First Quarter 2016 Review

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Berkeley Boone »

I can’t believe it is already a quarter of the way through 2016! I’m going to break up my reviews into quarters rather than my usual thirds to make the posts a little bit smaller.

Due to a rather mild and wet winter, the herp activity really only slowed rather than stopping. My daughter and I played with some anoles on Dec 31. She was greatly entertained and almost caught a couple of them.
Image1PeekABoo by B Boone, on Flickr

Image2Skinny Mini by B Boone, on Flickr

Image3Get Em by B Boone, on Flickr

Image4Theres One by B Boone, on Flickr

On Jan 2, I met up with my friend Cary and we did some looking around in his neck of the woods. Our target for the day was eastern tigers, which I needed to officially check off my list. I’d been present when some metamorph tigers had been found crossing a sand road, but I wanted to see some adults and with my own eyes. Cary had just the spot, where he’s been having some great luck in the days and weeks previous.
Image5Pond by B Boone, on Flickr

We waded through the cold water and dipnetted around, not coming up with much aside from a few green frog tadpoles and scads of dragonfly naiads- many of which looked remarkably like newts! However, we weren’t finding any salamanders so we decided to change up methods and sloshed back to the edge to go and flip some logs.

With one flip we uncovered a pair of leopard frogs that exploded out of the way. But where the back corner of the old washer lid contacted the ground huddled two tigers! Mission accomplished.
Image6Ransph by B Boone, on Flickr

Image7Ambtig by B Boone, on Flickr

Both of them were incredibly skinny (perhaps having used all their energy and resources to go towards breeding), but they were tigers nonetheless!
Image8Ambtig by B Boone, on Flickr

Image9El Tigre by B Boone, on Flickr

We found an old tumble-down house with lots of junk laying around the property. We began turning up marbled salamanders.
Image10Ambopa by B Boone, on Flickr

Image11Ambopa duo by B Boone, on Flickr

Then Cary found a juvenile ratsnake trying to decide if it wanted to expose itself for some basking or not. The first snake of the year! We pulled it out for a couple of photos, and then sent it on its way.
Image12Ela obs by B Boone, on Flickr

Image13Angry snake by B Boone, on Flickr

Our next spot took us into a drier more upland area, and we found a larger, darker rat snake.
Image14Elaobs bigger by B Boone, on Flickr

We stopped by the house of a friend of Cary’s and were able to get permission to get onto some pasture land down the road to go check out some other ponds. The wetlands were on the back of the pasture and to get there, we had to brave large, aggressive guard bovines.
Image15Mooooove by B Boone, on Flickr

Image16Pasture-ized by B Boone, on Flickr

We almost didn’t make it!
Image17Black Cow by B Boone, on Flickr

We traded our boots for our waders and waded through the flooded forest bottoms. We didn’t find any more tigers, but we found another dozen or so opacum, and a single anole.
Image19Reflection by B Boone, on Flickr

Image18anole by B Boone, on Flickr

Image20Ambopa trio by B Boone, on Flickr

Image21Tails by B Boone, on Flickr

Back home, I went for a walk in the woods at work during my lunch break and rolled some logs, just to see what was out. Wouldn’t you know it, more marbled salamanders! I was starting to get a little tired of them, to be honest. Until I found this one!
Image22Monster by B Boone, on Flickr

It was a beast! A solid five inches, plus! Looking back, I really should have taken measurements to check it for sure, but oh well.
Image23Ambopa by B Boone, on Flickr

Image24Ambopa by B Boone, on Flickr

Image25Ambopa by B Boone, on Flickr

My next surprise was in my front yard a week or so later. My daughter and I were planting some bulbs when I saw the leaves buck up where I was digging. I gently scraped them away and found this magnificent critter, an old red salamander.
Image26red by B Boone, on Flickr

I have lived in this house for 16 years and this is the first species of salamander I have found on the property. (We live on the top of a dry ridge, with very rocky, compact soil.) This also made my list of herps found in the yard hit #30! I was quite pleased.
Image27red1 by B Boone, on Flickr

Two weeks later, I found another red salamander while raking.
Image28red number2 by B Boone, on Flickr

One night we were getting home from right around dusk and as we got out of the car, we heard a single peeper calling from a low, grassy spot in the yard. We ran inside and grabbed a couple of headlamps and the camera and went back out. My daughter and I ended up catching four little spring peepers, and she just had a blast. It was the first thing she told my wife about the next morning at breakfast, and then her teacher at preschool too.
Image29Psecru by B Boone, on Flickr

Image30LittleHand by B Boone, on Flickr

Image31Calling by B Boone, on Flickr

Image32WhysThatBubble by B Boone, on Flickr

A walk in the woods gave this pretty sky one day…
Image33Sky by B Boone, on Flickr

…and then this fence lizard.
Image34Sceund by B Boone, on Flickr

Herping was a little slow, so I spent some time photographing some spring wildflowers.

Rue Anemone
Image35creekside by B Boone, on Flickr

Image36lilflowers by B Boone, on Flickr

Image37rue by B Boone, on Flickr

Violet
Image38violet by B Boone, on Flickr

The critter finding picked up a little bit, but nothing really to write home about. But I’ll take it! Finding reptiles and amphibians is always fun.

A green treefrog napping in the sunshine
Image39greentree by B Boone, on Flickr

Image40easybeinggreen by B Boone, on Flickr

Spotted dusky salamanders
Image41descon by B Boone, on Flickr

Image42descon by B Boone, on Flickr

There is a great rock wall at work that has groups of Five Lined Skinks living in its gaps.
Image43eumfas by B Boone, on Flickr

Image44eumfas by B Boone, on Flickr
Image45eumfas by B Boone, on Flickr

Walking into the office one day, I interrupted a Battle Royale. These two anoles were wrasslin’ about, but separated as I came up the steps and surprised them.
Image46dukin it out by B Boone, on Flickr

Image47bring it on by B Boone, on Flickr

Image48in this corner by B Boone, on Flickr

Another skink behind the building.
Image49eumeces by B Boone, on Flickr

The first Mayapple blossom I have seen this year
Image50Podpel by B Boone, on Flickr

More skinks on a wall (the riveting sequel to the infamous Samuel L. Jackson movie)
Image51ahhhhh by B Boone, on Flickr

Image52sunshine by B Boone, on Flickr

Image53eum duo by B Boone, on Flickr

That’s about it for the first quarter. I am looking forward to seeing what late spring and early summer bring!



Here is my list so far. You may remember that last year I tried to keep a tally of all my herp encounters. I’m trying it again this year, but on a day-by-day basis, rather than just the species and the number of times they were encountered. Species names in bold are when they are first encountered.

Jan 2: DOR Frog I; Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala III, Tadpoles IIII; Eastern Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum II; Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis IIII; Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma opacum IIIII IIIII; Black Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta II; Savannah Slimy Salamander, Plethodon savannah I

Jan 4: Green Anole I; Five Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus I; Marbled Salamander I

Jan 9: Upland Chorus Frog, Pseudacris feriarum I: III, C: II; Spring Peeper, Pseudacris crucifer C: II

Jan 13: Northern Red Salamander, Pseudotriton ruber I

Jan 17: Green Anole I

Jan 21: Spotted Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus conanti (larvae) I; Upland Chorus Frog I: III

Jan 26: Northern Red salamander I; Spring Peeper C: II; Upland Chorus Frog I: I

Jan 28: Spring Peeper C: II

Jan 30: Spring Peeper I:II, C:II; Upland Chorus Frog C: II

Jan 31: Leopard Frog I: II, C: I

Feb 1: Gray Treefrog, Hyla chrysocelis I; Spring Peeper C: I; Upland Chorus Frog C: I

Feb 2: Green Anole II; Spring Peeper C: I; Upland Chorus Frog C: I

Feb 3: Spring Peeper C: I; Upland Chorus Frog C: II

Feb 4: Green Anole IIII

Feb 5: Green Anole I

Feb 12: Green Anole I

Feb 16: American Toad, Bufo americanus egg strands; Spring Peeper I: IIII, C: I

Feb 18: Green Anole II; Upland Chorus Frog I: I; Spring Peeper C: I

Feb 20: Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi II; Spring Peeper C: II

Feb 21: Spring Peeper I: I

Feb 22: American Toad I: II, C: I; Spring Peeper I: II, C: I

Feb 23: Spring Peeper, I: III

Feb 28: Bullfrog, Rana catesbaenia I

Feb 29: Green Anole I; Spring Peeper I: III

Mar 1: Spring Peeper IIII, I: IIII, C: I

Mar 2: American Toad, tadpoles TMTC, I: III, C: I

Mar 4: Spring Peeper C: I

Mar 5: Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus I; Eastern River Cooter, Pseudemys concinna I; Spring Peeper I: II

Mar 6: Green Anole III

Mar 7: Green Frog, Rana clamitans I; Green Anole II; Spring Peeper I: I, C: I

Mar 8: Green Anole II; Spring Peeper I: I, C: II

Mar 9: Green Anole II; Brown Snake DOR I; American Toad C: I; Gray Treefrog I: I; Spring Peeper I: III, C: I

Mar 10: Green Anole IIIII I; Green Frog I; Brown Snake II; Spring Peeper I: III

Mar 11: Worm Snake, Carphophis amoenus I; Green Anole IIIII III; Green Frog I; Gray Treefrog I: I, Upland Chorus Frog I:I, Spring Peeper I: II, C: I

Mar 12: Gray Treefrog I: I

Mar 13: Yellow Bellied Slider, Trachemys scripta I; Five Lined Skink I; Green Anole I; Spring Peeper I: II

Mar 14: Gray Treefrog I: II; Green Anole IIIII II

Mar 15: Green Anole I; Five Lined Skink IIIII; American Toad I; Spring Peeper C: I

Mar 16: Green Treefrog, Hyla cinerea I; Northern Cricket Frog, Pseudacris crepitans I: I; Green Anole IIII; Spring Peeper C: I

Mar 17: Green Anole IIII; Five Lined Skink III

Mar 18: Green Anole IIII; Five Lined Skink II; Spring Peeper I: I

Mar 19: Green Anole III, Gray Treefrog I: I

Mar 20: Green Anole I; unid’d tadpoles TMTC

Mar 21: Two Lined Salamander, Eurycea cirrigera (adult) IIIII I, (larvae) III; Spotted Dusky Salamander (adult) IIIII III, (larvae) IIIII; American Toad I

Mar 22: Five Lined Skink I; Green Anole I

Mar 23: Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon I; Green Anole IIIII II; Five Lined Skink III; Spotted Dusky Salamander II; Two Lined Salamander I; Spring Peeper I: I

Mar 24: Spring Peeper I: I, C: II

Mar 25: Green Anole IIIII I; Spring Peeper I: I, C: I

Mar 26: Gray Treefrog I: I

Mar 27: Un ID’d turtle; Spring Peeper I: I

Mar 28: Gray Treefrog I: I; Spring Peeper I: III

Mar 29: Cricket Frog I; Green Anole I, Dead I

Mar 30: Five Lined Skink IIII; Green Anole IIII, American Toad Tadpole TMTC; Leopard Frog Tadpole TMTC; Cricket Frog IIIII I; Brown Snake I; Green Frog II

Mar 31: Green Anole II



Brought To Me To Identify
Green Anole (I- Jan 28, II- Mar 23)
Brown Snake (II- Mar 12)
Eastern Garter Snake (Mar 12)
Smooth Earth Snake (Mar 26)

Shed Skins/Shells/Eggs Etc
Shed snake skin, partial (Jan 2)
Black Rat Snake shed (Mar 30)


So far, a good year!
Thanks for looking.
--Berkeley
Tamara D. McConnell
Posts: 2248
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

I always enjoy your posts. Your photos are so crisp and clear. Loved the chunky marbleds, and the cows were funny. I also like your anole shots. I think anoles get taken for granted sometimes. They fascinate me with their personable behaviors.
The tigers were wonderful, as well. I've never found one.
User avatar
Josh Holbrook
Posts: 2196
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:11 am
Location: Western North Carolina
Contact:

Re: First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Josh Holbrook »

I saw the picture of that marsh and thought to myself "Hey, I know that place!"

Good stuff all around. Congrats on the perseverance to keep a day-by-day log of herps. Things are a little bit slower (or perhaps I'm a little bit slower!) up in the mountains, I'm at ~26 species for the year.
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Tamara- thanks very much, those were very kind words! I agree, I think anoles often get overlooked. They are pretty cool little lizards. I am glad there are so many of them in my life! I hope we get to meet up this year when I am down in your neck of the woods. It would be a lot of fun to get out with you and Ray and James. You'll find a tiger one day! They are around. Timing is just the beast of it though.....

Josh- I figured you might recognize it! Thanks man! I think I'm right behind you at 24 (maybe 25) species so far. We'll see what happens over the course of the rest of the year.

--Berkeley
User avatar
Josh Holbrook
Posts: 2196
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:11 am
Location: Western North Carolina
Contact:

Re: First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Didn't you say you were at 30?
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: First Quarter 2016 Review

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Josh Holbrook wrote:Didn't you say you were at 30?
I did, but that is for total herp species found in our yard at our house. Right now, I am only at 24 species found for this year. Good eye! Sorry, I probably could have been more clear in my phrasing.

--B
Post Reply