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)
Dusky Salamander Not sure if its a Northern or Southern (range overlaps)
On another day the temperture hit 70 degrees F, went walking through the woods and found this.
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Lake...
Northern Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)
Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Red-backed Salamander (Lead-backed phase) (Plethodon chlorobryonis)
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)
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)
Cricket Frog
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
I must have found atleast 20 box turtles this year.
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
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)
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
Broad-headed Skink (Plestidon laticeps)
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
Eastern Wormsnakes (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)
Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
I went on the VHS spring survey and it was awesome.
Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
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)
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)
I flipped a log that was half submerged in a stream
Three-lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
So many ratsnakes were found on the survey...our group alone found atleast 6
Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
This pair of Broad-Headed didnt not mind being photograph, they were never handled.
Broad-Headed Skink (Plestidon laticeps)
Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander (Lifer) (Plethodon chlorobryonis)
Habitat
Turtle traps were used and a couple snappers were found.
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)
Eastern Smooth Earth Snake (Lifer) (Virginia valeriae)
Marbled Salamanders were being flipped left and right near a swamp.
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
More Three Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata)
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)
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)
And now just some random stuff I found during late spring.
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
I went to try looking for Timber Rattlesnakes, sadly found little.
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
However I did get a lifer.
Yellow Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Well that was all from that day.
Common Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)
Southern Ringnecked Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Three Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Caught 3 racers on this day, the 4th outsmarted me haha.
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
(insitu)
Southern Ringnecked Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Broadheaded Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
The field next to my house floods often and these end up all over my house.
Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Narrowmouthed Frogs are found within a 2 minute walk from my house as well. (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Insitu
Insitu
In the middle summer I took a trip to Southern Illinois for a few weeks.
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)
Grabbed this Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Walked through a creek, and grabbed a large Bullfrog. (Lithobates catesbeianus)
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)
Western Chorus Frog (Lifer) (Pseudacris triceriata)
And what every herper does in Southern Illinois...
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)
Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Midland Brown Snake (Lifer) (Storeria dekayi wrightorum)
Lesser Siren (Lifer) (Siren intermedia nettingi)
Went to a tin site near by and flipped this.
Yellow Bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster)
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)
Goodbye Snake Road...for now.
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)
Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera)
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
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)
Back at Snake Road
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Prairie Ringneck Snake (Lifer) (Disdophis punctatus arnyi)
Cave Salamander (Lifer) (Eurycea lucifuga)
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)
Northern Ringnecked Snake (Lifer) (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
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.
Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valerie)
Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis) (Lifer)
Now back in Virginia I didnt have any time to look for more stuff.
Just a Garter to end the year. (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
2011 year post from Southern Virginia
Moderator: Scott Waters
- DaneConley
- Posts: 481
- Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
- Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
A very nice year it seems!! Good luck with your timber in 2012!
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
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.
- DaneConley
- Posts: 481
- Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
- Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
PM sentDracoRJC 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.
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
Nice post Dane, your photos are getting better.
Looks like you had a great year.
Looks like you had a great year.
- DaneConley
- Posts: 481
- Joined: September 21st, 2010, 10:03 am
- Location: SE Virginia/SW Illinois
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
Thanks manRobK wrote:Nice post Dane, your photos are getting better.
Looks like you had a great year.
Re: 2011 year post from Southern Virginia
Their are awesome ))
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