Search found 933 matches

by AndyO'Connor
April 17th, 2018, 11:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: night snakes?
Replies: 67
Views: 26315

Re: night snakes?

Well 8 years later in with new know I have a lot more experience and observations to discuss. I've seen probably a 100 or more nights snakes now. Still only 1 active snake I've ever seen during the day was with Jeremiah and Josh in a canyon many years ago. Most of the surface active night snakes I'v...
by AndyO'Connor
February 27th, 2016, 9:54 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Any Laws in WA/OR around Field Herping?
Replies: 23
Views: 10838

Re: Any Laws in WA/OR around Field Herping?

Thanks for the detailed response. I hope my skepticism is not sounding disrespectful, as I'd hope they are there and believe that anything is possible, although unlikely. I believe that there is more likely a chance of an occasional male zonata getting washed into the Columbia from the White Salmon ...
by AndyO'Connor
January 30th, 2016, 2:34 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Catalina Island Zonata
Replies: 148
Views: 8440

Re: Catalina Island Zonata

Knowing what I know about Richard, the video was not faked. One person's first instinct to grab a snake versus another person's first instinct to stop and observe from a distance is not proof of anything. I would have recorded it as well, and once the fox was there I would have also waited to see wh...
by AndyO'Connor
January 28th, 2016, 10:33 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Great Northwest Herp ID Contest: Week 1
Replies: 12
Views: 6021

Re: The Great Northwest Herp ID Contest: Week 1

1. Dunn's 2. Long toed 3. Dunn's 4. Clouded 5. Clouded 6. Long toed 7. Long toed 8. Clouded 9. Dunn's I'm not 100% on 4 and 5, 4 doesn't look like it's hind feet are webbed, but everything else about it says clouded, and 5 has webbed hind feet, but otherwise looks like a dunn's to me, so I am going ...
by AndyO'Connor
January 13th, 2016, 5:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Any Laws in WA/OR around Field Herping?
Replies: 23
Views: 10838

Re: Any Laws in WA/OR around Field Herping?

The zonata in Oregon is interesting. Are you sure it wasn't a freshly shed (ie vibrant) valley or Oregon Spotted garter snake (I'm not sure without checking range maps which would be in Hood River, I think they'd be valley garters. The reason I bring this possibility is a few points. First, MANY ver...
by AndyO'Connor
January 10th, 2016, 3:45 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Thorny Devil Dreaming: Part 8, Southern Eyre Peninsula
Replies: 21
Views: 14871

Re: Thorny Devil Dreaming: Part 8, Southern Eyre Peninsula

Just finished going through all 8 posts. Thank you so much for putting this together. It's a dream destination I hope to some day dedicate a few weeks or a month to.
by AndyO'Connor
October 1st, 2015, 2:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Fall Amphibians near Portland
Replies: 7
Views: 4121

Re: Fall Amphibians near Portland

Well, you won't see zonata on the Oregon side of the Gorge... Basically look for any park with trails near water. Flip logs, rocks, and other debris. If it's raining and above 50, you should find a LOT of species and in high numbers. Some of the exits off of state route 84 along the Columbia once yo...
by AndyO'Connor
August 31st, 2015, 12:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples
Replies: 14
Views: 5880

Re: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples

I'm human, I still haven't found a WA ringneck, which is supposed to be easier than a whip and a zonata. I've found every native reptile in the state except a damned ringneck.
by AndyO'Connor
August 30th, 2015, 4:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples
Replies: 14
Views: 5880

Re: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples

There are only a couple of roads separating the best couple of locations for them, and they are an interstate and major highway truck route, so traffic is pretty high. She had mentioned that the plotted data points showed that the few snakes she tracked would go up to the road, and parallel it, but ...
by AndyO'Connor
August 28th, 2015, 12:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples
Replies: 14
Views: 5880

Re: In search of striped whipsnake tissue samples

IIRC, a few years ago, Lisa and I had a conversation regarding whips in WA and her telemetry study she did in the early 2000s and they rarely cross roads for some reason. DOR could be even rarer than seeing one in the field. The original post says tissue samples from OTHER parts of the species range...
by AndyO'Connor
July 9th, 2015, 2:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: frog in bag of salad
Replies: 27
Views: 8715

Re: frog in bag of salad

What Brian said. If you took a baja, sierra, and pacific, and threw them all together, you wouldn't be able to dicern a difference, the males all sound the same, and the females of each would go with whatever male (based on the normal selection reasons they use)
by AndyO'Connor
June 20th, 2015, 2:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Newberry Mountains, NV
Replies: 17
Views: 6670

Re: Newberry Mountains, NV

Nice job on the mating coachwhips, gila, and regal. I love the regals in that area, no ring and a super light grey dorsal. Some can look aquamarine, blueish, or greenish grey.
by AndyO'Connor
June 8th, 2015, 12:31 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: April and May Herping Adventures
Replies: 6
Views: 4389

Re: April and May Herping Adventures

Could just be the picture is stretched weird or something, but the last northwestern garter looks like it might be an Oregon garter, Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus. It's eye looks too large compared to the rest of its head for ordinoides, and just the overall shape of its head seems to say aquatic.
by AndyO'Connor
May 30th, 2015, 5:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mojave and beyond (pic heavy)
Replies: 5
Views: 3875

Mojave and beyond (pic heavy)

It's been a while since I've posted a field write-up for a big trip, and there are definitely a few trips since my last post that are deserving of a report, but here we go! Tim Warfel hit me up late last year about doing a big trip to the Mojave and surrounding areas to see what we could see. I knew...
by AndyO'Connor
May 30th, 2015, 4:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Week in the Southwest Desert
Replies: 6
Views: 4152

Re: Last Week in the Southwest Desert

I third the request for more pictures of the GB gopher. snakes from that area can be amazing, and that looks like my favorite "type" of color and patter with a really faded head and the mid-dorsal saddles taking on a salmon/orange faded look.
by AndyO'Connor
May 12th, 2015, 3:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica jackpot
Replies: 10
Views: 4491

Re: Costa Rica jackpot

Holy cow, that is an awesome find and great picture in the moment.
by AndyO'Connor
May 12th, 2015, 3:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: early survey of your interest - pyros in the west desert?
Replies: 31
Views: 10667

Re: early survey of your interest - pyros in the west desert

This sounds like something I'd be interested in talking Mack, Josh, and maybe another northwesterner or two down for.
by AndyO'Connor
May 10th, 2015, 6:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: stress levels of animals in the wild
Replies: 14
Views: 4389

Re: stress levels of animals in the wild

Let's not forget that it's nearly impossible for us to monitor or measure stresses in wild or captive animals without some type of interaction, which could ruin the control, if you are trying to measure the stress as it pertains to human interaction. There is no way to know that an animal that has b...
by AndyO'Connor
May 8th, 2015, 8:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: NW Herpers Storm the Border - California side
Replies: 13
Views: 6810

Re: NW Herpers Storm the Border - California side

How far up the sides the orange comes and the number of spots are diagnostics if I recall, but it is still remarkably clean even if it were a pure coralbelly. It is a really nice looking ring (They are all pretty awesome to me).
by AndyO'Connor
May 8th, 2015, 11:55 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: NW Herpers Storm the Border - California side
Replies: 13
Views: 6810

Re: NW Herpers Storm the Border - California side

You guys did really well. That ringneck has an insanely clean belly for a northwestern. Even if it were found in the coralbelly intergrade zone, I don't see ANY spots? Pretty snakes.
by AndyO'Connor
April 30th, 2015, 11:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rattlesnake ID
Replies: 44
Views: 10797

Re: Rattlesnake ID

Why wouldn't the appropriate (though hard) thing to do here if it's seen again be to capture and euthanize the snake? What if the snake is disoriented due to being relocated and sits by the parking lot of the trail edge and bites someone? Another example of snakes being the villain to the public wit...
by AndyO'Connor
March 31st, 2015, 12:15 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: CB rosy bites vs WC rosy
Replies: 36
Views: 16243

Re: CB rosy bites vs WC rosy

I've been bitten by some of the so-called "nice" species in the wild, glossy snakes that were handled by 2 or 3 people and passed to me to admire suddenly become Masticophis wanna-bes, I've been bitten by a longnose. No rubber boa bites. I have seen snappy CB rosy boas in people's collecti...
by AndyO'Connor
March 19th, 2015, 12:03 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: March in Oregon
Replies: 6
Views: 3067

Re: March in Oregon

I'm thinking lawn mower, or field tiller? something that rotates and would have hit the snake several times quickly? Nice finds. More than I've seen up here.
by AndyO'Connor
March 14th, 2015, 11:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: In Arcadia for 3 days. Anyone want to show me something?
Replies: 4
Views: 1667

Re: In Arcadia for 3 days. Anyone want to show me something?

I can help you with a horned lizard up here. You've found striped whipsnakes in Washington? I still need them and ringnecks... Yes everyone laugh at the guy that can find zonata but not ringnecks in Washington...
by AndyO'Connor
March 11th, 2015, 3:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: N.A.F.H.A. Field Trip 2015!
Replies: 21
Views: 9073

Re: N.A.F.H.A. Field Trip 2015!

That should be a good time. I hope you find your targets! I've tried that area 4 times now for a gila and have only found tracks in a couple of spots. The regals there are awesome, no neck ring, or a faint/broken one (the two I've seen...). Good luck everyone, I wish I could make it.
by AndyO'Connor
February 13th, 2015, 11:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: "insitu" under AC
Replies: 20
Views: 6088

Re: "insitu" under AC

racer and northwestern garter
Image
by AndyO'Connor
February 13th, 2015, 11:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: "insitu" under AC
Replies: 22
Views: 7102

Re: "insitu" under AC

racer and northwestern garter
Image
by AndyO'Connor
February 7th, 2015, 5:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hello
Replies: 6
Views: 3042

Re: Hello

Yeah, you're maybe 15-20 minutes south of me, I'm in Mill Creek/Bothell. I just found a gracile in my driveway. If you want to meet up and grab a beer, or go herping soon, let me know.
by AndyO'Connor
February 6th, 2015, 9:10 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

Re: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

Sorry for your loss, but it sounds like you made the responsible and humane choice for the animal. Removed the enclosure from the room the day she died, and wiped the metal rack shelf she was on with clorox wipes. I also threw all of my snake bags in the washer with a splash of bleach, and vinegar, ...
by AndyO'Connor
February 5th, 2015, 7:12 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

Re: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

Results of necropsy say most likely was crypto, as there were signs in the intestines and other organs. No for sure prognosis could be made due to the length of time between death and the exam, but crypto fits most of the pre-death symptoms and body condition after death.
by AndyO'Connor
February 5th, 2015, 2:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: EOY Blue Iguanas, Pyros, and What a 6-ft Caiman is Afraid Of
Replies: 21
Views: 17463

Re: EOY Blue Iguanas, Pyros, and What a 6-ft Caiman is Afrai

As others have stated, that is an amazing photo series with the jaguar. They are such powerful animals. It literally is a once in several lifetimes observation, and your photos will likely live in internet lore until Skynet takes over. Thanks so much for having the right equipment and being prepared.
by AndyO'Connor
February 3rd, 2015, 11:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hello
Replies: 6
Views: 3042

Re: Hello

Corey, where do you live now? Kirkland is about 15 minutes from my work, 20 from home. Jonathan, they definitely can be the most abundant salamander (maybe the most abundant vertebrate) in the right conditions, and I have on 2 separate years seen mass migrations in the fall in my neighborhood. Josh,...
by AndyO'Connor
February 3rd, 2015, 11:37 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Anybody in Cheney WA? Bull snake question
Replies: 9
Views: 3457

Re: Anybody in Cheney WA? Bull snake question

sayi is a subspecies of catenifer, like deserticola, so yes intergrade, probably, at least the visual diagnostics seems to fit, slightly different blotch count, body build, and slight rostral scale differences, but I don't know if we could call them full bullsnakes, even though I have before.
by AndyO'Connor
February 2nd, 2015, 4:18 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Anybody in Cheney WA? Bull snake question
Replies: 9
Views: 3457

Re: Anybody in Cheney WA? Bull snake question

I found a bullish rascal at Turnbull NWR just outside of Cheney. Not as much as the snake on wiki, but I think there is definitely sayi influence in northeastern washington, and some of the snakes I've found near CDL Udaho looked more like bulls.
by AndyO'Connor
January 27th, 2015, 1:14 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Idaho Giant Sally State Symbol Denied
Replies: 4
Views: 4549

Re: Idaho Giant Sally State Symbol Denied

From what I could find, the tiger salamander is currently their state amphibian... shouldn't make a difference to someone creeped out by them. Unfortunately this is par for the course, as I found this on the inter-netting, "In the 2010s, a student proposal for the rattlesnake as the state repti...
by AndyO'Connor
January 26th, 2015, 7:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Video Version of My Bipes Post (with Bipes footage!)
Replies: 14
Views: 6656

Re: The Video Version of My Bipes Post (with Bipes footage!)

Nice vid, thanks for making and sharing, guys! Were the shots fired actually aimed AT you, or just in the air to warn/scare you off? I hadn't heard of it happening in Baja Sur and was down there in 2013 without incident, so was just curious.
by AndyO'Connor
January 26th, 2015, 7:13 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How to visually SEX a rattlesnake...
Replies: 24
Views: 27082

Re: How to visually SEX a rattlesnake...

Travis is a male. To your question of "what are the chances I've only seen males?"... It's pretty high if you are finding them at a time of year when males are moving around looking for food and females, whereas females are sitting in a quiet safe location to breed and give birth. You will...
by AndyO'Connor
December 30th, 2014, 1:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Guyana-End of the Year wrap up (Warning LOTS OF IMAGES)
Replies: 19
Views: 10224

Re: Guyana-End of the Year wrap up (Warning LOTS OF IMAGES)

Great post, Fantastic mix of animals in habitat, on white showing diagnostics, and beautiful landscape. Thanks for taking the time to share.
by AndyO'Connor
November 21st, 2014, 8:35 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

Re: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

Thanks Justin. I shipped the snake to a vet friend who is going to do a necropsy anyways, so maybe I will find out, even though it has been almost 2 weeks.
by AndyO'Connor
November 13th, 2014, 9:08 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

Re: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

Insecticides are unlikely, I haven't used anything other than some anti pest paper (the blue stuff) and that was a couple of years ago. I received an offer from a friend to do a free necropsy I just need to ship the snake, so I am doing that as soon as I receive the Flagyl he is sending me for the r...
by AndyO'Connor
November 10th, 2014, 8:53 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

Re: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

I have the snake refrigerated and was thinking about cutting her open. It's been 15 years since I've done a necropsy or dissection of an animal. I'm not sure I'd know what to look for. All the tanks are open enough that I'd notice a spider of dangerous or significant size. I'm not in AZ, I'm in WA a...
by AndyO'Connor
November 8th, 2014, 5:33 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?
Replies: 31
Views: 16477

sudden death of a seemingly healthy gopher snake?

I JUST lost my female gopher snake that I collected as a neonate off a rd in southern Nevada in May of 2012. She was an excellent feeder and showed me no signs of illness. I fed her about 10 days ago and went to feed her today and she was sitting still, gaping and hissing... She looked bloated and I...
by AndyO'Connor
October 28th, 2014, 7:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Cali NAFHA Event Fri 4-10-15 thru Sun 4-12-15 Updated
Replies: 157
Views: 47578

Re: The Cali Chapter NAFHA Event Fri 4-10-15 thru Sun 4-12-1

I wouldn't call what I saw on FB as bickering as much as expressed concern for time to plan a trip out of state, and with the first 3 years, some grew accustomed to communication across all chapter forums rather quickly after a time and place had been chosen, with additional details added later. You...
by AndyO'Connor
October 23rd, 2014, 1:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: It rained and The Giants emerged
Replies: 10
Views: 4059

Re: It rained and The Giants emerged

Interesting they were out on the crawl during the day. I found a couple out on the crawl at night last weekend in the gorge on the OR side. I know a local herper that went out last night up here and found every species possible including a giant. I am looking forward to a HUGE northwestern salamande...
by AndyO'Connor
October 14th, 2014, 11:59 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica June 2014
Replies: 13
Views: 7687

Re: Costa Rica June 2014

Looks like an awesome trip. I really want to get to Costa Rica soon, probably not next year, but 2016. There, or Peru. Cruziohyla would be my top target as well.
by AndyO'Connor
October 10th, 2014, 6:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Cali NAFHA Event Fri 4-10-15 thru Sun 4-12-15 Updated
Replies: 157
Views: 47578

Re: The Cali Chapter NAFHA Event Fri 4-10-15 thru Sun 4-12-1

Will you be making a similar post or announcement in the Inquiries/Announcements section of the NAFHA forums, or in multiple chapters to let people know about this? As it is only 6 months away, some of us interested that need to travel need to start planning the trip now.
by AndyO'Connor
September 26th, 2014, 1:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: hybrid speck×red !?
Replies: 57
Views: 24378

Re: hybrid speck×red !?

LOL! Didn't even notice until now.
by AndyO'Connor
September 26th, 2014, 8:48 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Temporary Coomunal tank Question
Replies: 14
Views: 7742

Re: Temporary Coomunal tank Question

I don't think there's a huge risk of housing them together temporarily, other than the possible parasite risk as mentioned. I'm more distracted by a collective 47 inches of two snakes living in a 15 gallon. Especially two colubrids. There's no way they can have their own space, and thermoregulate pr...
by AndyO'Connor
September 13th, 2014, 1:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: AZ and NM, 12 days including the NAFHA meeting
Replies: 20
Views: 8306

Re: AZ and NM, 12 days including the NAFHA meeting

Yes Jimi, some of our finds did come from way up there, though mostly lizards. It was an awesome hike and I liked that we got to see some habitat that obviously doesn't get torn up by very many people. I'd really like to do a Utah trip, but 2015 sounds like it is pretty much already booked up for us.