Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Trip

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carlcorbidge
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Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Trip

Post by carlcorbidge »

Just got back from a relatively successful trip to the Island of Symi Greece full report here http://carlcorbidgefieldherping.blogspot.co.uk/. In 2 weeks time (9th-17th May) I am going to Southern Florida with non-herping friends the itinery is as follows 2 nights Miami, 4 nights Naples and 3 nights Florida city. I should get plenty of free time to do some intensive herping so I am looking for some tips or even better to hook up with someone with local knowledge (I know I have left this a bit late).
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Lizardman1988
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by Lizardman1988 »

Nice report! I always enjoy posts from outside the US. I don't know why this one has been passed over, so I'll give it a bump. Gotta love these vipers!

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HerperChance
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by HerperChance »

Awesome post! :thumb:
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Dr. Dark
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by Dr. Dark »

Really nice post! Those Ottoman's are beautiful...especially the second big boy. Also really like the whips...look a lot like N. American coachwhips.
mikemike
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by mikemike »

Awesome post and great pics, man! Thanks for sharing it over here.
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mrichardson
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by mrichardson »

Excellent report with great photos. Hope you get some help with the Florida trip.
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carlcorbidge
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by carlcorbidge »

Thanks for the comment guys, those big whip snakes are quite a snake lightning fast and are known to eat the vipers, nice to see I'm not the only Yorkshireman on here :) no PMs yet but there still time.
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jordo
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by jordo »

Awesome pics :)
I noticed the photos with the welding gloves. Do many people use gloves for large fanged viper type snakes, even smaller individuals? How thick is your glove? I'm a big fan of using a glove to handle smaller venomous species or juveniles of larger species but I generally draw the line at about 2ft long elapids, anything bigger I presume it has a chance at penetrating and not worth the risk.
I ask about the vipers because as a general rule I don't think many people would use a glove to handle a death adder here (our only particularly large fanged elapid in Australia) with the exception of juveniles.
Cheers, Jordan
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Martti Niskanen
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by Martti Niskanen »

That's a gorgeous xanthina. Very nice report too.
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carlcorbidge
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by carlcorbidge »

Hi Jordan, generally with the smaller viper species e.g adders one pair of welding gloves is safe but these snakes rarely get bigger than 60cm and have small heads thus not able to push fangs through the glove. Bigger stronger European species like nose horned and Ottoman viper I wouldn't trust one glove, my herping partner Matt was able to get 3 pairs on for the big snake and for the smaller viper in the shot below I had 2 on. I think you would be OK with the death adders but personally I wouldnt want to use a glove with faster venomous species that could nail you above the glove if you dont get them close enough to the head.

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me and first viper copy by CarlCorbidgeherping, on Flickr

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Ottoman viper second (42) copy small by CarlCorbidgeherping, on Flickr
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jordo
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Re: Symi Greece report and help/advice needed for Florida Tr

Post by jordo »

Ah cool. I never considered using several pairs. I have enough trouble feeling the snake with 1 glove so I wouldn't like to use any more just because of the lake of touch and control, particularly if it was a larger/stronger snake that could slip out easier. Thanks for sharing your handling technique :)
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