Search found 1744 matches

by Jimi
April 11th, 2019, 7:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Highlights of 2018: Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
Replies: 9
Views: 9962

Re: Highlights of 2018: Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Viva convergence
Yeah. And Laurasia! Ha ha.

Hey Jerry, do you know - where do the tree vipers brumate in Taiwan? In cliff cracks, hollow trees, stump holes?

cheers
by Jimi
April 9th, 2019, 6:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Highlights of 2018: Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
Replies: 9
Views: 9962

Re: Highlights of 2018: Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Thanks Jerry, I always enjoy your stuff! Other than tree vipers, pythons, monitors, and cobras - the herpetofauna is pretty ecologically similar to the SE USA. Ha ha ha, but really. Water snakes, tree frogs, rat snakes, skinks, newts etc...similar, but still exciting and different.

cheers
by Jimi
April 8th, 2019, 3:57 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: What's happening in this photo?
Replies: 28
Views: 28852

Re: What's happening in this photo?

Far enough south for mitchelli?
Mos' def

Could call it a target...

Got time?
by Jimi
April 6th, 2019, 12:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: What's happening in this photo?
Replies: 28
Views: 28852

Re: What's happening in this photo?

Thanks Bryan. I've never pulled in there for a look, though I drive by at least once a year. I like that ecotone as you run down the freeway through there into the desert. That seems pretty close to where the saguaros start / end. There's some super fun herping a little farther down the hill there. ...
by Jimi
April 4th, 2019, 11:52 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Another look at UTH mats
Replies: 7
Views: 22444

Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

There's quite a lot of material online about radiant heating for human homes. We also like it in ceilings and walls, not just floors. Some of the available reading material is not just for marketing purposes, and it has lessons valuable for our practice. And of course, plenty of what's online is pur...
by Jimi
April 3rd, 2019, 12:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sick
Replies: 11
Views: 12618

Re: Sick

Thanks for the link on that Euphorbia. Hot damn: Resiniferatoxin has a score of 16 billion Scoville heat units So, a jalapeno pepper being about 3000 Scovilles...madre dios!!! Sixteen thousand...million. Over 5 million times stronger than a jalapeno. Whoa. Many of our vipers - particularly the lower...
by Jimi
April 1st, 2019, 5:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sick
Replies: 11
Views: 12618

Re: Sick

Sweet animals, nice trips. What's that under the blackberry vines, an Ottoman viper? Love those guys. I had a pair for a while, and got live babies from them one spring. Lovely creatures, just lovely. And in the dead cactus thing? I can't see anything but a little face. Some sort of racer or whipsna...
by Jimi
April 1st, 2019, 9:26 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sick
Replies: 11
Views: 12618

Re: Sick

Nice Kris, real nice. Love those adders, esp the blackies. Just curious - do you have any idea how old is that rock wall that the animals are using as a hibernaculum? There are of course many, many instances of wildlife taking advantage of human modifications of nature, but I'm sort of interested in...
by Jimi
April 1st, 2019, 9:21 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: What's happening in this photo?
Replies: 28
Views: 28852

Re: What's happening in this photo?

I'm with Hubbs. Ringer and a Sonora. That's a fun pic. I didn't go to the original source. In far NW AZ that is the only Sonora morph I've seen, but elsewhere they diversify.

Bryan - what county is the pic from?

Hubbs - what's shakin'?
by Jimi
March 29th, 2019, 1:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Trip Report: FL, March 2019
Replies: 9
Views: 11767

Re: Trip Report: FL, March 2019

Ah, compromise, AKA "everyone is somewhat disappointed". Still, sounds like a great little family trip - and who wants to "beat" their wife and kids anyway, right? Ha ha. Maybe the oldest one will remember some of it. Congrats on thawing out for a bit. No way could I live up ther...
by Jimi
March 28th, 2019, 5:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Southeast Herping Tips
Replies: 4
Views: 5314

Re: Southeast Herping Tips

Sure thing man. Check out the Kisatchie, DeSoto, and Conecuh National Forests in LA, MS and AL respectively. Florida still has plenty of fun (dwindling rapidly...), and as I mentioned I love GA, esp their SE WMAs, but honestly the Carolinas have changed so much I hardly recognize them. I might do a ...
by Jimi
March 28th, 2019, 11:11 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Southeast Herping Tips
Replies: 4
Views: 5314

Re: Southeast Herping Tips

OK, I'll look at the bait. Now, not midsummer. Midsummer = yuck. You can cruise a bunch of watersnakes and copperheads and such in the summer, but...meh, I guess it depends what you're into. Early June is great for some things, e.g. pine snakes, but to me that's early summer. July (midsummer) isn't ...
by Jimi
February 19th, 2019, 10:04 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Florida trip January 2019
Replies: 7
Views: 10247

Re: Florida trip January 2019

Looks like you had a pretty good trip, despite still being dogged by your 'White Whale". No shame man, we've all got one. I had a couple of follow-ups to share: this image I took with my compact camera. It proves the unbelievably confidingness of this bird, who didn't care about me at all Cool ...
by Jimi
February 13th, 2019, 5:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Winter Break Happenings-Eastern US Salamanders
Replies: 6
Views: 10320

Re: Winter Break Happenings-Eastern US Salamanders

Good times! Brrrr. It might be questionable (but also manageable...) from a biosecurity perspective, but if you want to keep doing that cold-water stuff you might explore the purchase of some neoprene gloves. You lose the tactile sensation, but...you don't feel much anyway when the hands go numb. Pl...
by Jimi
February 7th, 2019, 1:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari
Replies: 11
Views: 11716

Re: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari

But I must say killing at least 11 mountain lions is pretty reprehensible. Of course, given the circumstances (extralegal). I'd much rather have had them shot legally. By hunters, not Wildlife Services. But what I could have put more clearly, was my failure to understand the OP's rhetorical linkage...
by Jimi
February 1st, 2019, 12:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari
Replies: 11
Views: 11716

Re: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari

The CBD May be controversial but they’ve done a lot of good, and that is what CA needs in light of its environmental losses not more businessman. We’ve had one running the country for the past three years and not much good has come from that either. Personally, I can't stand this White House - neve...
by Jimi
January 30th, 2019, 4:13 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari
Replies: 11
Views: 11716

Re: Upcoming Tejon Ranch Herping Photo Safari

Know thine enemy Indeed. It's the CBD, whose employee authored the op-ed piece. A lot of the complaints are pretty unreasonable. My favorite is "environmental issues would have forced the owners to not be able to develop a bunch of the land, so nobody should have paid for those development rig...
by Jimi
January 25th, 2019, 10:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping Mojave October 2019
Replies: 7
Views: 6287

Re: Herping Mojave October 2019

I only want to photograhy, do I need for this a Fishing/Hunting Licence? ...glad you amended your post lest we steer this chap down ticket road. Agreed. Frank the main thing to keep in mind is that in USA wildlife is a publicly-owned resource, an "estate" that for the most part is severed...
by Jimi
January 25th, 2019, 9:48 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: If There Isnt A Photo, It Didnt Happen
Replies: 20
Views: 20928

Re: If There Isnt A Photo, It Didnt Happen

Jimi, chill, my perception is that Kelly was just trying to have a non-traditional post
Oh, I understood both aspects - the sentiment and the solicitation. I concurred with the sentiment, just didn't bite on the solicitation. I'm frosty, bud.

cheers
by Jimi
January 18th, 2019, 10:50 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: If There Isnt A Photo, It Didnt Happen
Replies: 20
Views: 20928

Re: If There Isnt A Photo, It Didnt Happen

I tapped a largish rock with my golf club style snake hook and like magic a rattlesnake crawled out from under the rock That's an interesting reaction. Never once seen it, myself. Usually they go deeper! If I can't safely flip (and replace) the rock, I don't tap it. I just go in for a peek, if poss...
by Jimi
January 17th, 2019, 4:33 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Malcolm's pitviper (Trimeresurus malcolmi) from Mt.Kinabalu
Replies: 5
Views: 3971

Re: Malcolm's pitviper (Trimeresurus malcolmi) from Mt.Kinab

Oh wait - the whole tail is red?! Whats that about ! Nobody but God knows the answer to that. But apparently the deity liked the idea enough to use it over, and over, and over. Many SE Asian arboreal vipers have reddish tails. Sometimes it varies by gender or population, but it's common. Gonyosoma ...
by Jimi
January 9th, 2019, 8:20 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Atlanta, Georgia: Any connections?
Replies: 9
Views: 15918

Re: Atlanta, Georgia: Any connections?

A few years ago I have purchased some permethrin treated pants from ex-officio for a trip to costa rica, but between all the sunlight they see and the multiple runs through the washing machine I'm sure they've lost most of their effectiveness. Yeah it's fine (perhaps a little expensive...) to buy p...
by Jimi
January 7th, 2019, 5:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Range extensions in Marin?
Replies: 28
Views: 34782

Re: Range extensions in Marin?

anywhere on the Point Reyes Peninsula would be much too wet and forested for whipsnakes Agreed - in its middle and south latitudes the brushy windward side is super damp, and the sunnier leeward side is pretty timbered. The cleared grassy north is way too soggy. All of it's mostly chilly - either a...
by Jimi
January 7th, 2019, 4:54 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Do You Have Husbandry Secrets?
Replies: 65
Views: 90310

Re: Do You Have Husbandry Secrets?

Perhaps Jimi will comment, I have seen vipers, esp young babies in videos tease fed, often tubed and it seems to work well, and I wonder if there is some operative tie in with bodily containment as with your method. It makes me wonder. Different, but, hmm Al's video (and its successor, part 2) was ...
by Jimi
December 20th, 2018, 2:52 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Reticulated Siren - New Salamander Found in Southern US
Replies: 4
Views: 5789

Re: Reticulated Siren - New Salamander Found in Southern US

Thanks a ton for that link, Jonathan! Very cool narrative. It conveys a lot of the excitement, frustration, etc of just trying to get something complicated & important finished while the sands of your hourglass pour out. For some time it was very tough and we both feared we’d have to tell our pa...
by Jimi
December 19th, 2018, 10:53 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Atlanta, Georgia: Any connections?
Replies: 9
Views: 15918

Re: Atlanta, Georgia: Any connections?

Sorry Zach if I'm being a little dense, but - just to be clear - have you indeed succeeded in moving to Atlanta? If you're in GA I'd just like to echo Tom's statements about a couple of areas - Sapelo Island (and most of the other barrier islands) is just wonderful (and exciting for those big EDBs, ...
by Jimi
December 17th, 2018, 10:17 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Do You Have Husbandry Secrets?
Replies: 65
Views: 90310

Re: Do You Have Husbandry Secrets?

I favor the dedicated herp room, located in a cool space. This facilitates in-cage brumation, a nightly temp drop, and security from hot-season electrical outages. Year-round goodness. Respiratory infections are a funny thing. They can occur with excessive moisture, or inadequate moisture. Most of a...
by Jimi
December 10th, 2018, 1:18 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Central and Northern Thailand - august 2018
Replies: 7
Views: 5198

Re: Central and Northern Thailand - august 2018

What the hell, no hageni ? No venustus ? Ha ha, totally just kidding!!! Wow, you killed it with the vipers. Nice photos by the way. Super nice. Are you sure you can't try your hand at just a little writing? I'd love to hear anything about your searches, the habitat, elevations - whatever you're able...
by Jimi
December 4th, 2018, 1:25 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rubber Boas in Monterey County
Replies: 12
Views: 10788

Re: Rubber Boas in Monterey County

I have surmised there exists some minimum level of available moisture that is critical for its survival. I would add to, or complicate that statement with, timing and duration components. That is, the moisture needs to be available for long enough, and at the right time of year, for the animals to ...
by Jimi
December 4th, 2018, 1:01 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Season's end - November Boston business trip
Replies: 6
Views: 7178

Re: Season's end - November Boston business trip

As for Lyme disease, it's all too common here in Denmark as well, the deer population having exploded over the past several decades (at the expense of the hares) Oh wow, I had no idea the disease was over there. Ticks are disgusting. Sooo many diseases. The deer/hare thing interests me - is it a di...
by Jimi
December 3rd, 2018, 3:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Season's end - November Boston business trip
Replies: 6
Views: 7178

Re: Season's end - November Boston business trip

Good to hear from you again Kris, congrats on the successful social outing! What luck on the woodie, eh? Great find. Also, I was wondering about your level of awareness of / precautions for avoiding Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness. If you aren't up to speed and vigilant, look into it. It's really...
by Jimi
November 29th, 2018, 3:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Florida trip January 2019
Replies: 7
Views: 10247

Re: Florida trip January 2019

I agree with Bill - walk (shine) 'em at night, cruise 'em in day. In January, it might be "cold", esp at night - so personally I'd lean toward cruising. Walking them in-habitat, in daytime, is far tougher for these guys - they're pretty darn cryptic. Just cruise some dirt roads in state Wi...
by Jimi
November 28th, 2018, 12:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: trip report Yucatan Peninsula
Replies: 8
Views: 10785

Re: trip report Yucatan Peninsula

You had me at Rhinophrynus! Seems a little bit tough time of year - post rainy - to get one of those. Still, you were taking your chances with hurricanes eh? Good prices, low crowds often reward such risk-taking!

Congrats on hopping the pond again. I thought you were done with that for a while?!?!?
by Jimi
November 26th, 2018, 4:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: WDFW Video Contest: Washington State Reptile Observations
Replies: 4
Views: 12879

Re: WDFW Video Contest: Washington State Reptile Observation

to my surprise I won Too humble by far. I'm not the least bit surprised. Congrats, man, huge congrats. Now, if they really wanted to get people interacting with herps, and they really wanted to crank up their citizen-science-derived occurrence observations, they'd loosen up those tight regs. IMO. Y...
by Jimi
November 26th, 2018, 11:06 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica
Replies: 16
Views: 14673

Re: Costa Rica

I'd just reiterate the Lonely Planet suggestion. I've got several feet of shelf space filled with these things - several countries having multiple editions ( everywhere changes, constantly, and sometimes in huge ways). https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/costa-rica-travel-guide-13?via=Z2lkOi8vbG9...
by Jimi
November 15th, 2018, 7:23 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica
Replies: 16
Views: 14673

Re: Costa Rica

I *highly* recommend getting a guide. But, I also *highly* recommend going on your own. Exactly. I consider doing some of both pretty crucial. For years and years I was a cheap-ass dumbass (and, in fairness, pretty damn poor), and refused to hire a guide. Guides cost money, yes. I've had one or two...
by Jimi
November 12th, 2018, 4:45 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica
Replies: 16
Views: 14673

Re: Costa Rica

Hey Jeff, good on ya. Fun place, especially if you get it good. It can be good. It can also be tough. Part is planning, part is experience and judgement, part is pure luck. For snakes in the tropics, rainy season is best. The difference between dry and wet can be incredible, particularly for the are...
by Jimi
November 2nd, 2018, 9:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Grey Treefrog ?
Replies: 2
Views: 8326

Re: Grey Treefrog ?

If he can come and go at will, I'd trust the animal to be able to make decisions in his own best interests. 62 and raining outside, how low could RH be in the garage? When (not if) it gets too dry in there, he'll boogie. Plus, it doesn't seem like you're succeeding at keeping him out. Now, maybe if ...
by Jimi
October 30th, 2018, 2:26 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Diablo Range herpin'
Replies: 51
Views: 46049

Re: Diablo Range herpin'

Despite being close to the Santa Cruz mountains, the Diablo range is a more harsh environment and gets very hot and dry in the Summer while getting less rainfall in the Winter months. It also does not benefit nearly as much from the coastal fog. Boas would have to find little pockets in which to su...
by Jimi
October 24th, 2018, 4:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ID help - New Jersey
Replies: 6
Views: 11086

Re: ID help - New Jersey

I'd also hasten to note - wild USA juvenile rat snakes (various/diverse species, subspecies, intergrades, and localized variants/phenotypes) tend to look a lot alike. OTOH among - not within - species, the adults can range from fairly uni-colored, to strongly blotched or saddled, to striped. With a ...
by Jimi
October 23rd, 2018, 2:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ID help - New Jersey
Replies: 6
Views: 11086

Re: ID help - New Jersey

Rat snake. Harmless/nonven.

Juveniles of many harmless species (rat snakes included) will vigorously pretend to be able to defend themselves. They can't. Adult ratsnakes are also usually happy to offer to bite. There's a little more deterrence value there, but not much.

cheers
by Jimi
October 18th, 2018, 4:06 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: What is Herping? Why I do it. - A short Documentary film
Replies: 40
Views: 35206

Re: What is Herping? Why I do it. - A short Documentary film

That was really well done. Lots of familiar, even universal themes & feelings & instincts & skills.

Do you have asps in Germany? Lucky!!! I didn't realize they went so far east; I think of them as basically a French/Italian critter.

I love a nice asp. Ha ha.

cheers
by Jimi
October 18th, 2018, 3:56 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: California Waters: Part 5 with Giant Garters, Oregon Spotted Frogs, and the future of California's herps
Replies: 12
Views: 27825

Re: California Waters

I'm a bit more aggressive when I'm in a place where I think the population is limited or isolated, and my killing might do some good. A few months ago I was in a tiny creek and was disappointed that I couldn't find any salamanders but was seeing invasive crayfish. As it was a small side creek, I we...
by Jimi
October 2nd, 2018, 11:08 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Range extensions in Marin?
Replies: 28
Views: 34782

Re: Range extensions in Marin?

on a phylogenetic tree, red-bellied are closer to rough-skinned than they are to california. That may well be the case. I was speaking of "upon presentation" however - of field encounters and gross characterization. The other 2 newts are just "harder to tell apart", phenotypical...
by Jimi
October 1st, 2018, 3:21 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The East Coast Turtles of LA County
Replies: 7
Views: 17257

Re: The East Coast Turtles of LA County

Boy, turtles outside their native distribution are hard. The tendency to melanism doesn't help. 10 ???????? Could this be a juvenile Western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) I wondered that too, but also wondered if it could be one of the European/SW Asian/N African Emys . They're pretty variable, ...
by Jimi
October 1st, 2018, 12:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Range extensions in Marin?
Replies: 28
Views: 34782

Re: Range extensions in Marin?

Do rivularis prefer warmer and deeper water like torosa or cooler shallow water like granulosa? IME the last 2 are more alike, than either is like rivularis. Its name says it all - flowing water . Which in its range, is naturally pretty cold. I've seen plenty in and around small creeks, but also in...
by Jimi
September 25th, 2018, 2:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A couple Oaxaca IDs
Replies: 1
Views: 8223

Re: A couple Oaxaca IDs

Great surf area, good time to be there. I hope that's what you're there for! The lizard is definitely a ctenosaur; no idea which one. All the youngsters I've seen (various species, various countries, both coasts) have been green; they just turn grey or black or whatever they become, with age. No id...
by Jimi
September 24th, 2018, 10:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)
Replies: 7
Views: 14418

Re: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)

Sweet! Thanks for sharing (I also enjoyed part 1). I sure gotta get down there some time. This toad is quite impressive (though I'm not sure what is on the ground to the right of it): That is indeed a nice toad. Gorgeous little animal. What would you say his total length was? The pile is just a worm...
by Jimi
September 20th, 2018, 1:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Baby rattlesnakes basking at their den (Video)
Replies: 5
Views: 9072

Re: Baby rattlesnakes basking at thier den (Video)

They seem to have fairly good vision, better then I would have expected. Indeed. That has been my experience also, emphatically. An interesting test - if you take a look from afar, go away for about just a few minutes, and come back for another look - see if they have moved. I have seen (when I'm t...
by Jimi
September 20th, 2018, 11:34 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Baby rattlesnakes basking at their den (Video)
Replies: 5
Views: 9072

Re: Baby rattlesnakes basking at thier den (Video)

Wow that sure looks like a lot of the country around here. Exactly like it. Good on ya for working through this puzzle. Feels good, eh? Now that you've found it you may find yourself wanting to re-visit at different times, to see how it gets used. Just take care not to scare the animals around their...