Search found 1092 matches

by Natalie McNear
January 2nd, 2012, 9:51 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Ensatina of the Year!
Replies: 16
Views: 2891

Re: Last Ensatina of the Year!

Thanks guys!

Owen, you're finding tons of stuff! I remember a couple weeks ago I went to one of my favorite local spots that's filled with boards, I don't think I saw a single herp that wasn't a fence lizard. It's just sooooo dry.
by Natalie McNear
January 1st, 2012, 10:32 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Resolution Salamandering - now with more 2012
Replies: 15
Views: 2522

Re: Resolution Salamandering

I love those webbed feet on Hydromantes! They remind me of all those weird arboreal salamanders in Central America with suction cup feet. Spectacular photography too. :thumb: Congrats on sticking to your new year's resolution!
by Natalie McNear
January 1st, 2012, 10:29 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My year, or how I got to sixty... (DUW, Self-indulgent)
Replies: 27
Views: 4688

Re: My year, or how I got to sixty... (DUW, Self-indulgent)

Wow, that red-backed Elgaria is awesome! :shock: I've never seen one with such vibrant color as that. The totally orange Monterey Ensatina is something else too. :thumb: I didn't know you went down to Georgia, there's some good herping down there for sure. The alligator is sweet!
by Natalie McNear
January 1st, 2012, 10:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Ensatina of the Year!
Replies: 16
Views: 2891

Re: Last Ensatina of the Year!

Thanks everyone! :D Jim - Just be thankful you live somewhere herping is still productive in winter! Think of all those poor souls in the rest of the country that have to live somewhere that's covered in snow for months and not a single herp can be found all winter. :lol: Lawrence - Yeah, this is no...
by Natalie McNear
December 31st, 2011, 4:18 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Last Ensatina of the Year!
Replies: 16
Views: 2891

Last Ensatina of the Year!

Doesn't sound like too big a deal, but considering how much rain we've had this December (none), I was pretty stoked to find this little salamander! Also I think this is the first shot I've got of an Ensatina that isn't horrible. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6609271303_ea17f41d12_z.jpg Yellow-...
by Natalie McNear
December 31st, 2011, 4:13 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake Egg
Replies: 12
Views: 2358

Re: Snake Egg

Poor little snaby. :( I agree with Owen that it looks like a gophersnake... The spots on the side of the body are a perfect match.
by Natalie McNear
December 29th, 2011, 11:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: It's the end of the year as we know it... and I feel.. cold?
Replies: 20
Views: 4560

Re: It's the end of the year as we know it... and I feel.. c

Sweet stuff, Mike! You found tons of herps this year. The shot of the green snake at night is awesome - it looks like it could have been taken in Central America! Y'all are so lucky you have arboreal snakes down there, that's something I really wish California had. The shot of the Prairie Rattler in...
by Natalie McNear
December 29th, 2011, 12:47 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Gila in The City of San Diego
Replies: 8
Views: 1527

Re: Gila in The City of San Diego

Aren't beaded lizards legal to own in CA? It seems like whoever lost it would be trying to get it back - them things ain't cheap.
by Natalie McNear
December 28th, 2011, 11:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database
Replies: 15
Views: 2507

Re: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database

I think you only have to worry about a fine if you're planning on breaking open the gates and driving your car in. :lol: It's still fine for people to walk in and use the park, just don't count on being able to use bathrooms or other amenities.
by Natalie McNear
December 28th, 2011, 11:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database
Replies: 15
Views: 2507

Re: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database

The state park closures have the inevitable positive side effect of fewer people in the park at any given time, making it easier to go herping. You have to look on the bright side of a bleak situation. :thumb:
by Natalie McNear
December 28th, 2011, 5:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database
Replies: 15
Views: 2507

Re: Room to spare -- Sonoma Co. in the database

Hypsiglena is unlikely to be present in Sonoma, it's more of an inner Coast Range species. Uta I don't think occurs anywhere near Sonoma County...? I have some boards set up for Zonata up there, but no luck yet. Although, I guess I would have better luck if I checked them more than twice a year...
by Natalie McNear
December 24th, 2011, 11:21 am
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Salamander Photography?
Replies: 52
Views: 18476

Re: Salamander Photography?

Getting them to lift their heads is the easy part. Battling reflections and finding a way to make salamanders look interesting in a photo is where you're going to run into the most trouble. :lol:

Image
by Natalie McNear
December 24th, 2011, 11:02 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Couple questions regarding Coral snakes....
Replies: 6
Views: 1901

Re: Couple questions regarding Coral snakes....

When I read this post, this story from Australia came to mind. Perhaps elapids have at least partial immunity to venom from other elapids?
by Natalie McNear
December 23rd, 2011, 9:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: thank you!
Replies: 14
Views: 2408

Re: thank you!

Great stuff, Josh! :thumb: I totally forgot about the Atratus eating the fish until I saw your post, that was so awesome. The C. umbratica is really sweet too, not often posted on here.
by Natalie McNear
December 23rd, 2011, 11:42 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: northern pacific rattlesnakes in BC
Replies: 12
Views: 2435

Re: northern pacific rattlesnakes in BC

Nice looking rattlers! I've tried looking for NorPacs up around Lillooet, and although the habitat looked right, I think I might have been slightly out of their range and didn't find any.
by Natalie McNear
December 22nd, 2011, 8:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My end of year Video
Replies: 2
Views: 1181

Re: My end of year Video

I keep getting an error message when I try to play it. :(
by Natalie McNear
December 22nd, 2011, 7:08 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Test post w/ amphibian pics
Replies: 5
Views: 1195

Re: Test post w/ amphibian pics

Great shots! I miss Sonoran Desert Toads, those things are awesome. Although it kind of sucks when there are so many thousands of them on the road you can't avoid squashing a few while you're driving.
by Natalie McNear
December 22nd, 2011, 9:55 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: New member & a question
Replies: 15
Views: 3544

Re: New member & a question

Compression artifacts on photos are slight visual disturbances that occur when an image is made smaller (compressed). They generally manifest as splotchy softness around edges and lines in compressed photos, and can really make an otherwise high quality photo look bad. All the photo-hosting sites us...
by Natalie McNear
December 21st, 2011, 11:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2011 end of the year review.
Replies: 31
Views: 9840

Re: 2011 end of the year review.

You found hella stuff this year! :thumb: I love the in situ shot of the Arboreal Salamander poking his head out of the mossy rocks, it's awesome! And the blue eyes on that blackbelly king are just crazy. The Sierra Garter shot is pretty sweet too, I still don't understand how they crawl around in th...
by Natalie McNear
December 21st, 2011, 8:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Color Blind Herpers
Replies: 35
Views: 6696

Re: Color Blind Herpers

I'm probably not the best person to ask since I've never taken a formal art class or anything. But as I understand it, shade is the amount of black mixed in (i.e., how light or dark it is), and hue is like the basic category (i.e., red, blue, green, yellow, etc). And those combined with the tone, th...
by Natalie McNear
December 21st, 2011, 8:01 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: New member & a question
Replies: 15
Views: 3544

Re: New member & a question

Welcome to the site, Tonia! I recommend Flickr as well... Compared to Photobucket (where I used to keep all my photos), Flickr has much higher-quality compression, so when you post resized versions of your photos on the forum you don't have all those weird compression artifacts. Flickr keeps the ima...
by Natalie McNear
December 21st, 2011, 7:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Color Blind Herpers
Replies: 35
Views: 6696

Re: Color Blind Herpers

In those number charts, the shades of the colors are exactly the same - only the hue is different. So perhaps in real-life applications where most colors are different, easily-distinguishable shades from each other, being color blind doesn't really make that much of a difference? "The main font...
by Natalie McNear
December 21st, 2011, 2:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Color Blind Herpers
Replies: 35
Views: 6696

Re: Color Blind Herpers

I've heard that color-deficient individuals are better at spotting camouflage as well, and wondered if they were perhaps better at finding camouflaged snakes where color is not an issue. However, I always find myself wondering what some herps look like to people with the various kinds of color blind...
by Natalie McNear
December 19th, 2011, 8:33 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Death of a Single Snake
Replies: 21
Views: 4669

Re: The Death of a Single Snake

That sucks dude, she was a beautiful animal. :( Last year I had a Sharp-tailed Snake in my yard that I kept track of over many months during the rainy season. I handled it about once a week to get photographs, and it became completely tame, almost like a little outdoor pet. Then one day I lifted up ...
by Natalie McNear
December 18th, 2011, 10:49 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Photo I took last thursday-Tampa Florida
Replies: 3
Views: 1863

Re: Photo I took last thursday-Tampa Florida

Hahaha, that's awesome. Rarely are people able to capture emotion in snakes' faces.
by Natalie McNear
December 18th, 2011, 6:29 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: San Francisco Co. in the database -- All eleven entries.
Replies: 13
Views: 2187

Re: San Francisco Co. in the database -- All eleven entries.

There are gophersnakes in Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. Bayview Park would be another good place to check for reptiles.
by Natalie McNear
December 16th, 2011, 10:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: End-of-year post from Costa Rica
Replies: 25
Views: 10063

Re: End-of-year post from Costa Rica

Awesome stuff! Thanks for sharing, Robbie. I miss Costa Rica so bad. :( I love the headshot of the boa in particular, that iridescence is rad.
by Natalie McNear
December 15th, 2011, 6:59 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The five stages of herper development
Replies: 20
Views: 7045

Re: The five stages of herper development

My stages:

1. I've found five snakes this year!

2. I've found five snakes today!

3. I've found fifty snakes today!
by Natalie McNear
December 15th, 2011, 12:46 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Noise
Replies: 16
Views: 4918

Re: Noise

Not a herp shot (or even a nature shot), but here's a quick photo I took of an empty water bottle sitting next to my laptop with the highest ISO my camera will do to demonstrate noise. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6517453085_f9e01d7e8f_z.jpg 1/50 sec, f/16.0, ISO 3200, no flash Not only was it...
by Natalie McNear
December 10th, 2011, 11:40 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks Brandon, Zach, Dell, and Chad! Chad - Pfft... Anyone who can take a picture of a frog with this few reflections has skillz. :thumb: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6080/6119279612_4c932594c9_z.jpg Yellow Legged by chadmlanel , on Flickr Dell - That racer was actually more blue in real life! It ...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 9:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Santa Cruz Survey #3
Replies: 113
Views: 16030

Re: Santa Cruz Survey #3

Well here are the total for the day: Calif Slender Salamanders: #29 Yellow-eyed Ensatina (Intergrades): #25 Northern Alligator Lizard: #2 Calif Giant Salamander: #3 Rough Skinned Newt: #1 Calif Newt: #15 Forest Sharp-tailed snake: #1 Not a large variety but there were a lot of Lifer's for many. I w...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 9:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling venomous snakes
Replies: 101
Views: 29328

Re: Handling venomous snakes

For me, I generally only use the hook on rattlers when I want to move them off the road, or rarely when I want to photograph them. Besides that, when I find a rattler I usually just look at it for a few seconds before continuing my search for more interesting snakes. :lol: When I went to Arizona thi...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 8:53 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Flying Coachwhips! Marty Stuart! Annual Annulatum!
Replies: 7
Views: 2870

Re: Flying Coachwhips! Marty Stuart! Annual Annulatum!

Great post, Brad. All those scenery shots really make me miss that weird east-meets-west landscape in Arkansas. Cacti in forests? WTF? The shot of the kids/dads with the cottonmouth on the trail is awesome, I can just imagine what the dads were thinking. "Oh god, there goes Brad with another on...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 8:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks Chad, it's great herping with you even if I can hardly keep up. I think we make a pretty good photography team though, with my pose-Nazism and your professional gear. :lol: You haven't taken a step backwards, you've just been working too much so you can't get out often and get the shots you w...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 8:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Basiliscus Family Values
Replies: 33
Views: 10442

Re: Basiliscus Family Values

Awesome stuff, Young! I'm not a big fan of crotes, but even I think your observation and photo documentation with the C. basiliscus are simply outstanding. I wonder how many studies have been carried out on this pseudo-parental care in rattlesnakes... If you moved the female, would she move back to ...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 8:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks guys! RobK - Great choice! :D Brian - Thanks! That first SFGS was definitely a looker. I've seen some that were pretty ugly. Jim - The thought of someone catching a weasel by hand has me cracking up. Sounds like something Chad or Mike would do. :lol: Owen - Haha, I knew you'd recognize her. A...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 3:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Costa Rica Field Guides
Replies: 6
Views: 1932

Re: Costa Rica Field Guides

Another vote for the Savage guide, despite its size. It's not something you want to carry with you in the field, but it's very easy to pack in a suitcase and just use in the motel room/camp. The problem with many of those small guides is that they're not complete, and anything less than complete rea...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 11:31 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Oh here's another SFGS shot for good measure. http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6074/6046545290_c6a6fe639f_z.jpg San Francisco Gartersnake ( Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia ) - 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200, no flash This is a YoY found crawling through the grass on a sunny day. In hindsight I think I shoul...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 11:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Hubbs like bugs?! That's awesome, hahaha.
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 11:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks everyone. EJ - So the two most stunning images in my thread are the two not taken by me? I see how it is. :lol: Jim - You see many weasels down in your area? I never really imagined them as desert animals. Except those Black-footed Ferrets I guess, I think they live in deserts. Rich - Yep, th...
by Natalie McNear
December 9th, 2011, 10:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: whoo hoo... Lifer!!
Replies: 13
Views: 2060

Re: whoo hoo... Lifer!!

Awesome stuff - pretty good for Shasta County in December! What makes you call the Ensatina an Oregon x Sierra intergrade rather than pure Oregon? It's cool how the belly is white like on a Monterey Ensatina. I wonder if that is a characteristic that evolved in both types separately (since the Yell...
by Natalie McNear
December 8th, 2011, 10:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks! Haha, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's my first mammal shot. Probably just because I don't try to photograph mammals - I see bobcats, coyotes, rabbits, jackrabbits, etc., pretty regularly, but I don't have a long enough lens to get a good shot of them so I just don't try. The only mammals I can ...
by Natalie McNear
December 8th, 2011, 6:55 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: whoo hoo... Lifer!!
Replies: 13
Views: 2060

Re: whoo hoo... Lifer!!

Awesome stuff - pretty good for Shasta County in December! What makes you call the Ensatina an Oregon x Sierra intergrade rather than pure Oregon? It's cool how the belly is white like on a Monterey Ensatina. I wonder if that is a characteristic that evolved in both types separately (since the Yello...
by Natalie McNear
December 8th, 2011, 11:35 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: End of the Year Round up- SF Bay Area
Replies: 18
Views: 3232

Re: End of the Year Round up- SF Bay Area

Awesome stuff, Zach! :thumb: Two zonatas under one board, I wonder how many other people on here have found that, hahaha. Boas are always great too. :D
by Natalie McNear
December 8th, 2011, 11:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks again for the responses, guys. John - Definitely get an external flash if you're at that point where you think you can take better pictures with one! Good lighting is essential to a good photograph, but I didn't realize how much so until I got my macro flash. With Nikon you can do something s...
by Natalie McNear
December 7th, 2011, 10:12 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: whoo hoo... Lifer!!
Replies: 13
Views: 2060

Re: whoo hoo... Lifer!!

Awesome! Congrats, Jim!
by Natalie McNear
December 7th, 2011, 10:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

Re: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Thanks for the feedback everyone! :beer: Monklet - Haha, some people are not the biggest fan of flowers I guess. If they are in focus and brightly-colored they certainly can be distracting. I just like the conflicted feelings they tend to create in non-herpers, since they usually like flowers but ha...
by Natalie McNear
December 7th, 2011, 2:09 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)
Replies: 52
Views: 15311

My Year in Photography (Herps + Lots of Extras, *DUW*)

Yeah, I could do a regular end-of-the-year post with all the hundreds of cool animals I've seen this year like I've done in the past, but I figured I wanted to do something different. For the past few years I've become engrossed in the photographic aspect of herping, there are a number of very skill...
by Natalie McNear
December 6th, 2011, 5:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ¿Qué es? (NC watersnake)
Replies: 5
Views: 1622

Re: ¿Qué es? (NC watersnake)

Thanks guys, I didn't know they came in this flavor.
by Natalie McNear
December 6th, 2011, 1:46 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ¿Qué es? (NC watersnake)
Replies: 5
Views: 1622

¿Qué es? (NC watersnake)

Another Flickr mystery, this one apparently from North Carolina: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6460528139_98c81ea202_z.jpg some kind of water snake by tomrichnc , on Flickr http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6460530579_4c7dbbcd72_z.jpg some kind of water snake by tomrichnc , on Flickr