Search found 1028 matches

by Kent VanSooy
August 27th, 2015, 12:23 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Another out of the neighbor's yard...
Replies: 5
Views: 2497

Re: Another out of the neighbor's yard...

Nice to see one rescued alive!
by Kent VanSooy
August 24th, 2015, 12:44 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Question for the Sony guys - flashes
Replies: 5
Views: 5728

Re: Question for the Sony guys - flashes

Thanks Chris, I had never thought/heard of a laser pointer before. I think I'll try an F43 with a less-powerful flashlight, maybe an LED with the same color temperature as the flash, and see how that works.
by Kent VanSooy
August 23rd, 2015, 2:45 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Question for the Sony guys - flashes
Replies: 5
Views: 5728

Re: Question for the Sony guys - flashes

Thanks! I've been using one of those uber-powerful flashlights, thinking that any kind of light would mess up the picture. I'll try a less powerful one. Cheap and easy, perfect!
by Kent VanSooy
August 22nd, 2015, 7:56 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Question for the Sony guys - flashes
Replies: 5
Views: 5728

Question for the Sony guys - flashes

I just picked up a new a77ii body and am starting to have some fun with it. I'm looking for an external flash recommendation. The application I struggle most with is trying to get decent in-situ shots of animals at night. What I've done to date is hold a flashlight in one hand, camera in the other, ...
by Kent VanSooy
August 5th, 2015, 11:41 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: In Search of Baja California Rat Snakes
Replies: 16
Views: 7166

Re: In Search of Baja California Rat Snakes

Great stuff Will ! Love the lizards, and that first lyre is an absolute stunner. Congrats on finding your target!
by Kent VanSooy
August 4th, 2015, 8:25 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Who's your daddy?
Replies: 4
Views: 4815

Re: Who's your daddy?

The aberrancies in the hatchlings make me think it's the aberrant North SD male who did the deed. Nice to see a pic of a Catalina king! I would have expected to see more bands, in the one other pic I've seen of a Catalina snake there were LOTS of them.
by Kent VanSooy
July 30th, 2015, 8:28 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping during a full moon
Replies: 17
Views: 6392

Re: Herping during a full moon

Wow John and Will, those are a couple great, well thought-out and articulated answers!

Fisherman have the same argument, which often boils down to "the best time to go fishing is when you can go".
by Kent VanSooy
July 29th, 2015, 7:55 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: think this one will hatch?
Replies: 18
Views: 12840

Re: think this one will hatch?

I've never used methylene blue, and only rarely any kind of antifungal. I'm not sure, but it seems as if viable eggs produce some kind of anti-fungal agent (or perhaps dead ones are better food for fungus) - a bad egg in a container will have fungus all over it, but the viable ones remain unaffected.
by Kent VanSooy
July 28th, 2015, 1:10 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: think this one will hatch?
Replies: 18
Views: 12840

Re: think this one will hatch?

Thanks for all the input folks! I'm hoping a Green Rat snake (Santa Rita AZ stock) will hatch from this strange egg. I haven't candled it...that's something I never got in the habit of doing. I think it would be a total mess right now if it wasn't fertile (and the rest of the clutch was not, which w...
by Kent VanSooy
July 22nd, 2015, 12:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: SoCal guy goes to Hong Kong
Replies: 6
Views: 2937

Re: SoCal guy goes to Hong Kong

Thanks Lou, I enjoyed that, especially since it's a part of the world I've never seen. I really liked the segment with the walking stick and frog together, it made the walking stick look HUGE!
by Kent VanSooy
July 17th, 2015, 5:34 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: think this one will hatch?
Replies: 18
Views: 12840

Re: think this one will hatch?

Thanks Vic! The fungi have entirely disappeared, and that end is dry and hard. Maybe it will hatch into a young and hungry Senticolis.
by Kent VanSooy
July 17th, 2015, 4:56 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: think this one will hatch?
Replies: 18
Views: 12840

think this one will hatch?

I was about ready to give up on it, the end was slimy and not well-formed. But then it dried out and almost scabbed over. The rest of the egg looks, feels, and smells great. I've never seen one like this. It's about 6 weeks along. http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/funny%20GR%20egg....
by Kent VanSooy
July 15th, 2015, 12:11 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Etymology of Lystrophis
Replies: 5
Views: 4111

Re: Etymology of Lystrophis

ophis means snake....
by Kent VanSooy
July 15th, 2015, 8:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Recent trip photos
Replies: 2
Views: 2664

Re: Recent trip photos

Ha! Now I'm TOTALLY going there! Thanks for sharing! I do want to see Canyon de Chelly some day.
by Kent VanSooy
July 10th, 2015, 2:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 11
Views: 4780

Re: So far in SoCal - 2015

Thanks ricrabt, it was good to see you too! I just read this morning that the El Nino shows signs of strengthening...!
by Kent VanSooy
July 10th, 2015, 2:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 6
Views: 3998

Re: So far in SoCal - 2015

Thank you Kelly for that thoughtful response! In spite of the current drought and various other problems, there is a magic to this place.
by Kent VanSooy
July 8th, 2015, 5:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 11
Views: 4780

Re: So far in SoCal - 2015

Porter, here ya go...

Image

and another shot of the mystery woman...

Image
by Kent VanSooy
July 8th, 2015, 8:11 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 11
Views: 4780

Re: So far in SoCal - 2015

thanks gentlemen! Ross, I figured you'd dig all the kingsnakes, there were some nice stripers this year. And I think I already knew the answer to the racer quiz....!
by Kent VanSooy
July 8th, 2015, 8:09 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 6
Views: 3998

Re: So far in SoCal - 2015

Thanks guys! That boardline shot brings back memories of a green spring....it would sure be fun to see it like that now and find a few kingsnakes. Maybe this fall if the El Nino cooperates.
by Kent VanSooy
July 4th, 2015, 4:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 6
Views: 3998

So far in SoCal - 2015

http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20far%20in%20SoCal/king%20found%20crossing%20road.jpg http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20far%20in%20SoCal/missing%20bands%20on%20the%20left.jpg http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20...
by Kent VanSooy
July 4th, 2015, 4:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: So far in SoCal - 2015
Replies: 11
Views: 4780

So far in SoCal - 2015

http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20far%20in%20SoCal/king%20found%20crossing%20road.jpg http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20far%20in%20SoCal/missing%20bands%20on%20the%20left.jpg http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20so%20...
by Kent VanSooy
June 29th, 2015, 5:18 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: kindness wins
Replies: 11
Views: 5941

Re: kindness wins

Thanks Tamara, she was! Somehow she also got to know Dr. Seuss, and brought this over to me on one of her visits. She gave us books every time we saw her.

Image
by Kent VanSooy
June 26th, 2015, 9:43 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: kindness wins
Replies: 11
Views: 5941

Re: kindness wins

Here's the picture on the other side (I think I may have shared this before) http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/Grace%20Olive%20Wiley.jpg Kelly, my grandma was a Bohemian, who I barely got to know - she died when I was a boy. I remember she had wicker furniture everywhere (which len...
by Kent VanSooy
June 25th, 2015, 12:03 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: kindness wins
Replies: 11
Views: 5941

Re: kindness wins

Tamara, it is indeed Grace Olive Wiley. I inherited an old picture of her (she was friends with my grandma), and when I reframed it last weekend, I found this on the other side.
by Kent VanSooy
June 25th, 2015, 7:19 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: kindness wins
Replies: 11
Views: 5941

kindness wins

here's a bit from the old days....DON'T try this at home kids! The woman in the article died from a snakebite soon after.

Image
by Kent VanSooy
June 16th, 2015, 12:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: First Half of 2015- part 2
Replies: 14
Views: 6988

Re: First Half of 2015- part 2

Ah, nothing like finding a pair of delicious posts like that at the beginning of my lunch hour, providing a leisurely feast for the eyes! I really appreciate the bird and mammal shots (and of course the curvaceous girls cottonwoods). The sequence with the box turtle is super cool, the texas lyre is ...
by Kent VanSooy
June 11th, 2015, 1:26 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: April to June in So. Cal. - new photos added
Replies: 10
Views: 6162

Re: April to June in So. Cal.

Ah, some great stuff there Jeff! You sure had luck with the lyres - I really like the super-light one, and the one eating is quite a find. What's the mystery snake crossing the road - a racer perhaps? And the shot of the shovelnose with the gold flecking is quite lovely.
by Kent VanSooy
June 8th, 2015, 12:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Need an ID and also your reasoning
Replies: 6
Views: 2996

Re: Need an ID and also your reasoning

If it's comfortably within the range of oreganus, there's your answer. SoPacs have tons of variation in the pattern and color, and I bet NorPacs do as well.
by Kent VanSooy
June 8th, 2015, 10:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: I've seen it, you seen it ... we've all seen...
Replies: 58
Views: 30490

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

Make yourself look bigger and badder, make some noise while you're at it....it's an age-old trick. http://artsandsciences.colorado.edu/magazine/images/comm_snap.jpg http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/31/31C0290E-A21A-4653-8421-028622DD1CE1/Presentation.Large/great-horned-owl-fledgling-in-defensive-posture...
by Kent VanSooy
June 6th, 2015, 6:49 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sceloporus sympatry
Replies: 5
Views: 2487

Re: Sceloporus sympatry

I've seen magister and orcutti within a couple miles of each other, but at different elevations in different habitats. What struck me about the guys I posted is that they were all living side-by-side. Thanks for the observations!
by Kent VanSooy
June 5th, 2015, 6:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sceloporus sympatry
Replies: 5
Views: 2487

Sceloporus sympatry

Earlier this year on a trip to the mountains, I was surprised to see three species of Sceloporus all living together - graciosus, orcutti , and occidentalis . The elevation was about 6800', and it was the granite spiny that caught my attention, I don't remember seeing one that high before. Anyone el...
by Kent VanSooy
June 4th, 2015, 8:16 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Coalinga Horned Toad Derby
Replies: 81
Views: 79127

Re: Coalinga Horned Toad Derby

Can't blame you, Jim. I am also done with this forum for a while. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in the five years - almost to the day - that I have been a forum member. For the most part, either it's meaningless stuff or the trolls take over. Nicholas may still be hanging in there for a while,...
by Kent VanSooy
June 2nd, 2015, 12:44 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Egg binding questions
Replies: 23
Views: 10590

Re: Egg binding questions

The San Diego Zoo has a recently-built indoor/outdoor enclosure that houses our local rattlesnakes. It's a great display, and the snakes appear relaxed and happy. It's nice seeing them sitting in the sunshine.
by Kent VanSooy
June 1st, 2015, 5:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Pet Peeves
Replies: 54
Views: 27316

Re: Pet Peeves

What not to post on a fish report forum: 1.Photos of your half eaten breakfast 2.Photos of your friends sleeping 3.Comments like "we killed it at our secret spot" 4.Bashing sport-fishing open charters or asking for dope on "fish reports" 5.Inaccurate fish weight claims 6.Fishing ...
by Kent VanSooy
May 30th, 2015, 7:46 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Week in the Southwest Desert
Replies: 6
Views: 4152

Re: Last Week in the Southwest Desert

That's a bunch of wonderful shots! I really dig the shot of the Great Basin gopher. And that granite spiny is really striking!
by Kent VanSooy
May 19th, 2015, 11:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: regulations question
Replies: 24
Views: 8079

Re: regulations question

Jimi, thanks for your measured responses here. I too think there's a human nature factor here - when someone has power over an individual, they expect that power to be administered fairly and logically. It's then difficult to be understanding and patient when it seems like the Mad Hatter is in charg...
by Kent VanSooy
May 19th, 2015, 8:29 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: regulations question
Replies: 24
Views: 8079

Re: regulations question

My understanding is that to have more than 2 wc rosys in the home, you need one of two permits... either the commercial propogation permit (which allows one to sell offspring) or the non-commercial propagation permit... which requires that you give all offspring away... and keep accurate records of...
by Kent VanSooy
May 18th, 2015, 12:44 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: regulations question
Replies: 24
Views: 8079

Re: regulations question

My understanding has been that if you think of herps exactly like fish, then you're following the regs. This means that when you take your daily limit, you can go home and eat them, then go back the next day and get another limit. You could catch your limit, give those fish to your neighbor (who doe...
by Kent VanSooy
May 18th, 2015, 12:33 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: hairy herpetologists
Replies: 9
Views: 7351

Re: hairy herpetologists

Thanks everyone for the good words! Bill, I appreciate the info on the thermometers. I have a few of those cheap analog ones stuck here and there as quick sanity checks - my temperature control is done via a couple of Helix proportional thermostats and their integrated digital thermometers. My locat...
by Kent VanSooy
May 12th, 2015, 6:31 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: hairy herpetologists
Replies: 9
Views: 7351

hairy herpetologists

I get plenty of help with my critters (and for the record, my felines have NEVER been outside). They make sure the mice are attractively prepared... http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/hairy%20herpetologists/IMG_1663.jpg Then check to see that the customer has finished their meal htt...
by Kent VanSooy
May 3rd, 2015, 1:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yesterday with our USGS partners
Replies: 8
Views: 3356

Yesterday with our USGS partners

Yesterday, several NAFHA members enjoyed the hospitality of the USGS (repaying it with a substantial bit of work) and established a survey site for glossy snakes in San Diego county. Populations of the coastal form ( Arizona elegans occidentalis ) have been severely impacted by development, and for ...
by Kent VanSooy
April 30th, 2015, 12:53 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping San Diego County September October
Replies: 4
Views: 3095

Re: Herping San Diego County September October

Frank, fall in San Diego County can be good, but.....last year was not good at all, and I expect this year to be lousy as well. Typically snakes can be found in the fall road-cruising, and usually the neonates far outnumber the adults. But with the drought we're experiencing - 2 years in a row now -...
by Kent VanSooy
April 29th, 2015, 8:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Peter, here's a bit from an old post of mine about rock damage - feel free to use the pics if they're suitable ------------------------------------------------------------ This crap is so irritating – it’s not necessary, horribly unsightly, and makes herpers looks like jerks (which some clearly are)...
by Kent VanSooy
April 27th, 2015, 12:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

And no... neither I nor my computer is capable of taking my name off
Au contraire! Just print that baby up, cover the name with whiteout, then go to Kinkos and burn a bunch of copies. Easy as pumping gas!
by Kent VanSooy
April 23rd, 2015, 8:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Southern California
Replies: 6
Views: 4792

Re: Southern California

Very nice! That one "crazy high strung death machine" - the lighter of the pair - is rather unusual, and almost kinda pretty. Great variety and shots of the locals, thanks for sharing!
by Kent VanSooy
April 23rd, 2015, 5:40 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Girl Scouts
Replies: 10
Views: 3687

Re: Girl Scouts

Great stuff Lou! You and your son probably created a bunch of converts, in one fell swoop!
by Kent VanSooy
April 21st, 2015, 10:14 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS
Replies: 33
Views: 12704

Re: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS

Thanks Chris. And since I posted a non insitu-pic, I'll make up for it with a few of the real deal shots... http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2014%20so%20far%20in%20so%20cal/004crackboafirstglimpse.jpg http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2014%20so%20far%20in%20so%20...
by Kent VanSooy
April 20th, 2015, 6:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS
Replies: 33
Views: 12704

Re: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS

Well dang Chris, if it's bust loose the old guys time, here's yours truly, probably pretty darn close to that 1966 timeframe...check out my Dad's light meter on the fence post. Those ozzy lizards in your pics must have been a rarity back in the day, right? http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/la...
by Kent VanSooy
April 17th, 2015, 5:49 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS
Replies: 33
Views: 12704

Re: My FIRST in situ photographs - POST YOURS

FANTASTIC John! Those are so much more interesting than the classic pissed-off rattlesnake pose. You'll have a blast following this path. My contribution is from 1988 (yikes!) - they barely had cameras in those days. http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/op%20collared%20lizard.jpg
by Kent VanSooy
April 15th, 2015, 8:12 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: NAFHA National meeting post - lots of photos
Replies: 24
Views: 8736

Re: NAFHA National meeting post - lots of photos

Here's a repost of my pics, as it looks like we need a dedicated picture post. We had a good-sized group... http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq217/lamprophil/2015%20NAFHA%20ntl%20meet/group%20shot.jpg We were privileged to be hosted in the morning by Dr. Fisher from the USGS, and he took us to a r...