Favorite Finds and/or Pictures of 2015

[RobertH]

Hello everybody, now that 2015 is over, let's all post our favorite finds or pictures.
I'll start us off with my favorite finds, This pyro from arizona made a slow day good.
Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
This speck was also a treat because I rarely see specks. Nafha international meet.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
My lifer lyre snake found with Todd Battey
Baja California Lyresnake (Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
The following are some of my favorite shots I took.
Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila ) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
Great Basin Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus bicinctores) by NicholasHess, on Flickr
Coastal Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca) by NicholasHess, on Flickr

Ok, now it's your turn.

Nicholas

[El Garia]

Not a herp shot, nor is it a pic of mine... but, it is my favorite. This shot brings me many fond memories. Thanks go out to Kent for selflessly taking the group shot. It was wonderful to share time with such quality people; some old friends, some new. Thanks, All.

NAFHA Meet 2015 San Diego. Photo by Kent VanSooy by Mo'o, on Flickr

[jonathan]

I was only in California for 3 weeks this year, but thanks to a lot of great friends and a very loving wife, I had a lot of memorable moments. Tops of all of them, of course, was getting to see all of you again and the National Meet, including Kent, sadly for the last time.

Some of the specifics during those three weeks in April include...

* The five-snake road cruise stop at the National Meeting with Nicholas and dad, Jeremy and dad, and Matty and dad. 3 sidewinders, 1 shovelnose, and 1 leafnose on a single spot on the road!

* Jeff leading the boys into the canyon just an hour after that. A speck, leafnose, shovelnose, chuckwalla, couple banded geckos, and at least a dozen leaf-toed geckos walked in a short stretch of canyon.

* Finally finding a kingsnake in LA at a small locale I had searched 20+ times in 7 years.

* Getting my lifer Tehachapi Slenders (4th try is a charm!), with Robert Hansen on a very stormy day.

* Slamming the brakes on Highway 1 when I spotted a red-tailed hawk fighting with a Pacific Gopher Snake.

* Matt and I road-cruising a Sierra Mountain King as we were pulling up to the spot where we were hoping to flip one.

* Matt and I scoring our lifer Shasta Black Salamanders.


Here's a few pictures. After a stolen camera and a crap replacement, I gave up on taking good photos this year, but the moments and the herps are what is memorable.


Penninsular Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus)





A very well-hidden speck





My urban California King





Tehachapi Slender





Sierra Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata multicincta)





Shasta Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea shastensis) - seriously, what the hell





Shasta Black - photo doesn't remotely do justice to how beautiful it was





Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii)

[Owen]

I just like this snake, nicknamed Pumpkinhead. An old coastie that was cruising around eating little toadies.

[yoloherper]

WOW! Owen do you have any closeups of pumkinhead's pumkin head? That thing is insane!
Love that pyro shot Nick!
This z shot was my favorite photo from last year
-Elliot
DSC_4314 - cloned by mangoman57, on Flickr

[Porter]

This is from a series of shots of this tiger taking a strole trhough the jungle. I only a few came out clear. This one was with the running man setting and a 24mm.

tiger walk 2 by California Reptile & Amphibian Appreciation, on Flickr

[Zach_Lim]

Favorite find:

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake - El Dorado County, CA with Chad - exciting because it was the last snake of the day and I flipped it from under a rock when it was getting quite hot out!



Favorite shot:

Santa Cruz Black Salamander- Santa Cruz County, CA with Lawrence - SC Blacks are my favorite native salamander and seeing such a pretty one in a new location was thrilling. I only recently stated really worrying about the composition and over all look of my shots, and I think this photo shows my desire of progress.

[JAMAUGHN]

These are all fantastic photos, everyone. Most of my favorite finds this year are either of nonherps or are from far-flung destinations.

Here's a couple of locals, though:

Coast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma blainvillii by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

Gilbert's Skink, Plestiodon gilbertii by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

Coast Mountain Kingsnake, Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata by JAMES MAUGHN, on Flickr

JimM

[MarcLinsalata]

This was my favorite find during my cross country trip this past summer - I had 3 goals and accomplished 1 of them (alive). Still trying to write up my year end but the only reason why I like this pic is because it is as found at 2:30 am crawling up a rock cut.

[Steve Bledsoe]

Awesome find Marc.
Congratulations!

[Phillodactylus]

I'll play! Last year was a particularly speciose year for me, so picking my favorite finds will be difficult. I also managed a few lifers that had long been glaring holes in my life-list.

I saw a ton of Speckled Rattlesnakes, this one might be my favorite capture though.
high 2 by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

A shot I'll never get again; and its truly a miracle it came out this well considering I "shot from the hip". Red Coachwhip
RR periscope by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

One of the "glaring holes" in my life-list was found: San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake
San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I also saw more Desert Tortoises this year (through my field biology work) than I ever have:
gnarly legged tort by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

This was probably my favorite lifer of 2015. I swam with about 5 of these guys in Maui, and my brother apparently has GoPro footage, but we'll see if I can ever get my grubby paws on any of that. Anyway, when I got out of the ocean, two turtles began to forage on the rocks allowing me to occasionally shoot them when they came up for air. Green Sea Turtle
up for air by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

For a self-proclaimed lizard guy, I really didn't do a lot of "out of my way" lizarding. But this Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard was a really cooperative photo subject.
King uniformis by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I saw this crazy creature in Hawaii: Gold Dust Day Gecko
lifer Gold Dust by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

And this agreeable Gambelia is my computer background:
Leopard Lizard by Phil Clevinger, on Flickr

I think these will suffice. Hope you enjoyed.

-Phil