Slidell, LA next week

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Josh Tuel
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Joined: June 14th, 2010, 6:32 am
Location: Kansas City

Slidell, LA next week

Post by Josh Tuel »

Kids are on spring break next week so we are heading down to see my parents in Slidell. Anyone interested in doing some Herping?
gretzkyrh4
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:17 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Unfortunately, I'll be on call for work so I don't think I'll be making it out that direction this weekend. If you want any suggestions on spots to check out though PM me. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Chris
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Josh Tuel
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Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by Josh Tuel »

Well, we made it out for a couple of hours near Slidell and across the boarder in MS. Unfortunately, forgot the bug spray both times. All in all we had a great time. Thanks to Chris for the tips.

Of course the kids found tons of Anoles and Geckos
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Oak Toad??
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Scenery and Gators (kind of cool for those of us from KS)
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Only snake of the trip.
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Jeff
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Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by Jeff »

Josh

The toad is a Gulf Coast Toad. I hate to say, but that place you went to blows. It was one of the premier State Parks, but suffered from some ill-advized timber removal. All of the scrubby, impenetrable stuff off the trails had a very tall, old-growth canopy of hardwoods and loblolly pines nearly 2.5 feet in diameter. The trees were spaced and there was very little understory, just an occasional palmetto. You could walk through the forest, off trail, from the boardwalk back the main highway without rubbing against any foliage. The forest floor had vernal pools full of mole salamanders, mud turtles and water snakes. In 1995 there was an incipient beetle kill at the north end and a contracted harvester took the liberty of clear-cutting 200 acres. Then, after Katrina, another contractor took out most of what was still standing at the south end. I did eight herp surveys there last year and was a little aggravated at the destruction. Rant over, hope you had a great time.

Jeff
gretzkyrh4
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Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Josh - Glad you were able to find a few herps and have a good time with your family. All I ever seem to find with consistency at that park is Nerodia, cottonmouths, and racers, so congrats on your king. I'm a little surprised no watersnake were moving along the boardwalk though. Hopefully, one of us locals will have time to meet up with you if you make it back down again in the future.

Jeff - Thanks for the backstory on the park. Having only been hear for a few years, I was unaware of what used to be. One of the main reasons I stop there every once in a while is to snap some photos of Nerodia clarkii from the boardwalk. Would have loved to have seen it prior to all the clear cutting.

Chris
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beanie
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Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by beanie »

Just in Slidell or you hitting some other places too.
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Josh Tuel
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Location: Kansas City

Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by Josh Tuel »

Actually found the snake across the boarder in MS. I was driving around and the rest of the family was napping. Found some plywood laying on the side of the road and flipped it to find the king. Didn't see any snakes at all at the park.

beanie, We are back in KC now... where we have rocks... and no gnats... and very few mosquitoes :D
Coluber Constrictor
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Re: Slidell, LA next week

Post by Coluber Constrictor »

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