, i think i'm just going to treat my boots and socks. I always wear very light-colored jeans in the field which makes it much easier to spot ticks, and since most ticks get picked up from the ground i think treating my boots and s...
- May 31st, 2015, 2:59 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Anybody recommend a good tick repellant?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 6117
Re: Anybody recommend a good tick repellant?
Ticks are pretty much my worst nightmare when i'm herping too! Lyme disease is way too prevalent in the Northeast, so I've been wondering about using Permethrin. It seems like it works great, but i have really been wondering if it would be harmful to the herps i find. I know it's only supposed to be...
- May 15th, 2015, 6:14 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: black rat snakes in MA/CT/RI
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2489
Re: black rat snakes in MA/CT/RI
I just found my first in NY today! It was a beautiful 4.5 footer that was basking on a boulder. I'll pm you some info soon! 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125775141 ... ateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125775141 ... ateposted/
- May 11th, 2015, 1:52 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Aquatic Behavior in Red-Backed Salamanders?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 3553
Re: Aquatic Behavior in Red-Backed Salamanders?
This past weekend i found a quite a few redbacks in a creek, alongside northern two-lined and dusky salamanders. I even found a bunch of spotted salamanders in the creek as well, which to me is just as unusual as finding rebacks there. It was unseasonably hot and dry the past few days, so my theory ...
- April 18th, 2015, 4:09 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: common garter snake
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3613
Re: found a really cool LT Syspila
OMG that's awesomeeee!!! It looks a lot like what they call "T-positive." The T stands for Tyrosinase, which in this case would be in a greater quanitity in its pigment than a normal snake, giving it this light color on its saddles. Maybe it isn't T-positive, but whatever it is it is SOOO COOL!! Awe...
- April 9th, 2015, 12:56 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Early Spring So Far, Long Island, NY!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2879
Re: Early Spring So Far, Long Island, NY!
Thanks guys! MCHerper -yeah i'm really lucky that they were still there when i finally got to my favorite vernal pool! There were hundreds! Best of luck to herping with you too! cbernz -thanks! Lol when my birder friend spotted it in the field, she said the same thing about it being ridiculously yel...
- April 9th, 2015, 7:28 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Early Spring So Far, Long Island, NY!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2879
Early Spring So Far, Long Island, NY!
It took quite a while for Spring to arrive here, but it's finally here! It seemed like winter would never end, but all of a sudden the weather took a very sudden (and welcome!) turn for the better. Here's some of the critters I've had the pleasure to find in the last 2 weeks! Spring Peepers https://...
- April 9th, 2015, 7:05 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: salamander migration
- Replies: 61
- Views: 21070
Re: salamander migration
Thanks MCHerper! I went out on Monday and the wood frogs were still in full-on breeding mode. I'm so bad with timing my early spring amphibian outings, so I'm glad I got lucky this time! https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8751/16875443529_b275dee13d.jpg Wood Frog (L. sylvaticus) by Alex Roukis , on Flic...
- April 9th, 2015, 6:45 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: April 2015 Species Counts
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4740
Re: April 2015 Species Counts
April 6, 2015
Suffolk County, NY
50 degrees, sunny, windy
TMTC wood frogs in vernals
TMTC spring peepers
1 redback salamander (leadback)
Suffolk County, NY
50 degrees, sunny, windy
TMTC wood frogs in vernals
TMTC spring peepers
1 redback salamander (leadback)
- April 9th, 2015, 6:34 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: spider-tailed horned viper documentary clip
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4868
Re: spider-tailed horned viper documentary clip
Haha I know, I oughta get my head back in the game! It's weird, but I know almost nothing about herps from that part of the world. I also can not wait to hear more about them! Definitely one of the most unusual and interesting species I've ever seen! The caudal lure looks incredibly similar to a rea...
- April 8th, 2015, 11:20 am
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: spider-tailed horned viper documentary clip
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4868
Re: spider-tailed horned viper documentary clip
That's simply incredible! Nature never ceases to amaze me.
With that tail and amazing caudal luring skills, i can't believe this species isn't more well-known. I've never even heard of this species before, but it's a new favorite for sure!
With that tail and amazing caudal luring skills, i can't believe this species isn't more well-known. I've never even heard of this species before, but it's a new favorite for sure!
- April 4th, 2015, 4:47 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: April 2015 Species Counts
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4740
Re: April 2015 Species Counts
April 4, 2015
Nassau County, NY
1 snapping turtle
1 eastern garter snake
Lots and lots of spring peepers calling!
Nassau County, NY
1 snapping turtle
1 eastern garter snake
Lots and lots of spring peepers calling!
- April 4th, 2015, 4:41 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
- Replies: 66
- Views: 17633
Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Interesting topic for a poll! Personally, i am fine with handling herps in most cases. While it can and does cause some stress, this stress level does not seem severe at all and many herps will resume normal behavior only minutes after being released. A lot of birders do seem to consider this harras...
- March 30th, 2015, 12:30 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: salamander migration
- Replies: 61
- Views: 21070
Re: salamander migration
I saw a video of a very large wood frog chorus from Long Island taken on Sunday. Looks like things are finally getting underway! Does anybody know for how long wood frogs will be in full on breeding mode? I know they are pretty explosive and quick breeders, but if their initial "explosion" of breedi...
- March 20th, 2015, 1:22 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: salamander migration
- Replies: 61
- Views: 21070
Re: salamander migration
Well, it's snowing here on Long Island again. We are supposed to get up to 4 inches where i am and possibly up to 7 inches a half hour east in my spotted salamander area. Im actually glad they havent started breeding yet because the vernal pools will almost certainly freeze a good amount in the next...
- March 15th, 2015, 6:57 pm
- Forum: The Forum
- Topic: salamander migration
- Replies: 61
- Views: 21070
Re: salamander migration
Good to know! Thanks so much for that information!