In September a small group visited southern AZ for a few days of herping. We rented a picturesque cabin in the mountains and enjoyed good food, good weather, beautiful scenery, and good friends. We didn’t kill ourselves herping 24/7, but enjoyed the moment. We didn’t see huge numbers of our targets but we did have a few choice finds.
This was our view as we ate breakfast.
Climb up to the talus they said. It will be fun, they said. My legs were sore for the rest of the trip and we found nothing.
View from the top
A promising canyon
One of our first finds, a mountain king on the crawl
Close up
After a couple photos, she retreated into her hole
Heard what sounded like a refrigerator running, saw this:
A promising rock
Checked the crack and saw this:
Lifted the rock for a quick shot of this juvenile black-tailed rattlesnake with a food bulge, then gently replaced it.
We found some gophersnakes while road cruising. First an adult.
Juvenile
We saw a number of atrox on the roads
Nice rattle
Neonate
Mojaves were the most common species we saw on the roads.
Juvenile
POed
Side of the road, we heard him as we drove by
Mountain stream
Lepidus found near the stream
Black-necked gartersnake found near the stream
Found in the driveway to our cabin: my lifer regal ringneck.
Road cruising at night, saw a black snake silhouetted against the white line on the side of the road: a Yuma-phase kingsnake.
A pretty Long-nosed snake with a food bulge
A good spot while road cruising: this tiny hatchling glossy snake crawling off the road into the grass, and we were able to locate him after we stopped.
Neonate Texas horned lizard tries to blend in
Yarrow’s spiny lizard
This Clark’s spiny lizard was warming up and watching us eat breakfast
Some amphibs: Chiricahua leopard frog
Newly transformed red-spotted toad
A little rain brought some amphibs out at night: Great Plains toad
Sonoran Desert toad
Anna’s hummingbird
Broad-billed hummingbird
Anna’s hummingbirds
Bacon on the hoof
Robber flies: cannibal or love in?
Spider love
Thanks for looking.
A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Moderator: Scott Waters
- Steve Barten
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- Location: NE Illinois
- Blacktail31
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- Location: Tucson Arizona
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
AWESOME post to see on a cold Midwestern night! Cant wait to get back to good old Arizona!
- AndyKraemer
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Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great post! I really need to get myself over to the SW!
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Steve Barten wrote:Neonate Texas horned lizard tries to blend in
*Neonate Texas horned lizard blends in*
Fixed
Great post, that ring neck is spectacular.
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great stuff - fantastic first hummingbird shot.
- ThamnElegans24
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- Location: Mesa, Arizona
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great stuff! Love the ringneck. Thanks for sharing.
- Steve Barten
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- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:13 pm
- Location: NE Illinois
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Thanks, everyone. I've been to southern AZ a number of times but had never seen a ringneck there before. This one was in the driveway of the place where we were staying and it couldn't have been easier to find.
Thanks, TravisK for fixing my wording - that horned lizard was the size of a quarter and he did blend in! We watched him run and he seemed to disappear when he stopped. One of our group found him when we stopped to photograph a big Mojave in the road.
It was fun to put this together during this arctic blast. That first spring herping trip can't come too soon.
Thanks, TravisK for fixing my wording - that horned lizard was the size of a quarter and he did blend in! We watched him run and he seemed to disappear when he stopped. One of our group found him when we stopped to photograph a big Mojave in the road.
It was fun to put this together during this arctic blast. That first spring herping trip can't come too soon.
- Berkeley Boone
- Posts: 878
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
What a show! I need to get out to AZ again. I've only been once, and I lost all of my pictures from that trip.
Great finds. That AZ mountain king was pretty sweet, and the photos of the hummingbirds were really great, especially the Anna's in flight! The feather detail in that picture is mind blowing!
--Berkeley
Great finds. That AZ mountain king was pretty sweet, and the photos of the hummingbirds were really great, especially the Anna's in flight! The feather detail in that picture is mind blowing!
That was hilarious! Thanks for the chuckle! Sounds like my luck if I were to get out there...Steve Barten wrote:Climb up to the talus they said. It will be fun, they said. My legs were sore for the rest of the trip and we found nothing.
--Berkeley
- DevinBergquist
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- Joined: May 26th, 2014, 10:15 am
- Location: Southern California
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Looks like a fun trip and you did well with some cool finds. That Yuma King was sweet.
By the way I recognize that very spot in your photo labeled "Mountain Stream" Beautiful area, one of my favorite spots in the Chiricahuas. Check out the background in the photo below, look familiar?
By the way I recognize that very spot in your photo labeled "Mountain Stream" Beautiful area, one of my favorite spots in the Chiricahuas. Check out the background in the photo below, look familiar?
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Really Nice Shots..
Fundad
Fundad
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great post. I hear AZ calling my name this year!
Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great stuff, man I miss those mountains. Thanks for the trip.
Nick
Nick
- Chad M. Lane
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Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
Great stuff!
- Jeremy Westerman
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Re: A Sweet Little Fall AZ Trip
fantastic crypsis in that horned lizard photo. I used it on Facebook (credited of course) as an educational example. Hope you don't mind.