Search found 1782 matches

by Owen
December 26th, 2020, 11:18 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Some finds in Southern California(mostly invertebrates)
Replies: 11
Views: 4034

Re: Some finds in Southern California(mostly invertebrates)

As far as I know, S. heros doesn't enter California and would definitely not be seen in San Diego County. It was a medium brownish color and fairly uniform. It's one of those cryptopedes. I've heard of S. polymorpha getting 9", but the difference between a 9" and an 11" one in mass i...
by Owen
February 8th, 2020, 7:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Big Gartersnake Post
Replies: 7
Views: 5792

The Big Gartersnake Post

I love big gartersnakes. This post is dedicated to big beefy ones. Please add yours as well, but NOTHING under THREE FEET LONG. :shock: I'll start out with a Diablo Range Gartersnake ( Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus ). I've seen several over 32" but only one over 36". This fatty was 39"...
by Owen
October 7th, 2019, 8:34 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Adventures in Rattlesnake Photography
Replies: 4
Views: 11267

Re: Adventures in Rattlesnake Photography

Super post and excellent photography. I love the variety that you can get with NorPacs. The little neos were great to see. :thumb:
by Owen
June 6th, 2019, 4:11 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Western Pond Turtle survival study - drought-related
Replies: 1
Views: 9342

Re: Western Pond Turtle survival study - drought-related

Good read.

Thanks for posting.
by Owen
June 2nd, 2019, 9:34 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Garter grand slam in just 1 hour
Replies: 34
Views: 20165

Re: Garter grand slam in just 1 hour

If you counted subspecies, I could do a half day, SF Bay Area 5 snake slam: 1. Thamnophis elegans terrestris 2. Thamnophis atratus atratus 3. Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus 4. Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis 5. Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia If you took a full day, you could do 4 species, 9 sub slam b...
by Owen
June 1st, 2019, 7:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Garter grand slam in just 1 hour
Replies: 34
Views: 20165

Re: Garter grand slam in just 1 hour

Just because... the one second mini-slam exists (3 species). :mrgreen:

Image
by Owen
September 19th, 2018, 11:49 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Looking for Mission Trails Regional Park herp partner
Replies: 6
Views: 11238

Re: Looking for Mission Trails Regional Park herp partner

Be careful, they are very cryptic and several herpers have been bitten by putting their hand in the wrong place in that type of habitat. Good advice. "Very cryptic" could be an understatement for specks. Besides sporting some pretty amazing background-matching they are also very disinclin...
by Owen
May 25th, 2018, 12:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping with a Dog - Advice sought...
Replies: 19
Views: 18737

Re: Herping with a Dog - Advice sought...

Congrats. Dogs really like to be a part of what you do. My rescue Malinois (Mal x GSD?) likes tracking Snake (Gartersnake) and Turtle (Red-eared Slider). To avoid confusing her, Snake refers only to my local 3 species of Gartersnake. Kingsnake is King , Gopher Snake is Gopher , Yellow-bellied Racer ...
by Owen
August 8th, 2017, 6:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Arizona Part 1.
Replies: 11
Views: 8515

Re: Arizona Part 1.

Your Alaus zunianus is spectacular and that Micruroides, she is a beauty.
by Owen
June 13th, 2017, 3:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Undercover DFG?
Replies: 6
Views: 5248

Re: Undercover DFG?

Border Patrol would not have CA plates. More likely SD Sheriff, maybe offroad enforcement if they got someone that had pulled off the side of the road.
by Owen
May 15th, 2017, 6:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey
Replies: 22
Views: 10980

Re: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey

Porter wrote:Nice looking ponds there! Cool turtle shots Owen. Still no found evidence of Rana or gummies? I'm curious to see what the toads look like...
No Rana, though boylii live close by. There was one baby Batrachoseps, but I didn't see it.

Way to many bass, bluegill and bullfrogs.
by Owen
May 15th, 2017, 12:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey
Replies: 22
Views: 10980

Re: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey

Really nice, but cool day out. Never got out of the 50's... at least by my truck's outside temp gauge. I started out a little earlier and found this little guy under a rock near the entry gate: Side-blotched Lizard https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4175/34639981876_fe9bf34445_b.jpg First stop at one of ...
by Owen
May 12th, 2017, 5:33 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey
Replies: 22
Views: 10980

Re: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey

As of this past Wednesday, Mount Hamilton Road still needs to be accessed via Quimby Road due to the partial road collapse of the road surface on Mt. Hamilton Rd from the past storms. Mt Hamilton Rd/San Antonio Valley Rd are fine between Quimby Rd and Del Puerto Cyn Rd. Mount Hamilton Rd has been f...
by Owen
May 5th, 2017, 2:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey
Replies: 22
Views: 10980

Re: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey

As of this past Wednesday, Mount Hamilton Road still needs to be accessed via Quimby Road due to the partial road collapse of the road surface on Mt. Hamilton Rd from the past storms. Mt Hamilton Rd/San Antonio Valley Rd are fine between Quimby Rd and Del Puerto Cyn Rd.
by Owen
May 3rd, 2017, 4:29 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey
Replies: 22
Views: 10980

Re: San Antonio Valley Reserve Herp Survey

See you then :thumb:
by Owen
May 3rd, 2017, 4:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dog does herps.
Replies: 18
Views: 11404

Re: Dog does herps.

She doesn't go near rattlesnakes. If one rattles when I have her with me, we walk away and I say NO. Only gartersnakes are SNAKE to her and I won't tell her anything else is a snake. She does recognize the scents. If I tell her to track a snake , most times when she finds a track, it leads to a hole.
by Owen
April 27th, 2017, 9:53 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dog does herps.
Replies: 18
Views: 11404

Re: Dog does herps.

Nice! Did you train her to seek out herps, or does she just do it on her own? Well, she can actually track some gartersnakes (snake to her) when I ask her to 'Track a snake' . She has found 3, but often, the track just leads to a hole. Because rattlesnakes hang in holes May through September, I lim...
by Owen
September 16th, 2016, 6:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dog does herps.
Replies: 18
Views: 11404

Re: Dog does herps.

It's been a little harder the last 10 days with the GSD puppy in the house. He barks at everything (hikers, deer, turkey, quail) and he's clumsy as hell.

Image
by Owen
September 3rd, 2016, 1:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dog does herps.
Replies: 18
Views: 11404

Re: Dog does herps.

Now the question is who's going to find that elusive Santa Clara Rubber Boa first, you or Mali? ME doggie likes stuff that moves fast (squirrel, bunny, piggy, deer), constantly moves (toads) or like frogs- hops, splashes and swims back. She listens to 'no', so as much as she wants the frog, she kno...
by Owen
September 1st, 2016, 10:57 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Best and Worst of your gear?
Replies: 6
Views: 15805

Re: Best and Worst of your gear?

Looks like Tamron just upped their game for type lens- http://nikonrumors.com/2016/09/01/tamron-sp-150-600mm-f5-6-3-di-vc-usd-g2-lens-two-teleconverters-officially-announced.aspx/#more-106743 The matched teleconverter thing is cool, but I doubt autofocus will work with the 2x. Cool that this one go...
by Owen
September 1st, 2016, 10:51 pm
Forum: Invertebrate Forum
Topic: Scorpion ID Assist, Please...
Replies: 5
Views: 15040

Re: Scorpion ID Assist, Please...

It's some kind of Vaejovid. My first thought was a Sawfinger, Serradigitus, but they're pretty tiny... about an inch:
Image


Maybe Paravaejovis?
by Owen
September 1st, 2016, 10:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dog does herps.
Replies: 18
Views: 11404

Dog does herps.

Hiking buddy likes her herps. Frogs and toads being the favorites since they hop. Racers travelling through grass are also a fun track. She followed one about 30ft to the edge of a pond. Here's a few. The nightsnake was rock flipped along the trail, but the rest were encountered on the crawl or hop....
by Owen
August 22nd, 2016, 7:25 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: "New" California rattlesnakes
Replies: 15
Views: 9685

Re: "New" California rattlesnakes

A recent Ray Hoser piece describes two new California Rattlesnakes http://www.smuggled.com/issue-33-pages-34-41.pdf I have seen hundreds of oreganus in the central Coast Ranges, and his new species "funki", as defined, is subsumed in the normal range of variation in coastal oreganus by my...
by Owen
August 20th, 2016, 6:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Just a few finds from this year
Replies: 6
Views: 4305

Re: Just a few finds from this year

Good stuff, Zach. Love the Garden Eel sirtalis. They always seem to be in the small holes. It's been a bit smoky lately, so long distance hiking has been lacking.
by Owen
August 13th, 2016, 2:16 pm
Forum: Invertebrate Forum
Topic: Bug Survey
Replies: 2
Views: 12312

Re: Bug Survey

Way underexposed, but looks a lot like Neoscona crucifera.
by Owen
April 30th, 2016, 7:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.
Replies: 18
Views: 9680

Re: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.

It was a beautiful day up there, but maybe a few too many back to back cool days to really bring herps out. I think that we probably maxed out around 65-66F. Of course, the scenery and the company were spectacular :beer: I'm not going to post too many photos, but I made 35 available here: https://ww...
by Owen
April 27th, 2016, 8:39 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.
Replies: 18
Views: 9680

Re: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.

It should be excellent. Temps in the mid to high 70's should bring the critters out. Wildflowers will also be great at those elevations.
by Owen
April 24th, 2016, 7:29 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Soquel Demonstration State Forest 2016 Spring Survey
Replies: 13
Views: 6887

Re: Soquel Demonstration State Forest 2016 Spring Survey

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IOYbJxm8zi8/Vxwkb18HQNI/AAAAAAAANgE/PMNr0kVQOMMz0ZkMd8orLu1XjDArdZW9QCCo/s720/IMG_7595.jpg :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :( :( ...
by Owen
April 21st, 2016, 9:58 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake ID, Peru
Replies: 9
Views: 5552

Re: Snake ID, Peru

Pseustes shropshirei?
by Owen
April 17th, 2016, 5:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A Week in Norcal - April 8-16
Replies: 9
Views: 7169

Re: A Week in Norcal - April 8-16

Hi Tim, yeah, interesting week with the cold and the mist and the rain. 80F today.

This guy looks like a Northern:
Image

Oh, and your carrion beetle larva is a ground beetle (Scaphinotus) larva.
by Owen
April 15th, 2016, 7:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sceloporus sp.
Replies: 3
Views: 2599

Re: Sceloporus sp.

occidentalis.

The yellow on the hind legs is a dead giveaway.
by Owen
April 6th, 2016, 7:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My trip to the Mohave
Replies: 17
Views: 9352

Re: My trip to the Mohave

Great post. Keep a learnin' them yutes.

Is there a hardcore version of Graham Nash's Teach Yor Children?

:beer:
by Owen
March 27th, 2016, 8:50 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Upper Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area - March 26
Replies: 15
Views: 7534

Re: Upper Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area - March 26

Thanks Dave! Nice varied habitat out there. Here are some pix... Wildflowers/Arthropods: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1700/26003499681_a3ea564fd0_c.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1543/26043902656_3fcc9db706_c.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1480/25465067584_95df311671_c.jpg https://c2.staticfl...
by Owen
March 24th, 2016, 11:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.
Replies: 18
Views: 9680

Re: Mount Hamilton - South Valley survey April 29th.

I should be there, but done with the white shirts!
by Owen
March 24th, 2016, 11:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Just a few shots of some current finds
Replies: 14
Views: 6084

Re: Just a few shots of some current finds

Your photography is coming along really well indeed :thumb: I took the liberty to edit one of your SC Black shots to show you what a difference that can make: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1566/25953546821_4cf9b00983_c.jpg Zack SC shot by Robert Hess , on Flickr I lowered brightness, and added som...
by Owen
March 7th, 2016, 9:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A question on wild snake growth rates.
Replies: 7
Views: 4480

Re: A question on wild snake growth rates.

Thanks guys. I wish that I could have re-captured this guy from 2013 when I saw it again last year. It was between 39" and 40" in 2013: http://roadtoadmusic.com/images/DSC00513crop.jpg Last year, I saw it basking out of reach a couple of times. Here being photo bombed by a 30 incher: https...
by Owen
March 3rd, 2016, 6:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2016 Yolo Bypass Survey
Replies: 27
Views: 13019

Re: 2016 Yolo Bypass Survey

Thanks Dave. I'm pretty sure I want to go, but would love to explore some of the canals as well that are away from the prairie boards to mix it up a little.
by Owen
March 3rd, 2016, 9:30 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Data Entry Levels (database records over 1,000) As Of 1-9-16
Replies: 19
Views: 43070

Re: Data Entry Levels (database records over 1,000) As Of 1-

I was pretty happy with record #4,000: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1665/25355330772_affba28c38_b.jpg California Red-sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis by JAMES MAUGHN , on Flickr Hadn't seen one in 2+ years. JimM That's a pretty little one. I like the creamy pale striped ones. Co...
by Owen
March 3rd, 2016, 8:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2016 Yolo Bypass Survey
Replies: 27
Views: 13019

Re: 2016 Yolo Bypass Survey

With all the rain scheduled for March, any chance your boadlines will be floating?
by Owen
March 2nd, 2016, 11:10 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A question on wild snake growth rates.
Replies: 7
Views: 4480

Re: A question on wild snake growth rates.

Steve, I get that, but with captives, their activity period is 365 days/year if kept indoors. I would expect them to grow faster. The snakes above all have surface activity of 8 or 9 months, so I would assume that they're not feeding while underground. Just getting a feel for it as it seemed to me t...
by Owen
March 2nd, 2016, 10:37 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A question on wild snake growth rates.
Replies: 7
Views: 4480

A question on wild snake growth rates.

More, specifically, for those with study sites, board lines, etc... have you taken any measurements of the same animals over time? I would be curious to see what the growth rates are. I've done a few re-captures of gartersnakes from year to year and in young snakes, initial growth seems rapid. This ...
by Owen
March 2nd, 2016, 10:14 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rain?
Replies: 20
Views: 9310

Re: Rain?

We down here in SoCal don't find anything intentionally. As we told you last week, when Jim looks for SG Slenders, he finds Rosy Boas, and when we look for Specks, we find Lyre Snakes. So there should be no problem. ;) Robert Youse guys just must not be very good ;) Of course, I'm kidding, but you ...
by Owen
March 1st, 2016, 2:10 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rain?
Replies: 20
Views: 9310

Re: Rain?

Believe it or not, chart was long term forecast for San Jose... looks more like Seattle, except about 10 degrees too warm. After having less than an inch in February, we could use it too.
by Owen
March 1st, 2016, 11:05 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rain?
Replies: 20
Views: 9310

Re: Rain?

Image
by Owen
February 27th, 2016, 8:55 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2015 California Member of the Year=Jeff Nordland
Replies: 12
Views: 5274

Re: 2015 California Member of the Year=Jeff Nordland

Excellent choice. :beer:

by Owen
February 27th, 2016, 8:50 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Another Jim, Another Possible B. nigriventris...
Replies: 5
Views: 3865

Re: Another Jim, Another Possible B. nigriventris...

You didn't happen to macro a foot did you? I find that the SLObispo nigriventris http://www.naherp.com/viewrecord.php?r_id=174668 sure look like my local attenuatus (even the underside) and the gavilanensis don't look much different, though usually lighter color. I would say that color should be one...
by Owen
February 19th, 2016, 7:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: different snake species basking together?
Replies: 23
Views: 9955

Re: different snake species basking together?

I saw these two basking together on three separate occasions over about two weeks. The Diablo is about 20" to 22" and the Red-sided is a tick over 30": https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7603/16872244818_3f62f711b2_b.jpg I've seen Coast and Diablo together within a couple feet of each oth...
by Owen
February 17th, 2016, 4:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: different snake species basking together?
Replies: 23
Views: 9955

Re: different snake species basking together?

I saw these two basking together on three separate occasions over about two weeks. The Diablo is about 20" to 22" and the Red-sided is a tick over 30": https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7603/16872244818_3f62f711b2_b.jpg I've seen Coast and Diablo together within a couple feet of each othe...
by Owen
February 10th, 2016, 4:53 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Panasonic FZ150
Replies: 4
Views: 5571

Re: Panasonic FZ150

I have the ZS40... not great in low light. I keep the ISO at 200 or lower. Macro is OK, but coming from the DSLR world, I'll only use the small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor camera in a pinch.