I started my year in Southern California. Hadn't found anything in Arizona, and I really wanted to get out and see some crotes before I moved to MI. We only managed one ruber, but I got to see some lifers, as well. As a matter of fact, everything else that I photographed was a lifer for me.
Imperial Dunes by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
San Diego Banded Gecko by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Great Basin Fence Lizard by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Granite Spiny Lizard by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
San Diego Alligator Lizard by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
San Diego Alligator Lizard by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Garden Slender Salamander by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Garden Slender Salamander by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Garden Slender Salamander by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
San Diego Nightsnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
San Diego Nightsnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Coastal Rosy Boa by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Coastal Rosy Boa by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Coastal Rosy Boa by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Red Diamondback Rattlesnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Red Diamondback Rattlesnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Big thanks to Brian Hinds, Chris Meachum, Diego Ortiz, and Ben Jones for a great trip. That ruber is probably the only crote I'll see all year, and all the lifers were just awesome.
Shortly after thiat trip, I made the move to Michigan. When I first arrived, I was very disappointed. I did some exploring, and while the scenery was beautiful, the weather was nothing like what I'd left behind.
Bay Harbor by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Ice fishing by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Michigan winter by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Lake Michigan by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Slowly but surely, the snow (and my melancholy) began to melt away and the true beauty of this place revealed itself at last. I started my summer off by checking some of the old growth forests and cedar swamps in my neighborhood. I started to get discouraged about how many snakes I wasn't finding, so I moved on to the open, grassy fields. Jackpot. The snake herping in these areas has been so easy that I'm now so backlogged on records to enter this winter, that I've now moved on to turtles and amphibians.
In order of type, rather than chronology, here is the new habitat that I've been exploring in Michigan.
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Cedar swamp by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Habitat by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Swamp by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Sinkhole swamp by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Swamp by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Bear River by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's some of the good stuff.
Red-backed Salamander by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Red-backed Salamander by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Green Frog by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Green Frog by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Northern Leopard Frog by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Northern Leopard Frog by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Fowler's Toad by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
American Toad by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
American Toad by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Wood Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Painted Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Painted Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Painted Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Painted Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Painted Turtle by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
DeKay's Brown Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
DeKay's Brown Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
DeKay's Brown Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Dekay's Brown Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Northern Red-bellied Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Northern Red-bellied Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Eastern Gartersnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Eastern Gartersnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Eastern Gartersnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Smooth Green Snake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Eastern Milksnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
67844878-7575-411f-9a3d-a03b06aa38d6_zpsb52b7c2f1 by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Eastern Milksnake by crotalus_cerberus83, on Flickr
Well, that's how my year went. Not a lot of variety, but almost every single species is one that's new to me. It's been a great year, and I can't wait to see even more of the Michigan herps in 2014. Take care, guys. Happy herping.
