So that is it, 2014 comes to a close and without any trips planned to somewhere tropical, it is time to reflect on the past year. Welcome to my annual snake heavy post of 2014!
So as most of you know I live and herp in Maryland, a lot. Here are some of this years snake highlights in no particular order...
Managed to waste a ton of gas going to western MD to find one of these this year. Mountain Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae pulchra)
And the very similar looking and much more common Eastern Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae valeriae)
One of the most common watersnakes around, the oh so stinky Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
The crayfish eating Queensnake (Regina septemvittata)
And my favorite watersnake, the Red-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster)
And who could forget those late night trips looking for rainbows in the dark. "Common" Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma) (use the term common lightly.)
This was my favorite dekayi of the year. Why, you ask? When you roadcruise a snake in early March looking for salamanders it is really a welcome find, especially after the winter we had! Northern Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)
It gets to a point where I almost forget to photograph these snakes, but they have to be on the list. Eastern Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)
In an intergrade zone, it is hard to tell which ringneck you are looking at sometimes I usually just go by dominating traits and call it. Southern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Northern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
Spend enough time around water and these usually show up, but they have a tendency to be tricky to get sometimes. Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
HOGGIES, gotta love these snakes, they are one of the most unique in behavior! Eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
Racers...a welcome sight on a slow herping day. Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
My luck with kingsnakes this year was excellent in my opinion, found four eastern in one day! Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula)
AND TWO mole kings in one day, an excellent day in my book! Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata)
This little mole king was killer!
While also very common, the Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) is a welcome find after a long cold winter anywhere!
The Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus obsoletus) is also one of my personal favorites, one of the coolest larger snakes around! This one was fresh out of hibernacula in early April.
Always love flipping these gems! Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
First you flip them, then you flip them over! Northern redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)
I love the Northern Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus aestivus) because it makes me think I an somewhere tropical when I see it. Any snake with the camo to look like a vine is cool in my opinion.
And the venomous ones, who could forget them!
Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)
The beautiful Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
And some highlights from other places I had to pleasure to visit over 2014...
NEW JERSEY
Little tiny Timber
An eastern king
Coastal milks....if you believe in them anyway. LTExT!
Ringneck, south meets north once again....
And this little NW snake showed up on a midday drive.
VIRGINIA
The NE Chapter trip was very salamander-centric, but what the hell lets look for some snakes anyway!
Eastern Milksnake
Northern Ringneck
On another trip we turned up a garter also.
NORTH CAROLINA
Headed south with high hopes but struck out pretty bad. A frontal system moved through and killed the serpent movement for the most part. We worked hard for what we saw!
Red bellied watersnake
Eastern commonmouths a plenty
In a gator burrow
Along a creek
In a swamp
MY fiancee came along, she likes snakes too!
Got far enough south to call it a Souther ringneck!
Wormsnakes...everywhere.
We also found some kings and yellow rats but all were DOR which totally sucked!
FLORIDA
While this was primarily a SCUBA trip we took some time to find a few snakes
A Brahminy blind snake, found several of these along a garden edge.
And a southern black racer.
To make florida suck a little less I will add some sea turtle shots!
Loggerheads
Zzzzzzzz.....sleepy time!
Hawksbill
And this Alligator...I mean you really cannot mention florida on a post on field herp forum and not post a gator!
Hope everyone had another great year in the field and to those I met it was a pleasure herping along side other great like minded herpers!
Here is to another great year!
-VP of the NE Chapter
-Mike Kirby
End of the year Snake post 2014
Moderator: Scott Waters
- incuhead2000
- Posts: 670
- Joined: November 16th, 2010, 11:04 am
- Location: Germantown, Maryland
- Contact:
- intermedius
- Posts: 481
- Joined: March 22nd, 2012, 7:19 pm
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Fantastic post Mike. Great photos and snakes. Looks like you guys had a great year
- Kyle from Carolina
- Posts: 221
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
- Location: western MA and NC
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Great post. I'm impressed by that rainbow snake. I looked a few times for those in southern MD and never found one. That colors on that hognose are awesome.
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Great year, some awsome finds! Thanks for taking the time to put this together, I really enjoyed it. Mole King was my favorite.
- incuhead2000
- Posts: 670
- Joined: November 16th, 2010, 11:04 am
- Location: Germantown, Maryland
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Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Thanks guys, I hope we all have another good year next year! Summer never really got super hot and we didn't have a major drought which is always helpful when looking for snakes around here. Maybe next year I will finally score my MD corn and smooth green...and if super lucky a Northern Scarlet...my hopes will remain high!
- NewYorkHerper16
- Posts: 140
- Joined: August 13th, 2014, 7:50 am
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Excellent photos! Looks like you had a great year, i especially love all the Lampropeltis and Agkistrodon you found!!! And that rainbow is just amazing!
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Another complete effort. The mole kings... the rainbow... Gaaah.
- ZantiMissKnit
- Posts: 1037
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
- Location: Boston area, MA
Re: End of the year Snake post 2014
Keep these coming! I'm still working on my H.E.R.P. records for 2014, and would like to complete that before putting up my own EOY posts. I'm loving seeing everyone else's posts and what a great year people have had!