Mike H and I took the NAHFA 2014 Meeting hosted by the Rocky Mountain Chapter as a darn good excuse to fly out to Tucson, visit my sister (who is moving from the area next month), and do a bit – well, make that a LOT - of herping!
Prior to this, the westernmost place either of us have ever herped was New Orleans (if you want to call finding green anoles off Magazine Street “herping”). Do you realize what that meant? It meant that EVERYTHING WAS A LIFER!
Sorry for the CAPSLOCK YELLING there, but I get excited thinking about lifers!
Our first lifer was at a rest top in AZ. This is me pointing and grunting (hey, we got up at 3:30 am in order to take an early morning flight!), while Mike was attempting to take my photo among the gorgeous scenery.
DSCN8620 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
This is what I was pointing and grunting at…Lifer #1 of the trip, a Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus)!
Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #2 was close by…Sonoran Spotted Whiptail (Aspidoscelis sonarae)
Sonoran Spotted Whiptail (Aspidoscelis sonarae) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We enjoyed some of the gorgeous scenery before finding any more herps that day.
DSC_0003 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
DSC_0002 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
DSC_0001 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Our first snake of the trip was Lifer #3, and this one made quite an impact on us. It was maybe 19 inches, and was using every inch of its body to remind of us the power of its bite.
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
The defensive behavior started up as soon as Mike opened the car door. We never got within five feet of this snake, and it obviously didn’t want us to get any closer.
We passed a second Mojave just a few minutes later. This one seemed fixated on the hunt (we were alerted to it by a rodent that had just been hopping around it), and barely seemed to notice us. This photo was a result of Mike opening the car door and taking a voucher shot.
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #4 was another snake. At first we thought it was a twig in the road, then we thought it was a DOR. Mike took a photo for a voucher shot, since it was most likely something we hadn’t seen before…then he realized this “DOR” was looking up at him.
Painted Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans philipi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
These might be my new favorite snake, or at least the young ones are. On paper, it can be described as a “tan and white” snake, which doesn’t sound that compelling, but in the flesh, they are gorgeous.
Painted Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans philipi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #5 was something that I had seen at some herp shows. These toads are comically large at times, and I will often pick up their deli cups at the shows just to see how much they weigh. I have to say, they are pretty comical looking in the wild as well.
Sonoran Desert Toad aka Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius or Ollotis alvaria) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
I’m going to put a few photos of Lifer #6 up, because, even though I have all identified as Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus), there may be a couple of Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) in there, which would be an additional lifer. Let’s see.
These were all in Hidalgo County, NM, by the koi pond where we stayed.
Great Plains Toad (Bufo - or Anaxyrus - cognatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Great Plains Toad (Bufo - or Anaxyrus - cognatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Great Plains Toad (Bufo - or Anaxyrus - cognatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
I can also send folks my records in HERP if they would like to help out.
That was all the herps we saw on Day 1, but we were up at dawn to start Day 2!
New Mexico at dawn…how gorgeous.
DSC_0029DSC_0030 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
There was a pair (!!!) of Saturnid moths on the sign of our lodge/RV park.
Saturnid moth by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We had a big breakfast at the Rodeo Café, and were rewarded shortly thereafter with our first herp of the day, and Lifer #7…and it was a great one!
Mexican Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
It seems as though not many folks found these on this trip. We considered ourselves extremely lucky to find this!
We headed out to the kickoff meeting, and found a couple of Lifer #8 on the fence.
Schott's Tree Lizard (Urosaurus ornatus schotti) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We also reconnected with someone who used to sell books at our local reptile show (in New Hampshire!), who had very recently moved to the very area! Small world, indeed!
We went out fill up on gas after the meeting, and couldn’t resist flipping some railroad ties, one of which had something cool and scary underneath!
Scolopendra polymorpha, Desert Tiger by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We went into the mountain forest, and saw the only scorpion of the trip.
Flipped scorpion by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We also saw Lifer #8 up there (I hadn’t IDed this one when I was putting my records in, so thanks to Mike for pursuing the ID and now I have a reminder to enter it!)
STRIPED PLATEAU LIZARD (Sceloporus virgatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We took up the former New Englander on his invitation to stop by, and took a walk around his recently acquired property, seeing a few more tree lizards and plateau lizards. We got a huge surprise as to what was by his front door when we returned!
Mexican Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Not only did we get our lifer Mexican Hog-Nose earlier that day, but we saw a completely different one about 8 hours later!
Now, we don’t road cruise in Massachusetts. There’s really not a good place to do so (with the exception of one state park that you can go into after dark) and, as a whole, the state is too densely populated to be practical for road cruising (not to mention the Masshole drivers). Granted, I do think that road cruising is taxing on the eyes and the brain, but looking for herps while sitting on one’s butt is such a foreign concept to us.
That being said, road cruised herps mostly seem to just stay where they are so you can get an in situ shot.
Lifer #9 was found just before sunset.
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis m. marcianus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
A Herper herping (and making Popeye face).
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis m. marcianus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #10 was found after dark…and was not too cooperative for a photograph. We couldn’t legally handle anything, or otherwise trap/corral it, so we let them do what they do and hope we can get a good in situ photo out of it.
Western Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We soon after did run into someone named on the scientific collection permit, who did have a very small version of this snake, so we could get a closer look (and better photo) of it.
Western Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #11 we found all over the road in NM, but not in AZ. I’m not sure why, but I’ll take it.
Couch's Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #12 was found in much smaller numbers.
Mexican Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
The next two are examples of Lifer #13, neither of which were found by us (we got our own vouchered find the next day). Gorgeous snakes, they acted so much different than the Mojaves we had been seeing.
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Not a herp, but an amazing thing to observe…an unidentified tarantula locked in battle with a tarantula hawk!
DSCN8851 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We saw this happen again, a few hours and several miles away.
DSCN8859 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We saw another tarantula, that I think I have properly identified…road cruising for insects was as easy as road cruising for herps.
Mexican blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #14 has been described by a couple of folks as a “real screamer”. I don’t disagree at all; this was perfection in a serpentine form.
Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) splendida) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
It was also the last lifer of Day #2. We were doing pretty well here!
We started Day #3 with some cool birds.
#84 Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#85 Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Not all of the birds out there were lifers for us, but a good deal of them were. Mike added to his personal Big Year (he wants to photograph and identify 100 species of birds…he’s into the 90s now).
This place was pretty cool.
DSC_0292 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
#87 Black Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
white-lined sphinx moth, Hyles lineata by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We also got Lifer #15 there.
Clark's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus clarkii) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
That evening, we cruised our own bitty atrox.
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
And a really tiny Scute.
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lifer #16 wasn’t found by us, and we unfortunately couldn’t find our own. However, I think it’s worth mentioning…
Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
I don’t know how we got a decent photo of Lifer #17; these guys are pretty hyper.
Tantilla nigriceps by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We also found another little Scute with a hockey temper before the night was out.
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We overslept a little the next morning, and figured it would be too hot out to find any snakes. This gopher snake crossed the road in front of us and proved us wrong with Lifer #17!
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catinefer) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
She was a little scrawny and deflated looking. We think she just deposited some eggs and was off looking for a decent meal. As I was checking to see if I had gotten a good in situ, she decided that she found a good hiding spot.
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catinefer) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Really snake?
Am I still within the law if the snake corrals itself under my crossed legs?
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catinefer) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We waited for her to move off the road before we moved on (in fact, we did this with every snake so we didn’t recognize any later DORs). Something else was crossing the road at this time…
Untitled by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Hey ,we don’t have Javelinas in Massachusetts!
We don’t have roadrunners either, but that doesn’t mean we won’t take crappy photos of one.
Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
(#93 on Mike’s big year, by the way).
The last lifer that was found by us, Lifer # 18.
Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Because they’re just so darned cute!
Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
And they poop, too!
Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
I think that an Alligator Lizard would have been our next lifer, had we found the owner of this skin.
Alligator Lizard skin by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
We also looked for Collared Lizards, but we were too slow with the camera and too burnt out and lazy to get out of the car and look in the heat.
There were a few other herps that were collected under the permit, that we photographed. Mike doesn’t consider them to be lifers for us because we weren’t there when they were found, but if we were, these would have been Lifers #19 – 23.
Bufo debilis insidior by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Chihuahuan Hook-Nosed Snake (Gyalopion canum by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Western Lyre Snake (Trimorphodon biscutatus) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Lined Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum lineatulus) hatchling by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
Western Black-necked Garter Snake (Thamnophis c. cyrtopsis) by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
It was sad to hit the road. While we missed our friends, family and pets at home, we really didn’t feel quite ready to leave yet. We missed out on a few target species (Gilas, Green Rats, Corals, and others), but we now have some targets to go back for.
We also had some road stop signs.
DSCN9038 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
as well as Big Effin’ Rocks.
DSCN9039 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr
I’m hoping for another trip there, if not in 2015, hopefully in 2016!
LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Moderator: Scott Waters
- ZantiMissKnit
- Posts: 1037
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
- Location: Boston area, MA
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Excellent post, Andrea! It's really nice to see that you and Mike had such a wonderful time on your first SW herp trip.
Very cool that you were able to encounter some of the iconic Southwest critters, like Horny Toads, Roadrunners, and Javelina.
Derek
Very cool that you were able to encounter some of the iconic Southwest critters, like Horny Toads, Roadrunners, and Javelina.
Derek
- The Real Snake Man
- Posts: 405
- Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
- Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
And after enjoying Mike's series on Facebook, I get to enjoy your post here on the Forum! Looked like a lot of fun both times. Thanks for sharing.
-Gene
-Gene
- muskiemagnet
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- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 8:43 am
- Location: kaukauna, wi
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
really liked the hummer and the sphinx pix.
-ben
-ben
- ZantiMissKnit
- Posts: 1037
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
- Location: Boston area, MA
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
The bird shots (and most of the long-distance shots) are all Mike's. He uses the point and shoot with the 42x zoom; I have the Nikon D3200 that I need to REALLY spend some time learning this winter.muskiemagnet wrote:really liked the hummer and the sphinx pix.
-ben
Thanks to everyone for the comments!
-
- Posts: 2248
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Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Looks like a totally exciting trip. So many amazing animals!
- BillMcGighan
- Posts: 2362
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:23 am
- Location: Unicoi, TN
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Looks like a really rewarding visit.
PS
I think what we herper/birder people need are more things to carry by straps around our necks!
PS
I think what we herper/birder people need are more things to carry by straps around our necks!
- Brian Willey
- Posts: 100
- Joined: June 21st, 2010, 6:32 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
You guys did pretty well, two Hogs is awesome!
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Loved it! Really captures that extra excitement of being in an area where all the animals are new to you.
John
John
- Kyle from Carolina
- Posts: 221
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
- Location: western MA and NC
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
Awesome. I agree with Ribbit. Must be sweet to see somewhere with all new critters. I can't wait to make it down there someday.
- ratsnakehaven
- Posts: 2272
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 9:08 am
- Location: Southern Arizona
Re: LECHs in the SW! (NAFHA National Meeting Report)
I remember my first monsoon trip to AZ. It was like yours, everything a lifer. I ended up retiring here....hahah!