On my way back from a fairly good trip to a back road somewhere between Amarillo and Fritch...it was something like 1:40am, I was on the interstate going 60 with the windows down and A/C on to keep myself awake. I knew snakes were still out but I was getting spacey and needed to bag it. Which, it hurt to do but when I forget I'm not in Amarillo, that's a sign I need to call it a night. I'd started to wander when the hell I was going to see a convience store so I could get some soda and then it's like "oh yeah..."
milk snake. I HAVE YOU NOW!! Well, on camera. I'd burned a U-turn (and probably a tire) when I saw a snake crawling on the shoulder, and barely got back before he vanished. Detained him about 5 minutes to get some pictures, while he chewed the living hell out of my hand. Made an already kick-ass night even better.
the car pic was the first pic I took; the top one was the last pic I took. I forgot my camera while running to grab the snake so I had to go back to the car to get it
other finds from tonight:
baby glossy snake
1st (fairly good sized) night snake:
2nd, very tiny cute adorable bitey night snake:
1st atrox (actually my first of the year, took me forever to turn one up)
2nd atrox
and a long nose (was actually the first snake tonight)
it's been a good year but I've been so busy both personally and professionally I haven't really been posting much or inputting data.
here's some other finds so far:
Ringnecks--I've found more this year than the rest of my life put together
great plains rat. Love these.
another long nose, truly awful shot
baby nerodia; bad shot but the conditions were awful. dusk, in moving water, from a distance
lined snake
skink!
I've seen sceloporus, but not a lot of Uta (one or two), a lot of whiptails, and 0 horned lizards (which is kind of a bummer). Only one collared lizard, but I just haven't been out at the right time of day for those.
long sought lampropeltis lifer
Moderator: Scott Waters
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- M.J.FRANETOVICH
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Nice milk
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Awesome, Paul!
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
I'm always happy to hear a lifer story, congrats.
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Very nice, Paul! Any hunt that includes a tricolor is worth hollering about, in my view.
Gerry
Gerry
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Excellent triangulum! Now to figure out the subspecies...haha!
- BillMcGighan
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Good stuff, Paul.
Good looking "gentilis"
Good looking "gentilis"
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
good to see Paul... Congrats! jim
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Wow! You're absolutely right. That Milk was the capper on a great night. Love the Rhinos from Texas also. very pretty and a bit different from the ones we've got out here.
reako45
reako45
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Fantastic Paul! Has me itching to one day revisit Amarilllo/Panhandle as I missed out on all of those last time. (minus DOR's)
Ian
Ian
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
yeah, the panhandle has cool herps but it can be hard herping. I can see more stuff when I visit Houston or New Mexico than I would in a similar time frame here (Sheldon Lake State Park near houston is awesome BTW). I don't think we have fewer snakes, but a lot of the land is private, and good spots are hard to find.
- John Martin
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Nice find sir! I've looked at this pic several times and keep noticing a strange swollen area between the third and fourth light bands. Is my eyesight getting even worse than I thought, or is something going on there?
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
I honestly don't know. I mean I can see kind of a lump, but I'm not sure when they mate locally (I've found some baby snakes this year but usually I'd associate neonates more with the fall around here).
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
I noticed that lump as well and forgot to comment on it. It's in the cardiac region so not reproductive. I'd have to guess this is it's last spring.
Ian
Ian
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Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
you're talking about the one towards the anterior, gotcha.
I don't know. It's only visible in that one photo of it on the ground, not the one where I'm holding it. Weird.
I don't know. It's only visible in that one photo of it on the ground, not the one where I'm holding it. Weird.
- John Martin
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- Location: North end of Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Weird indeed! Hadn't noticed that either. I still think it may have some sort of serious health problem. Any qualified anatomists on board here?Paul White wrote:It's only visible in that one photo of it on the ground, not the one where I'm holding it. Weird.
Re: long sought lampropeltis lifer
Way to Go on the Milk..
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