2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
DaneConley
Posts: 481
Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois

2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by DaneConley »

This year I didnt do as well as I hoped. My main goals for this year were Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus),
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), and the Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula nigra). I only found one of these. I had
an injury early on in the year so I was on crutches till mid march. So i completely missed out on any vernal pool breeding. And I
wasnt able to go herping after september. But I met a lot of really cool people and had a lot of fun. Photos are listed in order
from January-December.
Temperture was below freezing so I thought I would try my luck at some seeps I know of. Found the normal stuff.
Southern Two Lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)
Image
Image
Dusky Salamander Not sure if its a Northern or Southern (range overlaps)
Image
On another day the temperture hit 70 degrees F, went walking through the woods and found this.
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Image
Lake...
Image
Northern Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)
Image
Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Image
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Image
Red-backed Salamander (Lead-backed phase) (Plethodon chlorobryonis)
Image
I was in crutches since mid feburary, I tried herping in crutches...its hard.
I mananged to find a species I could never seem to find though.
Red-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) (Lifer)
Image
Mid March the temp spiked to 80 degrees on a weekend. And I basically told my leg too bad it
was taking too long and took the brace off and got rid of the crutches. And went to see how much activity was going on.
Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscavorus piscavorus)
Image
Image
Cricket Frog
Image
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
Image
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Image
Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Image
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
Image
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Image
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Image
I must have found atleast 20 box turtles this year.
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Image
I was riding a bike on this road to one of my herping spots. On the side of the road I found something I was not expecting at all.
Eastern Hognose (Heterodon platirhinos)
Image
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Image
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
Image
Broad-headed Skink (Plestidon laticeps)
Image
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
Image
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Image
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Image
Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
Image
Eastern Wormsnakes (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)
Image
Image
Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Image
Image
Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Image
I went on the VHS spring survey and it was awesome.
Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
Image
I was searching along the edge of a swamp, on the ground I found this little guy.
Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata) (Lifer)
Image
Right after I saw a little frog jumping. Normally a common find for most herpers...but I had the hardest time finding one.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Image
I flipped a log that was half submerged in a stream
Three-lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
Image
Image
Image
So many ratsnakes were found on the survey...our group alone found atleast 6
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
Image
This pair of Broad-Headed didnt not mind being photograph, they were never handled.
Broad-Headed Skink (Plestidon laticeps)
Image
Image
Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander (Lifer) (Plethodon chlorobryonis)
Image
Habitat
Image
Turtle traps were used and a couple snappers were found.
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Image
Eastern Smooth Earth Snake (Lifer) (Virginia valeriae)
Image
Marbled Salamanders were being flipped left and right near a swamp.
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Image
More Three Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata)
Image
And that ends the survey but it was some of the most fun I had that year.
Back near my house, I went to the beach and went up a 20-30 foot cliff and and the top was this little treasure.
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) (insitu)
Image
Couple days later I had time to kill before I had exams. So I grabbed my camera and checked the small forest near my house.
Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Image
And now just some random stuff I found during late spring.
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Image
I went to try looking for Timber Rattlesnakes, sadly found little.
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
Image
Image
Image
Image
However I did get a lifer.
Yellow Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Image
Image
Well that was all from that day.
Common Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Image
Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)
Image
Southern Ringnecked Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Image
Three Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
Image
Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Image
Image
Caught 3 racers on this day, the 4th outsmarted me haha.
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Image
Image
(insitu)
Image
Image
Southern Ringnecked Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Image
Image
Broadheaded Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
Image
Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Image
The field next to my house floods often and these end up all over my house.
Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Image
Image
Image
Narrowmouthed Frogs are found within a 2 minute walk from my house as well. (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Image
Image
Insitu
Image
Insitu
Image
In the middle summer I took a trip to Southern Illinois for a few weeks.
Image
Went to some ponds I know which usually have a wide diversity of snakes. Sadly I had a bad day.
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Image
Grabbed this Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Image
Image
Walked through a creek, and grabbed a large Bullfrog. (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Image
While in Illinois I went camping and couldnt resist trying to find stuff. However the land there was terrible for herp life.
Not a single snake was seen.
Five-Lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Image
Western Chorus Frog (Lifer) (Pseudacris triceriata)
Image
And what every herper does in Southern Illinois...
Image
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)
Image
Image
Image
Image
Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Image
Image
Midland Brown Snake (Lifer) (Storeria dekayi wrightorum)
Image
Lesser Siren (Lifer) (Siren intermedia nettingi)
Image
Went to a tin site near by and flipped this.
Yellow Bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster)
Image
There was only one piece of tin to flip...and nothing.
But I saw a window shutter in the tall grass, a last bit of hope aroused. I flipped and BAM!
Black Kingsnake (Lifer) (Lampropeltis getula nigra)
Image
Image
Goodbye Snake Road...for now.
Image
Was more North the next day and checked out some ponds.
Coming out of the corn field nearby was this dude.
Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster) (Lifer)
Image
Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera)
Image
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Image
Well we had time to take another trip to Snake Road, and on the way I found a little lifer in a puddle.
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi) (Lifer)
Image
Back at Snake Road
Image
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Image
Prairie Ringneck Snake (Lifer) (Disdophis punctatus arnyi)
Image
Cave Salamander (Lifer) (Eurycea lucifuga)
Image
I looked behind me to take a picture of the trail, when something black about 30 yards away caught my eye.
Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscavorus leucostoma)
Image
Image
Northern Ringnecked Snake (Lifer) (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
Image
We started walking back to the car and I thought there was a Black Racer up the hill from about 40 yards away.
So I sprinted up the hill and realized what it was...or what they were.
Western Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscavorus leucostoma)
You can see two cottonmouths here with a musk turtle. Whether the turtle was dead or alive I have no idea,
and why it was 100 yards away from the swamp. It seemed to big for the snakes to eat but one snake was following the other.
I didnt even see the turtle until I was viewing photos hours later.
Image
Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valerie)
Image
Image
Image
Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis) (Lifer)
Image
Now back in Virginia I didnt have any time to look for more stuff.
Just a Garter to end the year. (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Image
User avatar
pete
Posts: 745
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:11 pm
Location: cape cod ma.

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by pete »

A very nice year it seems!! Good luck with your timber in 2012! :thumb:
User avatar
DracoRJC
Posts: 335
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 3:15 pm
Location: The beautiful Texas Hill Country

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by DracoRJC »

Nice pics, were any of these in/around Newport News? I'm trying for a marbled this year, and any recommendations in southern VA would be great. Planning on hitting pretty much every significant park and wildlife refuge within an hours drive from NN by the end of the spring.
User avatar
DaneConley
Posts: 481
Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by DaneConley »

DracoRJC wrote:Nice pics, were any of these in/around Newport News? I'm trying for a marbled this year, and any recommendations in southern VA would be great. Planning on hitting pretty much every significant park and wildlife refuge within an hours drive from NN by the end of the spring.
PM sent
RobK

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by RobK »

Nice post Dane, your photos are getting better.
Looks like you had a great year. :thumb:
User avatar
DaneConley
Posts: 481
Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by DaneConley »

RobK wrote:Nice post Dane, your photos are getting better.
Looks like you had a great year. :thumb:
Thanks man
viktorz
Posts: 1
Joined: April 21st, 2012, 12:33 am

Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia

Post by viktorz »

Their are awesome ))
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99u99
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
Post Reply