Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

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Adam Cooner
Posts: 247
Joined: July 8th, 2010, 3:50 pm
Location: Calera, AL

Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Adam Cooner »

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of getting out into the field with a number of Alabama's finest herpers, including Chris Montross (Darkhorse), Robb Herrington (EctoHunter), Micah Riddle, Matt Arnold, Frank Wideman (not a forum member, for shame) and Tamara and Ray McConnell.

Micah, Tamara, Ray and I started in Central Alabama. Tamara's number 1 target for the trip was Eurycea lucifuga, the cave salamander. I know as close to a sure thing as there is in herping for those, so we started for that site first on Friday afternoon.

Along the way, Micah flipped this juvenile black kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra) under a heavy rock.

ImageBlack Kingsnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

ImageBlack Kingsnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Tamara did get her lifer cave salamander after spotting it in the back of a crevice within a cave-like fissure in the mountain. Given all of my previous encounters with the species, I didn't get any photos this time, but here's a photo from another visit.

ImageCave Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Afterwards, we checked a nice seep and saw a few larval spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus).

ImageNorthern Spring Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

On Saturday morning, we added Matt, Frank, and Chris to our ranks in East Alabama. Chris found a red salamander, midland brown snake, and smooth earth snake before we arrived.

Micah flipped Tamara's lifer four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) in short order. I took some photos, but none really turned out the way I wanted. So, again, here's a photo from a previous encounter.

ImageFour-toed Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

I flipped several marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum), a staple of this area.

ImageMarbled Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Before leaving this spot, Tamara found a gray rat snake (Pantherophis spiloides) crossing the dirt road separating the swamp from the upland forest on the opposite side.

ImageGray Rat Snake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

We flipped some tin in the late morning sun but found no occupants other than Southern ringneck snakes.

In the surrounding pine forest, Chris and Matt each turned up Southeastern crowned snakes (Tantilla coronata), a species I just don't get to see that often. All 3 individuals captured were in-shed.

ImageSoutheastern Crowned Snake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

From East Alabama, we made our way to West Georgia to meet Robb.

By the time of our arrival, he'd done the work in retrieving this gorgeous eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) from a rock pile.

ImageEastern Kingsnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

ImageEastern Kingsnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

ImageAlabama Herp Group by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Within minutes of Robb saying he never sees venomous snakes at the site, I pointed out a large cottonmouth on the trail ahead. Robb followed up by stating that he never sees rainbow snakes here either, but, alas, the trick didn't work twice.

ImageCottonmouth by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Matt scooped up a nearly 6-foot gray rat snake in the tall grass (pictured with the equally majestic Robb Herrington).

Image

Frank dove for and grabbed this brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota).

ImageBrown Watersnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

All of that pretty much did us in for Saturday.

Tamara, Ray, Matt, Micah, and I reconvened Sunday morning for some flipping at a trash site in Central Alabama, but we were largely unsuccessful, save for a cottonmouth I saw near a lake that I didn't bother photographing.

Tamara and Ray headed back south to prepare to re-enter the real world today. Matt, Micah, and I, not ready to end the fun, headed north for a more colorful Lampropeltis species to round out our finds.

We were wildly successful, managing to find 3 red milksnakes (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)! I took photographs of two:

This larger individual . . .

ImageRed Milksnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

. . . and this stunner.

ImageRed Milksnake by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

As you might imagine, I'm quite pleased with the way the weekend turned out. Great people and great herps!

Happy spring, everybody, and thanks for looking!
Coluber Constrictor
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:25 am
Location: Mobile, AL

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Coluber Constrictor »

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Tamara D. McConnell
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Omigod, those red milksnakes are gorgeous!
Thank you, Adam, for hosting a never-to-be-forgotten herp weekend. I can't begin to describe how painful it was to come back to Real Life, after such a splendid time.
You are a killer herp host. Much gratitude from this end.
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Adam Cooner
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Joined: July 8th, 2010, 3:50 pm
Location: Calera, AL

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Adam Cooner »

Tamara D. McConnell wrote:Omigod, those red milksnakes are gorgeous!
Thank you, Adam, for hosting a never-to-be-forgotten herp weekend. I can't begin to describe how painful it was to come back to Real Life, after such a splendid time.
You are a killer herp host. Much gratitude from this end.
It was my pleasure to coordinate the weekend's activities, and I'm glad we saw some good stuff. I wish you guys could have stayed for the milk snake extravaganza. Next time (and I do expect a next time), I'll have to take you guys toward the mountains of the Talladega National Forest for some proper creek and seep herping.
Tamara D. McConnell
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Sign us up!
Tamara D. McConnell
Posts: 2248
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Matt and ratsnake:
Image121 by Tamara McConnell1, on Flickr
Photo crew:
Image122 by Tamara McConnell1, on Flickr
Frank and erythrogaster perfume:
Habitat:
Imagehabitat by Tamara McConnell1, on Flickr
BethH
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Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by BethH »

Really nice pictures. The picture of the gray rat snake, near the top, exhibits a kind of kink or non-snake-like flow. I think I've heard people say that's a characteristic of gray rat snakes. I remember seeing that same tightness in some kind of black snake when I was hiking on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey. I'm sorry but I don't know what kind of snake those were, but they were 4-6 feet long, black, could climb trees with ease, and I saw a LOT. They exhibited those "kinks." Is there something physiologically different or special about those types of snakes that they do that? Does it have to do with climbing? ??? Thanks. Beth
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Adam Cooner
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Location: Calera, AL

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Adam Cooner »

BethH wrote:Really nice pictures. The picture of the gray rat snake, near the top, exhibits a kind of kink or non-snake-like flow. I think I've heard people say that's a characteristic of gray rat snakes. I remember seeing that same tightness in some kind of black snake when I was hiking on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey. I'm sorry but I don't know what kind of snake those were, but they were 4-6 feet long, black, could climb trees with ease, and I saw a LOT. They exhibited those "kinks." Is there something physiologically different or special about those types of snakes that they do that? Does it have to do with climbing? ??? Thanks. Beth
Beth, the snake you saw was likely a rat snake too. In that area, they'd be considered Pantherophis alleghaniensis, or eastern rat snakes, if the taxonomy hasn't changed since I last looked. When they have the phenotype you describe, most of us would call them black rat snakes.

These snakes dorsoventrally flatten themselves to increase the surface area of their bodies that is exposed to sunlight. This, in turn, increases the rate of heat absorption. The muscle contractions that allow the body to flatten result in a zig-zag, or kinked, posture.
BethH
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Joined: May 12th, 2013, 6:47 pm

Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by BethH »

Thanks for the identification and explanation Adam! Beth
Barry R
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Re: Alabama Herping Weekend and Lampropeltis Hat Trick

Post by Barry R »

Awesome! :thumb:
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