RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin Nat'l

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Jeremy Westerman
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Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
Location: Utah
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RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin Nat'l

Post by Jeremy Westerman »

A few Rocky Mountain chapter members ventured out and those who did had a blast, thanks to Bryan Hamilton for hosting a great week.
All targets were found except Bryan's Nevada Ringneck Snake, maybe next time.

I was supposed to get there Monday morning, great things were found on monday by a couple of Florida herpers,
but instead I drove a few extra hundred miles the night before to see the eclipse in all its glory in Kannaraville, Utah.
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Well you get the idea, awful tough to photograph that thing without specialized filters so I took some crappy shots through the telescope.

Then for the long drive out to Baker, Nevada and Great Basin National Park, I arrived around 6PM Monday Night
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This sign lived up to its name saw more than 100 snakes during the week
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The canyon where we camped and this sign is no lie either, there are snakes aplenty here

Pituophis catenifer deserticola
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road cruising Great Basin Gopher Snakes seemed to be the theme in the desert, usually dozens found each night

Thamnophis elegans vagrans

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Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes also were a very common sight road cruising

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Set up camp next to a pleasant little stream and took the black light out to try for a little scorpion action
Anuroctonus phaiodactylus
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Dusky Clawed Scorpion
under Ultraviolet light
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Paruroctonus boreus
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Northern Scorpion

then back to the tent to enjoy the warm evening and the gurgling stream as I fell asleep
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Met up with Bryan Hamilton first thing in the morning
we headed out to meet up with the Nat'l Park staff already there in the canyon planned for the day's survey
Lizards were abundant and sunning on most outcrops or cruising the sagebrush
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
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Great Basin Fence Lizard
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Plestiodon skiltonianus utahensis
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Great Basin skink (juvenile)

Several Desert Striped Whipsnakes were seen but were too slick to pose for a photo
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tail shot escaping right into the big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata center frame, on the left of the Mormon Tea Ephedra viridis
I wish I had better timing he was an interesting tannish colored variation

Wasn't too long before I flipped this guy though
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola although I still use H. torquata
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Desert Night Snake

Pituophis catenifer deserticola
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Great Basin Gopher Snake

Temps were very hot 139 Fahrenheit ground temps so we headed to the spring to cool off
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Sceloporus graciosus graciosus
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Northern Sagebrush Lizard

On the way out we road cruised this beauty
Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin Rattlesnake

Found quite a few of these guys where the road passed through great habitat
Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos
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Northern Desert Horned Lizard

Mammals were abundant in the park as well saw hundreds of Black-tailed jackrabbits, a few Desert Cottontails, Pronghorn,
Mule Deer, Coyotes, Kit foxes, Kangaroo Rats, Pocket Gophers, Bushy tailed Woodrats, bats and mice of all kinds
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Even saw a pronghorn doe chasing a coyote all over, it probably had a fawn down nearby

Another fantastic sunrise in the desert
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Time to go herping! A few new forum members joined us and we headed off with the usual park staff

Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
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Great Basin fence Lizard (juvenile)
Cool metachrosis as this adult changed from black to greenish
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Great Basin fence Lizard

Pituophis catenifer deserticola
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Great Basin Gopher Snake

Thamnophis elegans vagrans
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Western terrestrial Garter Snake in ecdysis

Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great basin rattlesnake

Aspidoscelis tigris tigris
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Great Basin Whiptail Lizard

Uta stansburiana stansburiana

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Northern Side-Blotched Lizard

Besides the usual ubiquitous gopher snakes every night we turned up this guy
Rhinocheilus lecontei
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Long-nosed Snake

Very hidden snake
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Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin rattlesnake

Lampropeltis pyromelana utahensis
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Utah Mountain Kingsnake

Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin rattlesnake


Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin rattlesnake

Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos
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Northern Desert Horned Lizard on Western Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis mound

Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola although I still use H. torquata
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Desert Night Snake

Rhinocheilus lecontei
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Long-Nosed Snake

Mantispidae family unknown species
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Mantidfly

Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
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Desert Striped Whipsnake

Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin rattlesnake

Crotalus oreganus lutosus
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Great Basin rattlesnake

Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
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Great Basin Fence Lizard

On the Last couple of days another forum member came out and was able to get in on the action. Even though the species diversity is low only 9 snake species we saw 7 out of the 9 (Yellow Bellied racers live on the other side of the park and there is only a scant handlful of Regal Ringneck records for Eastern Nevada.) We managed to see several of each species even a couple of hard to find Mountain Kings. Over one hundred snakes in a week! We finished up with a tour of Lehman Cave and said Goodbye to Great Basin National Park. What a great week surveying for snakes!
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caliherp
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Joined: April 30th, 2012, 1:28 am
Location: Orange County,CA

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by caliherp »

Awesome Pics!!! I like the color variations of the Oreganus!! and love the king!
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Norman D
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Joined: November 4th, 2010, 8:10 am
Location: Sonoran Desert

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by Norman D »

Thanks for sharing! I especially liked all the lutosus & phrynosoma...and the pyro! Seeing just a couple of the lutosus would have made the trip for me
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Mdarius
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Joined: February 20th, 2012, 3:04 pm
Location: SLC, UT

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by Mdarius »

Great post, Jeremy, and really nice photos! Thanks for contributing to a fantastic trip. It was a lot of fun and definitely got us hooked. A great way to spend a week and meet new friends. Thanks again!
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DennyZ
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Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by DennyZ »

Looks like you guys had alot of fun. The kings are always a nice sight. 8-)
TimCO
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:27 am
Location: Colorado

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by TimCO »

Nice pics from what looks to be a rockin trip. Congrats guys, and thanks to Bryan for hosting.
Brian Eagar
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:59 pm

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by Brian Eagar »

Nice narrative and pics. Thanks for sharing them with us.
It looks like it was a productive week.
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frodaman
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Joined: August 29th, 2011, 10:54 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by frodaman »

Awesome finds! I love those GB Rattlesnakes.. I am so excited to get up there this summer!

-Jeff
cameron.rognan
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Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by cameron.rognan »

Looks like a productive trip, good variety of snakes and lizards.
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Calfirecap
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Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by Calfirecap »

Looks like an outstanding trip! Wish I was there and well done with all the finds.
RobK

Re: RM Chapter fieldtrip/Mtn kingsnake surv at Great Basin N

Post by RobK »

Utah, pyros, and lutosus. Does it get any better than that? Looks like a successful survey in some otherwise hot weather. Nice presentation.
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