Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

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Lyle
Posts: 41
Joined: June 21st, 2010, 2:39 pm

Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by Lyle »

Does anyone have any info on the population that occurs (or did occur) in the Tacoma area? Like when the last individual was recorded? I want to do some searches for them in the next couple weeks, but don't know where to start. I know most of the habitat has been altered in that area, but I was thinking of searching along railroad tracks in or near areas where they have been found. They seem to like that habitat where I've found them in eastern Washington. Any information would be nice. I just did a google search, but didn't get a whole lot of useful info. I'm willing to bank on there still being some isolated populations around there somewhere. I wanna find em!
Sean Lundy
Posts: 41
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:11 pm
Location: Arcata CA

Re: Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by Sean Lundy »

Good Luck man i know the last sighting in that area was of a specimen found in a basement i also know a few very good herpers who have tried and failed to locate any there. Does not mean there not around by any means i like your railroad track idea, had lots of luck finding sharps along railroad tracks they dig the gravel.
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M Wolverton
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:46 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by M Wolverton »

Gravelly Lake is surrounded by gated mansions, there really isn't anywhere to look for them, and that specimen may have been imported in a batch of firewood (they like to get between the bark and wood of downed trees).

Best bet for the Puget Sound area is in the Olympic rain shadow, Island (Whidbey Island) and San Juan Counties, and there has been one found on Orcas Island. They have also been found on the Canadian Islands to the north of there (which are very similar). None have been found on the much wetter adjacent mainland except up in Canada which is in another rain shadow, and as far as I know, none have been found in the rain shadow on the Olympic Peninsula.
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Lyle
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Joined: June 21st, 2010, 2:39 pm

Re: Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by Lyle »

Hmm.... Are all the records for them in the Tacoma area very localised, or are they spread out at least? I have driven every road between Seattle and Olympia (for my work), and I'm sure if the population was originally spread out, it has to have hung on somewhere. Some of the roads in the fort Lewis area seem to go through very promising habitat. Maybe if I can find a trail in that area with public access, I can do some searching. I know there are railroads in that area that go through what looks like good habitat, but I'm not sure if I can walk along them without getting into any trouble. If only I could look for them ON base.....
Sean Lundy
Posts: 41
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:11 pm
Location: Arcata CA

Re: Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by Sean Lundy »

Sometimes you got to get in trouble to find snakes its just how it goes.
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M Wolverton
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:46 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Sharptails in the Puget Sound region

Post by M Wolverton »

You can get permission to go on certain parts of a lot of US military bases. I am not sure if Lewis is one or not, but it might not be a bad idea to contact them and see. You might also look into the area around that big Quadrant housing development at Dupont. I seem to recall a few trails when I was working out there years back.
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