Field Herp Forum

Spectacular, Mike. Your post is a true testament to how much I haven't seen out west (understandable, I guess, since I've only been west of the Mississippi half a dozen times.) Thanks for taking us there!

Those streamsides are great - such an interesting Ambystomatid.

The first two look like Blackbellied salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) - they have a line of paired white spots laterally. The next couple are something in the mountain Dusky Salamander complex (maybe D. carolinensis) - they’re one of the few in the SAPPs with a rounded tail cross section. ...

Another vote for regional subforums again. Scott, I understand your point from a perspective of making this site profitable, but I don't really feel any sense of community with the larger group on the Forum - other than those I know from the days of NAFHA Regional chapters.

Great stuff Bill. What were you using for the macro shots?

Coastal Plains Milk might fit the bill.

Hot dang! Brackish or freshwater?

Thanks!

Great writeup as always -I'm sorry your posts don't get as many comments as photographic-based posts; writing well is far rarer nowadays than taking good pictures.

JDH

Looks like you got a good smattering of our FL stuff. Congrats on what looks like a fun trip.

I wish I was far enough east, but let me know if you swing westward to the South Mountains or southern Apps.

I'm afraid I can't speak to anyone's but my own experience, but working with herps has worked well for me. You have to work hard, and oftentimes work for free before you'll be paid, but I don't regret taking the wildlife/ecology/herpetology path. I know your original post is quite old and you've fou...

We did a NAFHA trip to Croatan not too long ago (ok, a few years.) As I recall, it was nice because no one method was "the best" - we found stuff hiking, cruising, flipping, etc. - So I'd say just have some fun and keep your eyes peeled! Sorry I don't recall any more specifics.

Nice! Yeah, it does seem like newts replace fish predators in some of those semi-permanent puddles.

Any wildlife management areas are protected, but pretty friendly to people just taking pictures of snakes, usually. And they're open after dark for road cruising.

Unfortunately I'm not in the area, but you've got some great herping sites out there.

Bill,

Nice! Unfortunately, I don't have any good spotted breeding ponds that I know of down here, so I'm stuck with my wood frog ponds. For movement, the spotted sals have been moving in every big rain since October

I was out last Sunday and they were out and about - here's my daughter with several dozen egg masses.

Bill - I've seen a few moving this year, but I haven't yet made it out to the actual breeding sites I have. I'm sure they'll be starting soon though - usually any rain till mid-March they'll be out.

If you're not far from Asheville, I can try to put you on some one evening.

That phimophis is great!

Great stuff. Thanks for taking the time to post it all.

JDH

They were there historically - but I don't know of anyone finding them there in over a decade.

Great photolog - Snake road is a marvelous area.

Good stuff all around. My 2 year old enjoyed trying to guess the IDs on your stuff (granted it was pretty general - "Frog!" or "Sa-la-man-DER!" Look me up if you want to when you make it up here. I can show you some of the usual suspects. Thanks, Josh. My boy likes to look for "Samaners" and enjoys...

Wow! What a wondrous year! Good stuff Matt.

Good stuff! Sorry I wasn't able to get out with you - but if you have a nocturnal eve free on your next trip I can get you a nice mix of normal and "Bat Cave" yonahs. Glad you ended up with a SM Greycheek.

Good stuff all around. My 2 year old enjoyed trying to guess the IDs on your stuff (granted it was pretty general - "Frog!" or "Sa-la-man-DER!"

Look me up if you want to when you make it up here. I can show you some of the usual suspects.

Whew! Great stuff - makes me miss that neck of the woods.

Barry - Thanks!

Dwakefield - Copperheads are definitely one of the gems of the upper southeast. The laying croc is one of those things I could've turned up with some research and time going into it - but it's always nice when these sorts of things happen haphazardly.

Great post, Josh! You got to see a lot despite not being able to get out as much this past year. I hope everything is going well at home and that you can get out again soon. I'm glad to see that you are excited to see the common stuff. I try to keep that perspective, otherwise herping would be fill...

Nick - Thanks. The coppers are all from NC - I've gotten a few coppers in CT, but none this past year. Jason - Thanks. It was from near Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area. Carl - Yeah, I love the muds too - haven't got bored of em' yet! Bill - Thanks. Hopefully these old bones will have some life breathed...

Hey Folks - my first field report in a bit posted over on the SE forum: http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... 11&t=24145

Sorry folks; no opening crawl for this one... Well, it’s definitely been a rogue year – I didn’t get to go on very many herping trips besides some local cruises; but the beautiful thing is the southern Appalachians are still a new and exciting region for me, so I’ve really enjoyed digging into the l...

I love beginning the year with Wood Frogs. I remember in CT seeing them breeding in broad daylight on an icy vernal pool, and still love seeing them up in the mountains up here. Good stuff all around.

Well, sounds like it was a good trip still! Where did you go kayaking? A small park right in Hollywood called West Lake park. You can canoe through mangroves. I didn't see any herps while there, but I keep going back in hopes of spotting a salt marsh snake. They've actually never been documented in...

The end of Feb is about the time where evening cruising can become productive in SFL. I'd be night cruising if the daytime temps get above 83. Day cruising is good that time of year too - I'd go north and look through dirt roads through drier habitat (e.g. prairie and scrub) rather than going south ...

That last creek is gorgeous. In Florida?

Good to hear there's some interest this year. Who wants the helm?

We do need to find some people willing to do the roles. I had plans to be very involved, but one difficult pregnancy culminating with a new daughter with disabilities made NAFHA the last thing on my mind - Taking good care of her is priority #1.

Right, I'm not totally opposed to some manipulation; part of my reasoning for not touching this one was that all the other salamanders I saw that night took off before I could even set up. Good tip with the water bottle, I have a small one just for that and forgot to bring it! I understand - rememb...

Thank you guys - and Josh, I actually did have a flash on the salamander and a second one on the background. Wanted to do a true in situ shot though without moving the salamander. Good choice! I think the posed pictures always look a little contrived and they really aren't being true to the animal'...

Good stuff. That's a cool looking Mole King - I like the "muddy" ones.

I like it. Since you wanted suggestions - if it were me taking the shot: I would go for a long exposure and put the salamander on an elevated rock or log that way I could fire two flashes - one to illuminate the subject, one to fill in the background. Looks good though!

Beauty. Now to find all of Florida's Farancia?

Your first one is another Barker.

Hordes of horridus - very nice!

What does this have to do with field herping?

Hey folks,

I just had a look at a handlight from a newer light company, Lumintop, and looked at it from a field herping perspective. Enjoy.

https://fieldventures.wordpress.com/201 ... ntop-td16/

All good stuff. I haven't been over to dip that area in awhile but it is usually quite productive. Water levels have fluctuated due to the dam temporarily allowing more water into the St. Johns, which may be the reason for lower numbers. Glad you are getting out and seeing some cool animals. -Jake ...