It's been too long since we've had an in situ theme thread..

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 11th, 2014, 10:26 pm

Another type of herp that is almost always photographed in-situ
Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) right after she finished laying her eggs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... 5761613751

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 12th, 2014, 3:41 am

Ambystoma cingulatum. The reason for this grass climbing behavior is yet unknown.

ThatFrogGuy · Post by **ThatFrogGuy** » March 12th, 2014, 1:19 pm

Awesome Kevin. I've heard it rumoured that its to guide them to their ponds by the reflection of moonlight on the water? Super cool regardless.

Here's an insitu from last night I was excited to see, though I wish I'd gotten it a bit sharper.

Eastern Newt Preying upon Jefferson's Salamander Eggs by Zach Truelock, on Flickr

chrish · Post by **chrish** » March 12th, 2014, 2:12 pm

Here's one from a couple of days ago. I've been trying to get a photo of this species (Scaphiopus hurterii) calling for a few years, but there are always fences in the way in Texas.

This time I was able to shoot through the fence.

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » March 12th, 2014, 2:23 pm

TravisK · Post by **TravisK** » March 12th, 2014, 3:02 pm

Stohlgren wrote:Ambystoma cingulatum. The reason for this grass climbing behavior is yet unknown.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/1096 ... 95b1_c.jpg

Prey perhaps? I noticed the locust to the right of the above pic

yoloherper · Post by **yoloherper** » March 12th, 2014, 8:54 pm

Here's a Centralian Bearded Dragons P. vitticeps as found in NSW.
This guy was a very willing subject and after this picture, my dad reached down and gave him a pet
across the back. His response was to turn 180 degrees and then let me continue photographing for
another 5 minutes.

Rothdigga · Post by **Rothdigga** » March 12th, 2014, 10:26 pm

Green Rat Snake from south AZ. Didn't bail on me when I went in for some photos which was nice.

Green Ratsnake by jrothdog, on Flickr

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 13th, 2014, 6:39 am

ThatFrogGuy wrote:Awesome Kevin. I've heard it rumoured that its to guide them to their ponds by the reflection of moonlight on the water? Super cool regardless.

A friend of mine who has been monitoring this species for a while thinks it may indeed be orientation related. Possibly that they are getting up there to look for the silhouettes of the cypress dome ponds they breed in. Apparently this silhouette orientation was shown in spadefoots or something like that. Getting up out of that dense wiregrass would certainly give them a better view of where they are going. I don't think I would buy the reflection theory, though. In the sea of dense vegetation they have to navigate, I don't think being a foot off the ground would give you enough elevation to see a reflection of the water. Even a person would have a tough time seeing that from any distance. Plus, they usually only migrate during rain events with heavy cloud cover (though this individual was found on a cloudless night).

TravisK wrote:Prey perhaps? I noticed the locust to the right of the above pic

That is another theory. I don't think that particular insect would be prey for this salamander, but there are certainly plenty of appropriately sized critters running around.

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 13th, 2014, 6:44 am

Rothdigga - Great shot. They are such a cool looking animal.

Here is the east's version of the rat snake squiggle.

umop apisdn · Post by **umop apisdn** » March 13th, 2014, 5:31 pm

Wow, Flickr's 800 px resolution sure looks like they've dumbed it down. Nevertheless, some pics from last year:

Lampropeltis getula

Crotalus horridus

This is in situ, despite the fact that it appears as though this tree might have been peeled shortly before I spotted it. No one else in the group reported seeing this snake.
Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides

Pseudacris ocularis narrowly avoiding some flood-stricken fire ants.

Confused Pseudacris nigrita with Pseudacris ornata amidst an identity crisis.

Crotalus adamanteus

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 14th, 2014, 3:47 am

One more rat snake. This is my favorite flavor of obsoletus.

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » March 14th, 2014, 5:30 am

asher1027 · Post by **asher1027** » March 14th, 2014, 4:59 pm

Sceloporus undulatus I found a couple days ago in Colorado. In situ.

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 15th, 2014, 3:22 am

Probably the prettiest timber I saw all of last year. And perfectly coiled, too.

soulsurvivor · Post by **soulsurvivor** » March 16th, 2014, 5:47 am

A few people mentioned the difficulty of getting Little Grass Frog calling shots. I struggled with this guy last fall. There were other brighter colored individuals, but they were quick to hop away when I got too close. This one was pretty cooperative, but it was overcast and I was having camera issues. This is the best I could get.

grass frog calling by soulsurvivor08, on Flickr

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 16th, 2014, 5:56 am

I believe this is the only time I have seen a coachwhip coiled on the surface like this.

And a young coachwhip periscoping out of a burrow along a fence line.

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » March 16th, 2014, 10:11 am

Crappy pic but hey...

more intraspecies interaction

ospr3y · Post by **ospr3y** » March 16th, 2014, 5:46 pm

Relatively new herper - haven't free-handled too much so pretty much all my pics are in situ.

I usually only find Cottonmouths or the occasional Rat.

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 17th, 2014, 4:39 am

A beautiful blacktail from southeast AZ.

Soopaman · Post by **Soopaman** » March 17th, 2014, 5:26 am

chrisr · Post by **chrisr** » March 17th, 2014, 7:50 am

First frog in situ for me this year:

Owen · Post by **Owen** » March 18th, 2014, 4:33 pm

C. o. oreganus peek-a-boo rock outcrop.

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 18th, 2014, 4:45 pm

Grass Frog (Fejervarya limnocharis)

JAMAUGHN · Post by **JAMAUGHN** » March 18th, 2014, 5:19 pm

Happy to see this little one today.

Coast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma blainvilli by J. Maughn, on Flickr

hellihooks · Post by **hellihooks** » March 18th, 2014, 5:34 pm

Nice Find Jim...from your 'paper-grading' spot? I'm seeing lots of HL's this year...

I think this is my favorite shot, this year...

jim

umop apisdn · Post by **umop apisdn** » March 18th, 2014, 9:28 pm

A couple more stump snakes...

Southern Black Racer

Eastern Hognose with a Southern Toad that couldn't find the stumphole.

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » March 18th, 2014, 11:25 pm

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 19th, 2014, 1:55 pm

Some species pose so well on their own, it would seem a shame to disturb them...

Owen · Post by **Owen** » March 19th, 2014, 5:09 pm

Another C. o. oreganus.

This golden one just emerging in the morning last weekend:

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 20th, 2014, 10:14 pm

One thing that surprised me about Gopher Tortoises were how wary they were of people, it was surprisingly tough to snag a photo of one going about its business, they would spot me and make a dash.

ThatFrogGuy · Post by **ThatFrogGuy** » March 21st, 2014, 7:46 am

One small glimpse of a field pond thick with chorus frogs.

Midland Chorus Frogs (Psuedacris triseriata) by Zach Truelock, on Flickr

Soopaman · Post by **Soopaman** » March 22nd, 2014, 12:04 pm

Something from yesterday:

NACairns · Post by **NACairns** » March 23rd, 2014, 5:37 am

Antaresia stimsoni, Ningaloo WA

DSCF0510-1 by nacairn, on Flickr

NACairns · Post by **NACairns** » March 23rd, 2014, 5:40 am

Nerodia sipedon, Eastern Ontario

IMGP5187 by nacairn, on Flickr

IMGP0494 by nacairn, on Flickr

IllinoisGuy · Post by **IllinoisGuy** » March 23rd, 2014, 11:25 am

I like to come up on these guys all squiggled up.

And a garter snake from this spring.

krismunk · Post by **krismunk** » March 23rd, 2014, 1:05 pm

bgorum · Post by **bgorum** » March 24th, 2014, 2:54 pm

Gorum_140323_1634_5_6 by bgorum, on Flickr
Three Black-tailed Rattlesnakes laying out at a den in the Magdalena Mountains, New Mexico yesterday.

Soopaman · Post by **Soopaman** » March 24th, 2014, 3:06 pm

Texas holbrooki as found:

chrish · Post by **chrish** » March 25th, 2014, 3:12 pm

Here's a young Cottonmouth I found in Arkansas one very cold night while I was photographing some Spring Peepers. I almost waded right into it because it was almost completely under water.

Soopaman · Post by **Soopaman** » March 25th, 2014, 7:29 pm

Almost didn't see this diamondback awkwardly splayed out in the cordgrass in coastal dunes, 10-20yards from the breakers:

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 26th, 2014, 8:16 am

I'm jealous of all you guys posting herps from this year,we thought spring was here but just got dumped on with snow again a few nights ago.

Lizards at night tend to be pretty easy to get in-situ shots of, this lizard never budged while I was photographing him.

JAMAUGHN · Post by **JAMAUGHN** » March 26th, 2014, 8:22 am

Here's a California Striped Racer doing it's best "Blade-of-grass" impression:

Zach_Lim · Post by **Zach_Lim** » March 26th, 2014, 10:20 am

Lots of in-situ shots of NorPac Rattlers (San Mateo County) from this past weekend:

SF Garter

SF Gator

Stohlgren · Post by **Stohlgren** » March 26th, 2014, 4:03 pm

Diamondback found on a cool morning a few meters from a tortoise burrow last week.

umop apisdn · Post by **umop apisdn** » March 27th, 2014, 7:08 pm

Just about a foot from the stumphole...

Antonsrkn · Post by **Antonsrkn** » March 27th, 2014, 7:31 pm

Soopaman · Post by **Soopaman** » March 27th, 2014, 7:42 pm

FlyingSquirrel · Post by **FlyingSquirrel** » April 1st, 2014, 9:22 pm

Greetings. I am new to this website / forum. This is my first post; I plan to join conversations in other areas of the forum shortly. Here is my contribution to this thread...

Although it is a close up and doesn't show the environment (and it is on a boardwalk trail), this shot is natural and was not set up at all. I was laying on the ground for 15 minutes without moving until this Garter snake returned to its sunbathing area. Taken with a Sigma 150mm macro on a Canon 7D, hand held...

bgorum · Post by **bgorum** » April 2nd, 2014, 4:44 am

FlyingSquirrel wrote:Greetings. I am new to this website / forum. This is my first post; I plan to join conversations in other areas of the forum shortly. Here is my contribution to this thread...

Although it is a close up and doesn't show the environment (and it is on a boardwalk trail), this shot is natural and was not set up at all. I was laying on the ground for 15 minutes without moving until this Garter snake returned to its sunbathing area. Taken with a Sigma 150mm macro on a Canon 7D, hand held...

That's really quite nice. I like the composition, the tongue, well done.