Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

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Jeffreyrichard
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Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

Hi ... NE Chapter member, I've queried here before. Looking for some general locals on/near Amelia for some snakes to photograph ... parks, trails, etc where I can walk around and have a decent chance to observe something... wish list Corn, Yellow Rat, King, Coral, EDB, Pigmy. PM me with any suggestions. Many thanks
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by BillMcGighan »

If you're staying at one of the resorts like Amelia Island Plantation, use your access to the land, golf courses, water courses, and beaches, especially at night if temps are good.

I've found 4 of your 6 right on the plantation: Corn, Yellow Rat, Coral, EDB. Check with grounds keepers for places that they dump debris like palm fronds. You may find more than your list!

If not at a resort, Amelia Island State Park offers more opportunities.
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Berkeley Boone
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Berkeley Boone »

BillMcGighan wrote:If you're staying at one of the resorts like Amelia Island Plantation, use your access to the land, golf courses, water courses, and beaches, especially at night if temps are good.

I've found 4 of your 6 right on the plantation: Corn, Yellow Rat, Coral, EDB. Check with grounds keepers for places that they dump debris like palm fronds. You may find more than your list!

If not at a resort, Amelia Island State Park offers more opportunities.
Yep, that is good advice! Bill is spot-on. You'd be surprised what can be found like that.
--Berkeley
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Jeffreyrichard
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

BillMcGighan wrote:If you're staying at one of the resorts like Amelia Island Plantation, use your access to the land, golf courses, water courses, and beaches, especially at night if temps are good.

I've found 4 of your 6 right on the plantation: Corn, Yellow Rat, Coral, EDB. Check with grounds keepers for places that they dump debris like palm fronds. You may find more than your list!

If not at a resort, Amelia Island State Park offers more opportunities.
My parents used to be in The Plantation ... now they live in Fernandina Beach ... I've walked The Greenway in the past (gators, cottonmouths, racers) and a bit of time at Ft Clinch, but I've also gone down to Big Talbot Island ... how is that area?
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by BillMcGighan »

I've only got there a 4 or 5 times and 2 of those was for the boat ramp. I've only seen glass lizards and gophers there, but the habitat looked good for several species.

If you'll have a bike, you can cover good ground in short time. The 3 mile bike trail can be good early in the AM (of course, it officially doesn't open till 8 am) and right at dusk, but, course, the park closes at sunset.
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Jeffreyrichard
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

Only ended up with about 2 hours to trek around ... ended up walking on Eagan Creek Greenway ... great place. 2 Water Snakes (not moccasins), a ga-zillion cooters, one alligator.

What is your technique for exploring palm frond piles? not sure I want to stick my hands in a pile ...
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by BillMcGighan »

With no tools available to refine your construction while on the road, go to Walmart and buy the cheapest potato rake you can find;

or, my preference, the cheapest hoe and bend the blade enough times to weaken the metal and break it off.

This has served me occasionally, even in other countries!
Jimi
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Jimi »

Thanks for the trip report, glad you made it down & out. I've always appreciated your stuff on the NE page
What is your technique for exploring palm frond piles? not sure I want to stick my hands in a pile ...
No, that's not a great idea, unless you want to get stabbed by a pigmy. Oh, the indignity of being bitten by something with a 4-inch strike range! Ha ha. Seriously though, they can occur at outrageous densities, and are very easily overlooked. At least wear good leather gloves if you want to go in hands-first. A tool is better.

Where animals lie in frond pile depends on recent weather and also to a certain extent the taxon. If it's a cold day or is still early on a nice day after a cold night, most animals will be all the way at the bottom, sitting on the sand or humus where it's most insulated from the cold air. And some critters like greenhouse frogs, the various skinks, and pinewoods snakes virtually always (in my experience) like it all the way down like that. But if it's warmer, some things (juvie corn/rat snakes, racers, pigs etc) will be up between the leaves, maybe even under the first or second layer, relatively far from the dirt. Either they're coming up from the ground level, or they just tucked into the upper or middle zone after an active bout. Also that upper zone can be much drier, if it's been raining like hell and everything is saturated. Many squamates seem to not care a whole lot for being wet. Conversely if it's been real dry, the bottom will be the most moist, and everything will be down there. So I guess "how to?" is best answered "well, it really depends...".

Another factor is escape behavior - once you start rustling the leaves some taxa (especially if it's warm out...) will just jet right out of there, others will hunker down - so for some, you need to be quick on the flip, while others are more conducive to a slow, methodical disarticulation of the pile - no matter the weather.
Like with any big trash pile, it's nice to have somebody moving debris, and somebody just heads-up spotting along the perimeter, if you are not alone. The flight distance for some taxa (coachwhips, big broadhead skinks etc) is pretty impressive - they're paying attention and not taking any chances. I guess that brings up my last point - ears are useful animal detectors. So when I'm hunting stacked debris alone, I usually just go slow and methodical, and look up and around a lot, and really try to listen.

I hope you make it back down soon with the time to do it justice. NE Florida can be seriously fun.

cheers
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Jeffreyrichard
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Re: Visiting Amelia Island next week (Mar 12)

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

Jimi wrote:Thanks for the trip report, glad you made it down & out. I've always appreciated your stuff on the NE page
What is your technique for exploring palm frond piles? not sure I want to stick my hands in a pile ...
No, that's not a great idea, unless you want to get stabbed by a pigmy. Oh, the indignity of being bitten by something with a 4-inch strike range! Ha ha. Seriously though, they can occur at outrageous densities, and are very easily overlooked. At least wear good leather gloves if you want to go in hands-first. A tool is better.

Where animals lie in frond pile depends on recent weather and also to a certain extent the taxon. If it's a cold day or is still early on a nice day after a cold night, most animals will be all the way at the bottom, sitting on the sand or humus where it's most insulated from the cold air. And some critters like greenhouse frogs, the various skinks, and pinewoods snakes virtually always (in my experience) like it all the way down like that. But if it's warmer, some things (juvie corn/rat snakes, racers, pigs etc) will be up between the leaves, maybe even under the first or second layer, relatively far from the dirt. Either they're coming up from the ground level, or they just tucked into the upper or middle zone after an active bout. Also that upper zone can be much drier, if it's been raining like hell and everything is saturated. Many squamates seem to not care a whole lot for being wet. Conversely if it's been real dry, the bottom will be the most moist, and everything will be down there. So I guess "how to?" is best answered "well, it really depends...".

Another factor is escape behavior - once you start rustling the leaves some taxa (especially if it's warm out...) will just jet right out of there, others will hunker down - so for some, you need to be quick on the flip, while others are more conducive to a slow, methodical disarticulation of the pile - no matter the weather.
Like with any big trash pile, it's nice to have somebody moving debris, and somebody just heads-up spotting along the perimeter, if you are not alone. The flight distance for some taxa (coachwhips, big broadhead skinks etc) is pretty impressive - they're paying attention and not taking any chances. I guess that brings up my last point - ears are useful animal detectors. So when I'm hunting stacked debris alone, I usually just go slow and methodical, and look up and around a lot, and really try to listen.

I hope you make it back down soon with the time to do it justice. NE Florida can be seriously fun.

cheers
Nice "how-to" ... many thanks. I hadn't focused any attention on these piles in the past ... next time down I'll be doin' some flippin' ...
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