Field Herp Forum

Hi Bill, I'll be in Miami but I have a car. Not really any target species I don't suppose. Just figured I'd hit a list of interesting sites while I'm there. Curious if anyone has any favorite activities/places/tours for both wild and captive animals in the area. I'm living in the Northeast right now...

Going to be in South Florida for a few days starting Dec 10th. Any good suggestions for animal encounters down there both herps and otherwise? I know there's lots of places one can visit so trying to come up with a few viable choices that I can work in over 3-4 days.

I don't know if I had that one. The first one I remember really reading cover to cover was the audubon one. I actually still have that one.

Never been to Kansas so can't help you there. I have herped all over MO though. July and August are hot and dry generally. Those months I mostly look for pit vipers in rock crevices mid morning or on the crawl around dusk. late april, May and September are good for flipping. June things start to hea...

Came across this guy resting in a tree. I've always thought they are really cool animals and don't seem too bothered by my presence. Quabbin Reservoir in MA

Think someone mentioned gray squirrels can take on a dark appearance. Saw some today.

I had some trips planned this spring which unfortunately were canceled, but at least the weather has been nice for hiking.

I came across a couple of interesting items the past two weeks. A really red redbacked salamander and a spotted turtle.

First one looks like one of the tricolor hognose snakes

I am in MA so probably not that much different than you. The same things will work there. For aquatic turtles, I like to use binoculars so I can see them before they take off. I have seen a lot of watersnakes that way too. For the timbers, check rock crevices, ledges, etc. Literring is illegal so I ...

What are the temps up there in the coldest and hottest times of year?

Mindo is a cool town and the lizard with the long nose is there, but overall I saw more frogs and basilisks than snakes. Amazing birds of course.

Great photos and trip report.

No experience in CA, but in the states I've been herping, Law enforcement has not been bothersome at all. I've had state and local police stop to see why Im along a roadside, but they didn't mind that I was looking for snakes. I've had a game warden check my trunk, glance around, or glove box before...

LEOs wouldn't have any way to tell if you have a snake boxed up for keeping or to turn loose later, I think at that point you're just in possession either way so make sure whatever you have is legal. I actually think turning it loose later might be worse because now you've exposed it to foreign too...

LEOs wouldn't have any way to tell if you have a snake boxed up for keeping or to turn loose later, I think at that point you're just in possession either way so make sure whatever you have is legal. I actually think turning it loose later might be worse because now you've exposed it to foreign tool...

that was awesome

A classic must read. I have a copy I am willing to part with for 25USD shipped in USA, message me for International. I have read it many times so decided to let someone else get a copy at a reasonable price. Shoot me a message if any FHF members want it, otherwise I'll put it up at a slightly higher...

Chris, that is what I am thinking. I should hope our government will not allow the ongoing harvest for export to china without requiring a certain percentage come from legitimate farming operations. Especially since snapping turtles are one of the few species our own citizens utilize and should rece...

I do keep numerous imports but it is usually more work and less certain of the end result than captive bred snakes. I have not noticed any difference being whether they are rear fanged or not other than obviously there is more urgency in removing the snake when a bite occurs. Regardless of origin th...

I wonder how they determined it takes 17 years for a snapping turtle to be sexually mature and how much sooner would they mature say in the southern USA which would seem a much more ideal place to locate farms?

I overheard someone say there is possibly a disease going around effecting humans there? Maybe it's passed on now?

Lots of good herps on both coasts, not to mention I happen to come and look often for Asia and South American posts If I strike out on all of the above, watching the fight club in news and board line are always entertaining. Forums did die but this is one of the best remaining.

Ideally, you wouldn't be alone, however 90% of the time I find I am alone when herping. Ideally, you'd have cell coverage, sadly, I rarely have signal in the places I enjoy herping. So in some cases, the results might be quite bad or at least cause significant panic that something really bad might g...

My post today is directed to Jeff, Richard, Ernie, Sam Sweet, Brian, Jimi, and Gerri (if he still reads this): I graduated less than 20 years ago. I do not know if anyone else reading this knows or cares, so I am directing this to they (those) in particular. When I was given my sheep skin (and not t...

Having met Richard, I can only say that there are few people whom I respect more. Richard does his absolute best to document, document, document, and rely on the facts to guide his decisions even when it does not line up with what his personal feelings. If only more people had that kind of commitmen...

There are different ways to look at public utilization and ensuring continued access, I think. Assuring the populations remains available for personal collection, photography, and ecological services would be included. If commercial collection is compatible with the above, then perhaps it should be ...

I think China is going to see a continued and huge surge in reptile keeping. It will probably get worse before it gets better, but I see more and more keepers there using better husbandry. They are breeding and captive hatching more animals successfully and selectively breeding which could make thos...

I think there is a genuine need for all animal people to come together and realize that some give and take could go a long way toward making sure the future is bright and that we crank out as many people who want to preserve reptiles and other animals for the future as possible exist. I also think e...

To me as a private reptile hobbyist, huge numbers are not too helpful. It's much better to have people collecting and providing high quality care for a more limited quantity of animals that fetch a higher price in my mind. When I am purchasing imported animals, I buy them from guys who bring in regu...

Sorry about the misspelling. I think some kind of a bag limit sounds reasonable to me. As far as I know, it is common to limit the collection of certain sexes during certain times of the year. Bryan, all those measures sound reasonable enough to me and I agree with your concern for deserted drift fe...

Brian, by your standard I shouldn't be able to take your fish, your deer, your oil, your gas, not even a leaf from your public land. To play devil's advocate, the land also belongs to the collectors, so why should you prevent them from using THEIR renewable resource? If you just hate the idea of peo...

Ernie, I agree with you that what their doing isn't doing any good confiscating animals that were likely on deaths doorstep), but ideally China would just allow export so no one needs to risk life searching pringles cans? agree?

I would have to believe any brown anole born in captivity was largely by chance rather than an effort to do so. I've never heard of them being used in any way except catching a bunch for use as feeders. They are barely worth a buck a piece. There is always a danger that laws will be created for some...

I am trying to think of something to compare it to. In terms of freshwater fishing, I think commercial collecting of many species would be banned. For example, I could commercially collect bait fish but not bluegill. So maybe banning commercial collecting of reptiles isn't such a stretch? Granted th...

I could go either way, personal use I certainly think should be allowed for non-endangered herps. Commercial is kind of meh, I can't really imagine banning it would hurt anything. Other than maybe some kids buying junk at a pet store, I really can't imagine there is much demand for it and anything i...

Unfortunately predictable when the Chinese cannot export that they would seek to find ways around the system. In another curiosity, I noticed quite a few adult shinglebacks in China for the past couple years. Not saying they couldn't be legit, but I do kind of wonder if some Chinese guys brought bac...

I truly believe my love of reptiles has probably been one of the most beneficial things in my life. It has encouraged me to get massive amounts of exercise that has no doubt extended my life in terms on longevity and quality. I carry out dozens, if not hundreds, of boxes of substrate each week in ad...

There's a saying I've heard, "If you won't agree you should've have purchased it and recall it at 80, you don't need it". Now, that last beer or bowl from any random night, ya I likely won't recall or really regret if I had passed it up. My degrees? It's a questionable use of money and perhaps I cou...

Hmmmm, I don't think of it even as a moral issue but the value of collecting most native species is a consideration. For the most part, a native species with any real value in keeping and breeding is already done so in moderate to large numbers or is a protected species that you cannot legally or et...

My view of herping ethics is you shouldn't waste resources, ie pickup giant rocks that you cannot control and let them fall on the inhabitants underneath them, disinfect tools between sites, and if you're too big of a baby to flip rocks with your hands, then maybe consider staying home :) I've also ...

Is it really illegal to collect a non-native species (aside from trespassing if you don't have permission)? Seems like they should call it the secretive world of collecting non-native species and hopefully not trespassing to do so or you might get shot?

As far as China goes, I will only say the number of keepers and people with a sincere interest in captive snakes is increasing. The idea that some person in China who takes snakes off the menu and sends them somewhere else as shady is more manifestation of western ethnocentrism than current reality.

I have no solutions. When I lived in St. Louis, I visited a guy who had Cobras in Illinois. Now that I live in CT, a guy down the road has eyelash vipers whom I swap mice with depending on who has more or less. Perhaps venomous is just destined to exist in the shadows kind of like so many other thin...

Sorry to beat an old, dead horse, but if I were a FL taxpayer I would be outraged at paying for some foreign guys to essentially go on a vacation and walk around looking for snakes.

Ernie, I think the difference is a native species was unavoidable and anti-venin more likely available, yes? Exotic venomous, at least to me, should be kept under very very careful attention. I don't want to encourage a witchhunt, but I do make a distinction.

Unfortunately, the habitat destruction and road building cannot be stopped. We will never regulate the human population until we are at the absolute, complete and total carrying capacity and it will largely be regulated then by death and infertility.

Jeez. Keep whatever you want for all I care, but when it starts affecting your neighbors, that's a legit problem that your neighborhood should not have to deal with. Personally, I love snakes, but I don't want to be surprised by a cobra while I am gardening!

Have any of you guys ever picked up a lady by embellishing your life list?

I've not been there but I think it will be very hot. In MO, that time is still fine for finding pit vipers in crevices but terrible for colubrids. Hope that helps, I can only assume OK will be somewhat similiar.

Serious risks can still be banned from importation at any and every state level as needed, so I don't think USFW being forced to enforce the law as written will cause any serious incidents. Salamanders are still banned from importation into the US, so the Bsal risk from Asian and European sources is...