Search found 314 matches

by MonarchzMan
July 10th, 2018, 6:28 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Smoky Mountain Snakes
Replies: 6
Views: 6273

Re: Smoky Mountain Snakes

I just spent the last week there in the Tremont area. We found a garter snake, and a bunch of copperheads (at least a couple copperheads every night).
by MonarchzMan
April 23rd, 2018, 5:42 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Tripod options?
Replies: 5
Views: 13910

Re: Tripod options?

I use a Gitzo explorer which is expensive, but the off-center, adjustable center column allows you to get more creative with tripod shots than for just about any other tripod. That said, I've heard good things about the MeFOTO travel tripods where you can get both tripod and monopod in one. When get...
by MonarchzMan
December 3rd, 2017, 7:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

If you have a basic understanding of snakes and their behavior's. You will already know this but some are clearly novices in this area. They confuse and mix-up various defensive strategies and fail to understand the sequencing and predator prey relationship as it applies to the snakes that are the ...
by MonarchzMan
December 1st, 2017, 5:52 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

...

...

Did you actually post a picture of a Cottonmouth, a venomous snake, and call it "This harmless water snake is quite convincing"?

...

...
by MonarchzMan
November 30th, 2017, 6:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

'Musking'.. along with evacuating the cloacal vault, which often accompanies it is at an energy expense and electrolyte loss. This is why I have avoided inciting it when I can, keeping ministrations and restraint expedient with sick, injured or ship shocked snakes. One reason of many. I have always...
by MonarchzMan
November 29th, 2017, 3:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Mimicry is one of the most studied aspects of snake ecology and behavior. Joe Slowinski was one of the worlds foremost EXPERTS on the subject. Joey ended up taking a dirt nap courtesy of a bite he received from a snake he thought was a harmless mimic, Oops. Why even bring this up? I'm not sure how ...
by MonarchzMan
November 18th, 2017, 7:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I did not understand how musking fit in as a secondary, the way Ernie set it up to a drum roll, as all snakes have cloacal glands, and musk is composed of fats and various non injurious chemistry depending on species and even sex, and to my knowledge no animal has ever been poisoned by it, sometime...
by MonarchzMan
November 18th, 2017, 6:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

The second component necessary? It sounds like you are talking about robots, not animals in an almost limitless array of scenarios and stimuli. There are no Second Components. Only factor intensities and accessory values. Who made Musk a second component? To aposemetic signaling? Aposematic signali...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 8:58 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Serious question. Why do you expect someone to answer your questions when you refuse to answer theirs? More cognitive dissonance.
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 8:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Now who is arguing just to argue. You didn't know that ringsnakes musk you probably shouldn't calling someone else uninformed and inexperienced. Any answers for my expert questions ? You are an expert. I'm not arguing. I'm lecturing a particularly dense student who doesn't know or understand even t...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 7:40 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

The above statement was a response to a point raised about tail flashing defense and its use in snakes. The purpose of disruptive coloration in a defensive context is to break up an individual's shape. True. The predator loses track of the prey. The animal disappears. There is an obvious reason why...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 6:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

What I said . Members of the mammalian taxon I listed are voracious snake predators to be sure. Taxon not species. Probably not the right term but none the less. It is more encompassing to the point. My posted citations included statements involving vision traits of species found within a family. S...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 1:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Its really too bad ErnieRoo can't play nice. I wish someone would send him to time out. This was a cool discussion, but now its all lost in the rants. I had some thoughts but I'll hold off on sharing them. Ernie is the same guy that claimed its impossible to model reptile populations. In Ernie's mi...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 11:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

In a pervious post you made the same mistaken assumption. Snakes that use the tail flashing defense use it any situation where they feel threatened avian or otherwise. They do not always simply flash their bright colors to buy time and then try run. They display these colors often times with little...
by MonarchzMan
November 17th, 2017, 5:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

And what is the point of shock value in the ringnecks startle display. They Flash bright colors. The display is the same as seen in many highly venomous species and the snakes believed to mimic them. Startle displays are, now I hope you can follow my logic because it's apparently difficult for you,...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 8:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Ringneck snakes could seem to change form. From one assessed target to 2. From one, to one with an unexpectedly attached paler mass. One dark food appears to have another light one take its place or become different mass than what was at first perceived. Confusion and a final vanishing into the mes...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 7:29 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Here's a little primer for you about how aposematic signaling works. In the example using the ringneck snake the predator does not have a negative experience. Its positive the bird eats the snake then hunts another. Therefore it is not being deterred from preying upon that species in the future. Bu...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 5:57 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

regalringneck wrote: M-man, mega thnx for taking the time to further the education of many of us.
No prob! As I've said, this is my area of research. I find it infinitely interesting, and the more I delve into it, the more I want to know more.
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 3:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

There are far fewer assumptions and uncertainties out there for this. Really? Is that why the paper's are filled with assumptions and uncertainties. The question remains Why then have most nocturnal mammals retained both cone types and the option to see color? We have no answer yet. MonarchzMan you...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 12:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Ok again must state that you are an expert. Are you or are you not a grad student ? An idea is not proof. Its speculation. And in the world of biology speculation is often very wrong. The study's are filled with uncertainties, assumptions. It's a fallacy that graduate students cannot be experts. Th...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 9:53 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

Intrstyng thread, i'd be curious M-man how you design an experiment to determine what another organism can perceive, how does one control for scent/conditioning/etc/ ?? I can only speak to color perception as that is what I work on, and even then, I've not done vision modeling (well, sort of), but ...
by MonarchzMan
November 16th, 2017, 7:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

None of the animals I mentioned hunt solely in complete darkness. Just like the snakes they are active during periods when there is enough available light to distinguish patterns and color. Dogs (and other canids) are largely diurnal, but have limited ability to see color. Being active during the d...
by MonarchzMan
November 15th, 2017, 8:44 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I remember reading that mammals take in visual information in a different format and rapidity, where a flickering of image is already intrinsic to perception. Bandedness in snakes and its flicker contrast in motion would be an enhancement feature perhaps. Canids I think were the example given. I fi...
by MonarchzMan
November 15th, 2017, 7:42 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I don't know what red looks like to an Owl at night. I think a larger threat in many cases for tri color snakes are animals that root around looking for food at dusk or early morning , raccoons or opossums (immune to all snake venom, except coral snake venom).For these animals that possess a limite...
by MonarchzMan
November 15th, 2017, 8:30 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I'm not convinced that tricolored mimicry is entirely due to predatory avoidance. Kelly's assertion of "motion dazzle" camouflage makes sense when encountering these animals during the day. When stumbling across a fast moving coral snake or milk snake in the day, it is awfully hard to vis...
by MonarchzMan
November 11th, 2017, 7:59 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I question whether the bright colors of some aposematic species are more representative of a shared ancestral trait that hasn't evolved to be otherwise, given the fact that so many of these aposematically colored species are either fossorial or otherwise very secretive. What good do bright colors d...
by MonarchzMan
October 23rd, 2017, 8:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?
Replies: 97
Views: 137141

Re: Could Pattern Mimicry in Snakes be Misinterpreted?

I am not intimately familiar with the research surrounding snake mimicry and snake patterns, but one of the hypotheses of banding is a flicker effect when they're moving. It makes it difficult for predators to track. In relation to mimicry of venomous species such as in coral snake when the model is...
by MonarchzMan
April 1st, 2017, 6:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sydney Australia in April
Replies: 2
Views: 2510

Re: Sydney Australia in April

Blue Mountains, Royal, and Ku-ring-gai Chase should all be good. I've found Royal to be particularly good.
by MonarchzMan
March 18th, 2017, 7:47 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: White balance question
Replies: 2
Views: 13364

Re: White balance question

I use an X-Rite Colorchecker Passport which basically allows me to color correct in Lightroom. You can either take representative under various lighting conditions (full sun, cloudy, forested, etc) or take photos with and without the passport with the subject to get exact lighting conditions with th...
by MonarchzMan
January 26th, 2017, 11:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A few pictures from panama
Replies: 4
Views: 4781

Re: A few pictures from panama

Cool stuff. Looks like an interesting trip. A few IDs if you want - First frog - correct - A. callidryas Second Frog - hmmm....maybe Fitzinger's Robber Frog (Eleutherodactylus fitzingeri) Third Frog - Northern Smoky Jungle Frog (Leptodactylus savagei) Two yellow frogs - Yellow Treefrog (Dendropsoph...
by MonarchzMan
January 16th, 2017, 1:58 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Troglobitic Salamanders
Replies: 3
Views: 3126

Re: Troglobitic Salamanders

Fantastic photos! I need to find these for my salamander project.
by MonarchzMan
January 11th, 2017, 7:22 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)
Replies: 45
Views: 81476

Re: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)

Flash a flashlight in your eye for 3 seconds, then look at the sun for 3 seconds and youll see what Im taking about when I say, there's a difference in regards to"hot light". how do you create a laser with a flash? ...You shoot the ray of sun either through a magnifying glass or a crystal...
by MonarchzMan
January 11th, 2017, 6:35 am
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)
Replies: 45
Views: 81476

Re: Photographing Nocturnal Frogs/Toads (Question)

Man, I'm tempted to have my endocrinologist friend take blood from some frogs after they've been handled for 5 minutes, had a flashlight on them for 5 minutes, and been subjected to 5 flashes to measure cort levels. I'd be willing to bet that the flashes don't even register. Porter, I appreciate tha...
by MonarchzMan
December 31st, 2016, 8:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land
Replies: 18
Views: 10915

Re: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land

Excellent, thanks! IDing all three would be great! I'm guessing that's the last one that's partially obscured by some grass (the photo didn't work) is Carlia vivax?
by MonarchzMan
December 28th, 2016, 6:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land
Replies: 18
Views: 10915

Re: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land

By the way, the specimen that you've labelled as a 'Robust Rainbow Skink' looks more like a Lampropholis delicata to me, as apart from colour and pattern being more like the latter, Carlia schmeltzii has two or three keels on dorsal scales, which this specimen does not appear to possess. Great, tha...
by MonarchzMan
December 26th, 2016, 12:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

This study demonstrates that's its virtually impossible to detect snakes. The extremely low detection rate encountered when searching for these reptiles. Even when in a contained area. Correction: This study demonstrates that detection is very low in Burmese pythons . But you suggest that all snake...
by MonarchzMan
December 24th, 2016, 8:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

A genetic defect does not have to be tied to evolutionary adaption or weeded out by natural selection. Spontaneous mutation. Inheritable genetic aberrancy in reptiles is not uncommon and are often harmless or have lesser negative impacts to a degree that they do not preclude the trait from being pa...
by MonarchzMan
December 24th, 2016, 5:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land
Replies: 18
Views: 10915

Re: Australia 2016 Part 4: The Queen's Land

I can confirm that the jet black snake amongst the leaf litter is a Small-eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens) and not a Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus). Distinguishing features are relative eye size, with the former having a much smaller eye diameter than the latter, as the common ...
by MonarchzMan
December 21st, 2016, 8:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

So now I depend on collection for making money. Do I ? Catching Rattlesnakes ? That's important to my income? Hum , And the people who write this published literature. They have no monetary or career interest, they are completely pure of heart? There has been " plenty " of validation that...
by MonarchzMan
December 20th, 2016, 8:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

Very easy to toss this aside and blame past presidents.... In your own words "Show Me" Show me the national debt before Obama and after. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/18/jeb-bush/jeb-bush-says-barack-obama-will-add-more-debt-all-/ But let's not forget that re...
by MonarchzMan
December 20th, 2016, 6:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

I'd like to put all your little minds at ease with a prediction... When Trump takes office he will destroy the environment in ways you've never imagined. Kiss the ESA goodbye, kiss your favorite herp spots goodbye, kiss any fragile eco-system goodbye. Trump's developer buddies are going to have a f...
by MonarchzMan
December 20th, 2016, 10:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

To expand. The appendix 2 listing would not have stopped trade. So why then would the saintly Timber rattlesnake researcher's go thru so much trouble to try and get the species listed. I explained the reasoning in a past post. This is the readers digest version, The listing would have done NOTHING ...
by MonarchzMan
December 20th, 2016, 8:37 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

Gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom, gloom and doom,gloom and doom. Wow, I can be a smart guy too. Let's just bash the crap out of someone with lies, a month before they even start the job. I am so tired of fake news.... Thi...
by MonarchzMan
December 20th, 2016, 6:20 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

I'd like to put all your little minds at ease with a prediction... When Trump takes office he will destroy the environment in ways you've never imagined. Kiss the ESA goodbye, kiss your favorite herp spots goodbye, kiss any fragile eco-system goodbye. Trump's developer buddies are going to have a f...
by MonarchzMan
December 19th, 2016, 4:12 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Nocturnal Amphibian Photography Tips(?)
Replies: 4
Views: 14401

Re: Nocturnal Amphibian Photography Tips(?)

I'd probably still stick with the 45mm macro, depending on what sort of night shots you're planning on getting. Probably best would just be to experiment with both and see what you like. I'm not sure if it was posted here or elsewhere, but one trick I'm keen to try out is using a laser with somethin...
by MonarchzMan
December 19th, 2016, 3:59 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: How does Joel Sartore get his animal subjects?
Replies: 6
Views: 16298

Re: How does Joel Sartore get his animal subjects?

I think part of the trick is having the subject far from the background. That helps remove a lot of the background detail. There probably is a bit of photoshop to be done, but I've done the white shots plenty and while there are the occasional corrections, it's not difficult to get it almost complet...
by MonarchzMan
December 14th, 2016, 8:14 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Herp Photo wins first place in Nat Geo Nature Photog of Year
Replies: 12
Views: 24625

Re: Herp Photo wins first place in Nat Geo Nature Photog of

In looking at it again, other than the fact the snake is "sticking into" the frame it is a good composition. The use of light is good and the shallow DOF do make for a nice image. Yea, that's a pet peeve of mine. I don't like it where it seems like the foreground could have been photoshop...
by MonarchzMan
December 11th, 2016, 8:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

I ignore questions and accusations that I have fully addressed in the past. I'm sure that's a lie. We'll just say you don't know a damn about Timber Rattlesnakes or rattlesnakes in general, since you cannot prove anything otherwise. And we'll just say you don't actually know what constitutes good o...
by MonarchzMan
December 10th, 2016, 4:40 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

It does not matter that I don't research rattlesnakes. Do you think that the people making decisions at CITES or the IUCN are rattlesnake researchers? Nope. Just like me, they're capable of using their experience on other species and apply it to the species at hand. No not like MonarchzMan. Unlike ...
by MonarchzMan
December 10th, 2016, 12:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1358693

Re: Why You Dont Collect

Wow some real zinger's courtesy of the MonarchzMan .......... CITES ( the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Again MonarchzMans lack of background and poor understanding of the matter betrays him, all potential threats real or imagined are listed and co...