Search found 148 matches

by mwentz
August 2nd, 2016, 1:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Record elevation for Great Basin Collared Lizard
Replies: 13
Views: 7579

Re: Record elevation for Great Basin Collared Lizard

I don't know if it's an elevation record, but on 4 June we recorded a long-nosed leopard lizard at 7500 ft elevation, also in the White Mountains, on the Nevada side- I was in the south east area of the whites in late june. I dont think I saw a leopard lizard at 7500 but I know I saw one at 7000. I...
by mwentz
July 27th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1425157

Re: Why You Dont Collect

stlouisdude wrote:Roadkill huh? I can just imagine when the cop got back to the station after seeing you, "so there was this guy anally probing a dead snake on the side of the road on hwy 8"

Haha! I generally save the scale counts and probing for after I get home.
by mwentz
July 26th, 2016, 11:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why You Dont Collect
Replies: 279
Views: 1425157

Re: Why You Dont Collect

I mostly don't collect. I do keep various mountain kingsnakes (CB), and attempt to breed them. For scenting purposes, I collect a few (3-4) fence lizards every year. For keeping purposes, I imagine, in the exact right circumstances, I might collect an animal, but it is not too likely. I currently ha...
by mwentz
July 14th, 2016, 9:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Dishonesty in government
Replies: 121
Views: 40750

Re: Dishonesty in government

So, I probably am biased against the government scientists (even as I truly attempt an unbiased post). Just getting that out of the way. I do have a favorite scientific fraud (Hein Tran and CARB), it is a wonderful story about forged degrees, faulty data, coverup, political protection, and money, bu...
by mwentz
June 10th, 2016, 12:54 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Bone-Tailed Viper
Replies: 5
Views: 3989

Re: The Bone-Tailed Viper

HERP.MX wrote:Juveniles, and some adults, have a pale tail tip that apparently at some point was interpreted as being bone.

-HERP.MX

Super cool. Thanks for the info!
by mwentz
June 8th, 2016, 9:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Bone-Tailed Viper
Replies: 5
Views: 3989

Re: The Bone-Tailed Viper

Beautiful! What is the meaning or story behind the common name? On first reading, I would think "bone tail" would have more to do with a rattlesnake, or a snake with a white tail.
by mwentz
May 25th, 2016, 10:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: DNA Confirms Nile Crocs in Florida
Replies: 16
Views: 10581

Re: DNA Confirms Nile Crocs in Florida

When I see things like Nile Crocs being released or escaped, I have to wonder if it wasn't unregistered reptile breeders (like the article states), but likely some drug dealer. I obviously have zero evidence, but nile crocs feel like what somebody with a bunch of drug money who wants to show they ar...
by mwentz
March 31st, 2016, 7:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Bucket Trap Mystery
Replies: 20
Views: 7331

Re: Bucket Trap Mystery

If I came across those, my thought would be "Hey, free bucket!".
by mwentz
February 23rd, 2016, 10:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory
Replies: 83
Views: 20992

Re: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory

Kelly Mc wrote:Wow this all would mean that thayeri is like, the most ratchet of the lampropeltis.

Bravo for your use of "rachet" in that context, in a reptile forum. I almost spit out my iced tea onto my monitor. :lol:
by mwentz
February 23rd, 2016, 10:48 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Reactionary regulations in Oregon
Replies: 12
Views: 4783

Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

I am sorry to report that Oregon's wildlife agency is going down the same path as CDFW. ODFW is proposing the adoption of reactionary, mean spirited, repressive, and punitive draft revising existing regulations on herps in Oregon. The new laws are on ODFW’s website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wi...
by mwentz
February 18th, 2016, 7:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory
Replies: 83
Views: 20992

Re: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory

hellihooks wrote:I would suggest you start with Popper. in your search for truth.

!

Thanks for posting that hellihooks. I had no Idea who Popper is before you post, and I am only 1/4 of a wikipedia article deep, but I am engrossed. Thanks again.
by mwentz
February 17th, 2016, 8:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory
Replies: 83
Views: 20992

Re: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory

So, Porter, I have reread most of the thread (as best I could). You seem to have a "scientific american" or "discover magazine" overview of how genetics (and pigmentation, and light, and scientific method) works. That isn't a bad thing, but your knowledge is not complete enough. ...
by mwentz
February 16th, 2016, 2:13 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory
Replies: 83
Views: 20992

Re: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory

Awesome! Thanks for posting. I don't believe the mitochondrial DNA is coming from a striped phase gopher snake (unless its being passed down through the Gopher snake). I'm wondering if it has been passed down from a gartersnake. Gartersnake hybrids with both gopher and kingsnakes either separately ...
by mwentz
February 16th, 2016, 12:46 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory
Replies: 83
Views: 20992

Re: Hybrid Evolving Morphological Theory

While I am hesitant to post anything, but whatever. For your test to see if the locals with non- normal patterns (stripped gophers, or kings, or whatever), and seeing if they are of hybrid origin, all you have to do is find a large enough sampling of mtDNA. If striping is super present in a local, a...
by mwentz
December 22nd, 2015, 7:00 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Catalina Island Zonata
Replies: 148
Views: 8507

Re: Catalina Island Zonata

Joseph S. wrote:By taken...as in in a pickle jar?
From what I heard, it was taken..... by a fox.
by mwentz
July 28th, 2015, 1:23 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: think this one will hatch?
Replies: 18
Views: 12870

Re: think this one will hatch?

Kent, while your egg is certainly worse off than mine, it is a testament to how tough colubrid eggs can be.

I did ambient temps for incubation for my knobs, and because of the cool weather this summer, I know the eggs got down into the 50s a few times. Still hatched though.
by mwentz
June 16th, 2015, 11:29 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Coalinga Horned Toad Derby
Replies: 81
Views: 81645

Re: Coalinga Horned Toad Derby

Porter, those are great shots, I especially the last pic. Thanks.
by mwentz
June 15th, 2015, 7:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Low Desert Road Cruise
Replies: 13
Views: 4866

Re: Low Desert Road Cruise

Great vid :thumb:
by mwentz
June 13th, 2015, 12:38 am
Forum: News
Topic: From the Onion, I give you
Replies: 1
Views: 3626

Re: From the Onion, I give you

If only real news could be as accurate as The Onion.
by mwentz
June 8th, 2015, 9:23 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: I've seen it, you seen it ... we've all seen...
Replies: 58
Views: 30982

Re: I've seen it, you seen it ... we've all seen...

Not being an expert in crotes (or anything really), but on the pacfic island(s?) that have rattlesnakes that lost thier rattles, do the other snakes there rattle thier tail? How about in the areas with species that have considerably smaller rattles?

thanks, matt
by mwentz
May 26th, 2015, 9:12 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Nixa [MO] man dies of suspected cottonmouth snake bite
Replies: 3
Views: 3747

Re: Nixa [MO] man dies of suspected cottonmouth snake bite

OK, so I read the article, and I am doing my best not to pile on the guy who died. That being said, my reading of the article leads me to believe he didn't die from a snake bite. He died because he was too manly to go to the hospital after a a snake bite, and then still refused after he started exhi...
by mwentz
May 25th, 2015, 1:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Egg ID Help Please...
Replies: 5
Views: 1994

Re: Egg ID Help Please...

Also, looks a little small to be Cal King.
by mwentz
May 14th, 2015, 11:54 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: hairy herpetologists
Replies: 9
Views: 7373

Re: hairy herpetologists

So in the first pic, is the cat using the heat lamp embedded in it's eye to defrost the mice? Or is it using the Terminator eye to calculate the odds of getting away with stealing one.
by mwentz
March 12th, 2015, 8:38 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Breeding H. platirhinos Qs
Replies: 11
Views: 5021

Re: Breeding H. platirhinos Qs

Berkeley Boone wrote: Just for the record, this was when I lived in South Carolina. I had 92 eggs laid that season (two different females) and more than 70 hatched.

Good luck! I wish you success!
--Berkeley
Is this a normal amount of eggs? Holy cow, that is a lot of little mouths to feed! :shock:
by mwentz
March 5th, 2015, 12:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How far to Pond Turtles Roam
Replies: 5
Views: 2464

Re: How far to Pond Turtles Roam

Thanks for the help! I plan on checking the ponds no matter what, but just wanted to get some opinions. More info on the ponds. They are pits from hydraulic mining, that have be reclaimed and turned into wildlife areas. I don't know what the water pH is, but pictures show that normal flora is growin...
by mwentz
March 3rd, 2015, 6:12 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How far to Pond Turtles Roam
Replies: 5
Views: 2464

How far to Pond Turtles Roam

Hi everybody, I have some ponds I want to check out, and I have found out that they are man made. How far do pond turtles roam overland to find new ponds?

It is only a mile or so from a river I would imagine has pond turtles, but the area in between looks pretty dry.

thanks,
Matt Wentz
by mwentz
February 22nd, 2015, 4:31 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Suriname Parrot Snakes
Replies: 10
Views: 5014

Re: Suriname Parrot Snakes

Thanks for sharing, I love seeing "odball" species, especially when it appears they are thriving.
by mwentz
December 27th, 2014, 2:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Wet and wonderful Arizona 2014
Replies: 10
Views: 5064

Re: Wet and wonderful Arizona 2014

Fieldherper wrote:Awesome!!

What's the story on the tricolor? VERY low band count!! Never seen a pyro with count that low. Milk?

FH
I was going to ask the same question. :D

Great gila monster shots too!
by mwentz
December 8th, 2014, 12:43 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: best reptiles for outreach and educational programs
Replies: 21
Views: 28447

Re: best reptiles for outreach and educational programs

Just to put my 2cents in , I think that a gopher snake would be great for your purposes. Calm, but large enough to not get hurt easily. Plus there is the added benefit of teaching kids (and parents) that not all blotched snakes are rattlesnakes, and they don't all "need" to be killed, &quo...
by mwentz
November 26th, 2014, 3:40 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Tennessee Turtle (and other wildlife) laws?
Replies: 8
Views: 5631

Re: Tennessee Turtle (and other wildlife) laws?

Then sale of Uncooked Chicken, either in parts or whole needs to be banned immediately. And Damp Kitchen Sponges - we mustnt forget the deadly Damp Kitchen Sponges. Add sprouts to the list of things that need to be banned. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/salmonella-10-states-linked-raw-sprou...
by mwentz
October 13th, 2014, 6:58 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Well, well, well- looky what we got here!
Replies: 13
Views: 8008

Re: Well, well, well- looky what we got here!

This is a great chapter to the story of the Torts being stolen, and then on the roam!
by mwentz
September 8th, 2014, 9:58 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Don’t let this happen to you. DON"T feed your snake goldfish
Replies: 4
Views: 3636

Re: Don’t let this happen to you. DON"T feed your snake gold

Was the snake able to get the whole thing down?

I wish Nerodia were still legal in California, I had one about 20 years ago, and she was a facinating snake.
by mwentz
September 3rd, 2014, 7:08 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Cobra on the loose in Thousand Oaks
Replies: 11
Views: 5348

Re: Cobra on the loose in Thousand Oaks

Interestingly the news outlets got the ID correct (albino cobra). Usually we see things like killer anaconda on the loose, or someone identifies a gopher snake as a timber rattle snake. Wasn't there a scare up north where a ratsnake was thought to be a venomous snake in some sort of locker room?
by mwentz
August 31st, 2014, 11:32 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Arroyo Toad Site Torn Up by Off-Road Vehicles
Replies: 45
Views: 12992

Re: Arroyo Toad Site Torn Up by Off-Road Vehicles

What about the state water resources control board (SWRCB) or the EPA? All water is regulated by some agency. Under the most strict reading of EPA regulations, they have dominion over every molecule of H2O in the universe, including hydrogen and oxygen that could possibly combine to form water Stirr...
by mwentz
August 28th, 2014, 8:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: This Guy Needs To Be Stopped...
Replies: 7
Views: 2546

Re: This Guy Needs To Be Stopped...

Out of curiosity what is the proceedure to report these sort of things? Is there an email adress to send CA F&G a link or screen cap? It isn't poaching (right?) so Cal tips would be the wrong contact?
by mwentz
August 5th, 2014, 4:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Trip to Tahoe/Truckee and Tehachapi
Replies: 10
Views: 3932

Re: Trip to Tahoe/Truckee and Tehachapi

I don't have any good spots, or even good recommendations, but I know that 395 is one of the most beautiful drives you could take. Have fun. On that long of a ride, you should come across some snakes on the road. Parts of 395 are pretty lonely, you might even find the snakes still alive. If you have...
by mwentz
July 31st, 2014, 2:49 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: craigslist winners
Replies: 5
Views: 4338

Re: craigslist winners

Weird. Some sort of scam? I don't know how it would be a scam, but the two combined are super weird.
by mwentz
July 20th, 2014, 7:34 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Desert Snakes Still Moving?
Replies: 11
Views: 3122

Re: Desert Snakes Still Moving?

whoops, didn't mean to post. back to work everybody, nothing to see here. :crazyeyes:
by mwentz
July 15th, 2014, 6:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: turtle dogs
Replies: 6
Views: 2414

Re: turtle dogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iL9TH9X7cfc too bad i have no sound on my computer right now. -ben If you can play the youtube clip, there is a button on the player for closed caption. It works, but a few of the words are wrong, but can easily be figured out. Such as us...
by mwentz
July 3rd, 2014, 1:39 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Teenager Shot Attempting to Kill Snake
Replies: 11
Views: 5403

Re: Teenager Shot Attempting to Kill Snake

Mwentz i didnt mean to come off cavalier, it wasnt at heart direct to your comments, its just so wearing to hear about killing rattlesnakes, or people wanting to kill them, again and again. And yeah - in reference to your post, to think that a little lock, once again, could have prevented the whole...
by mwentz
July 2nd, 2014, 9:48 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Teenager Shot Attempting to Kill Snake
Replies: 11
Views: 5403

Re: Teenager Shot Attempting to Kill Snake

I would attribute this less to karma, and more to a lack of gun training. here are a few things that went wrong 1. Kids thought that a gun was a solution to kill a snake. (there is greater chance of getting bit trying to kill a snake, than by pure accident) 2. Kids went to get gun from gun safe. 3. ...
by mwentz
June 29th, 2014, 4:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Arsonists spotted
Replies: 13
Views: 3024

Re: Arsonists spotted

Thanks for stopping a potentially very dangerous situation :beer: And for the reminder to all to carry our phones with us. I have a backup non-smart phone that I take if I am going into rough terrain. I don't like the idea of breaking my very expensive smart (but still dumb) phone. The backup is MIL...
by mwentz
June 26th, 2014, 11:54 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Cattle trough pond turtles?
Replies: 7
Views: 1907

Re: Cattle trough pond turtles?

I'm not sure...there have been as many as 8 turtles seen basking on that board in the recent past, and they have been in the troughs for over 70 years...so that indicates breeding, leaving the trough to lay eggs and access for the juveniles and adults to return to the troughs. One has rocks piled a...
by mwentz
June 25th, 2014, 4:13 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Stolen Tortoises-- BOTH tortoises now recovered!
Replies: 34
Views: 14466

Re: Stolen Tortoises-- BOTH tortoises now recovered!

Congrats on the recovery of the male! He just wouldn't ask directions, while the girl got tired of wandering around in cirlcles, and left him.
by mwentz
June 23rd, 2014, 12:56 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Stolen Tortoises-- BOTH tortoises now recovered!
Replies: 34
Views: 14466

Re: Stolen Tortoises-- UPDATE!

mwentz, the tortoise was found within the same neighborhood. I think the guy that found her really did just find her, and not have anything to do with her disappearance. --Berkeley I wasn't implying anything nefarious with the guy that found her :) If found more than a mile or two, I was just think...
by mwentz
June 18th, 2014, 11:53 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Stolen Tortoises-- BOTH tortoises now recovered!
Replies: 34
Views: 14466

Re: Stolen Tortoises-- UPDATE!

Just out of curiosity, how far away was the Tortoise?
by mwentz
June 5th, 2014, 11:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Great Start to the Herping Year! 2014
Replies: 9
Views: 3882

Re: Great Start to the Herping Year! 2014

John Martin wrote:Man, I'll bet that boxie has some stories to tell :D
I was going to say the same thing :D . I have never seen a box turtle in the wild, but I guess that guy is a testament to how well the shell can close to "box" them up.
by mwentz
June 5th, 2014, 6:59 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Question for the group
Replies: 72
Views: 21733

Re: Question for the group

I don't mind any sort of reminder or question about an entry. I have been known to make a mistake or forget something. plus the dog ate my homework. And I have questioned somebody (i forget who) about a toad subspecies. It was on honest mistake on their part. Just clicked wrong on the pull down menu...
by mwentz
June 2nd, 2014, 7:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: New desert-phase Helleri locale?
Replies: 36
Views: 5582

Re: New desert-phase Helleri locale?

[quote="hellihooks" Excavator, Backhoe...whatever... you don't pay much attention to heavy equipment... when you ARE heavy equipment... :crazyeyes: http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb4/hellihooks/IMG_0305.jpg [/quote] make sure you put the rock back after you backhoe it! :crazyeyes:
by mwentz
May 29th, 2014, 11:01 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Newt Leg Regeneration
Replies: 6
Views: 16394

Re: Newt Leg Regeneration

I just wanted to say that was a very cool photoset. Thanks for documenting it.