Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

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BillMcGighan
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Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BillMcGighan »

This is one that we often seeon the forums, so don’t be shy showing old ones if you think they are worthy.

The spirit of this theme is to communicate the herps and where they are found naturally. The pic can include the herp or a pic of habitat with an explanation.
Don't forget amphib breeding pools.



General guidelines:
. One post per day.
. No more than 3 pics per post.
. Try to keep pics to be field pics only; no captive pics.
. Pics can be of great or poor quality, as long as they communicate the theme.
. Pics can be from any time in your library.
. If you like, paint a picture with any interesting short story that includes the theme, instead of a pic; take us with you.


Theme 4 will follow next week on Saturday evening, unless contribution momentum slows to a crawl, then we’ll start it sooner.



Theme lineup for first group of themes:
Theme 4 First/early herp related pictures where you yourself worked the camera.
Theme 5 Strange thing seen while herping (e.g. warning signs, oddball herps, uncommonly seen/rare things or herps, maybe just bizarre things seen on a herping outing.)
Theme 6 Camouflage (2 photos per post) If possible, a pic to demonstrate camouflaged animal, and a second where the animal can clearly be scene.
Theme 7 Photo bombs (human or otherwise) that get into the frame as you are taking the picture. These would include inadvertent herps that you didn't realize were there when you took the picture.
Theme 8 Dealing with the public, either a lesson or a lecture to a group of non-herpers, LE encounters, etc. The common thread here being a herper in an interaction with non-herper
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Noah M
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Noah M »

Do you think that we could let this one run for 2 weeks because of the holiday? I bet a good chunk of us are busy with family this week.
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Noah M
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Noah M »

Queen Snake habitat in Wabash County, Indiana. They were found under the rocks on the land.

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Broadhead Skink habitat, found on the windowsill, Charleston County, SC
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SnakeStick
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by SnakeStick »

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Rich in Reptiles
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

simus343
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by simus343 »

Animal with background as habitat. Loggerhead musk turtle with clear creek in background. I had kayaked the creek in previous years but had never seen so many as I found this day. Water was very murky (normally spring-clear) and had lots of debris from a thunderstorm the night before up-current of where I was.
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A Florida Pine a co-worker caught along a drift fence through sandhill habitat.
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Eastern Diamondback on the upper ridge along a steephead.
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jayder85
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by jayder85 »

Eastern KY Velvet Tail ( Timber Rattlesnake habitat.

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SW Virginia habitat where Timbers, Copperheads and many dry ridge top species can be found. Journeying down to the river will yield a myriad of amphibian, semi-aquatic and aquatic herptofauna.

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Stohlgren
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Stohlgren »

This stream near my apartment in the middle of town is home to Nerodia sipedon and Eurycea cirrigera.
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Spotted turtle habitat in SC.
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Southern Kansas. Massasaugas, Great Plains rat snakes, Texas Horned lizards, and barred tiger salamanders were found in the area.
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SnakeStick
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by SnakeStick »

Stohlgren wrote:Spotted turtle habitat in SC.
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Love this shot. What county? Did you find any?
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SnakeStick
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by SnakeStick »

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BillMcGighan
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BillMcGighan »

CJ0000
Do you think that we could let this one run for 2 weeks because of the holiday? I bet a good chunk of us are busy with family this week.
I don't see why not, and we didn't close the other two so if anyone gets one of those pics where they "have got to show us", go for it!!!

PS
Sorry for any delay. We're camping in central FL where internet connection is lean.
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mtratcliffe
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by mtratcliffe »

Pine uplands habitat in Gilchrist County, FL. Six Lined-Racerunners, Eastern Fence Lizards, and Gopher Tortoises were all found here.

ImageDSCN5673 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr

ImageDSCN5682 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr

Here's three juvenile alligators along a lake shore in Pinellas County, FL. These were some of the first gators I saw in FL and just loved how they were all out basking just feet away from the path.

ImageDSCN1093 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by soulsurvivor »

This was an adult Eastern Diamondback I walked up on with a former associate on some conservation lands. When first seen, she was out in the open in a stand of pines, coiled. We photographed her and she never moved or rattled. We left her to continue our hike, and when we came back around an hour later, she had moved about 10 feet over to this spot, where I'm sure she felt more hidden. Indeed, it did take a while for us to spot her the second time.

ImageEastern Diamondback by soulsurvivor08, on Flickr

This is a canyon in AZ I have visited on a few different trips. On one trip, I hiked down into it in the morning and found a nice yellow Blacktail coiled in a rock outcrop at the bottom.

ImageAZ canyon by soulsurvivor08, on Flickr

This habitat in the Everglades didn't work out so well for this alligator.....

Imageeverglades canal by soulsurvivor08, on Flickr

~Bree
simus343
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by simus343 »

Found this little guy nibbling on some purple elephant ear sprouts in my backyard. Common snapping turtle. Habitat in the background is a damned up steam (via beaver, not man) resulting in a swamp.
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Probably not one of my better for Cottonmouths in habitat, but I have so many of those that there will be some more haha. I like this one particularly though because the lil' squirt is so darn purdy! It is on a small island in a river-swamp floodplain. The shot also characterizes how a majority of Cottonmouths are found in my area - not in the water, but usually camouflaged in the leaves close to the water.
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Slightly different take on the cottomouth in a more stereotypical area that made for a nice picture. Floatin' in'a pond.
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Barry R
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Barry R »

Image105_4863 by Paleosuchus, on Flickr
Eastern Diamondback, South AL.

ImageImage105_5025 by Paleosuchus, on Flickr
American Alligator Trio, Alachua County, FL

ImageImageApalone spinifera, Johnson County, IL by Paleosuchus, on Flickr
Spiney Softshell Turtle, Southern IL.
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noah k.
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by noah k. »

Eastern Indigo

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Eastern Diamondback

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Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake

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SnakeStick
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by SnakeStick »

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Stohlgren
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Stohlgren »

SnakeStick wrote:Love this shot. What county? Did you find any?
Aiken county, I do believe. And, no. We did not find any. It was a well known spot, though.

Here's some timber/copperhead habitat from the southern Blue Ridge.
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simus343
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by simus343 »

This time I'm going just habitat:

I like this following habitat. While you won't see this many limbs piled up unless done so by human (this pile was as wide and tall as seen, but about 120 feet long), it sure makes some nice habitat. I found rats with their nests, grey rat snakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, slimy salamanders, and red salamanders while clearing it for a burn. Because of how many rat nests there was, I'm sure if I cleared it in warmer weather there would have been much more to find.
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A restored creek. It use to be a man-made lake with a dam at the out-flow, but a few years ago I went there to go fishing just to see a little tiny trickle running where there use to be a massive lake. In this pic the water is rising because of a beaver damn further down-stream. It turned into a really productive herping trip instead with cottonmouths, black racers, water snakes, and a single juvenile queen snake. I have also found a plethora of anurans as well as slimy salamanders and eastern newts.
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Finally, a nice Longleaf/Oak Hammock that just had that "feel" to it. I have found Eastern Hognose, Cottonmouths, Black Racers, Ribbon Snakes, and Eastern Diamondbacks in this particular area, just to name a few. The area behind is a spring-fed creek that runs into a lake before continuing to flow allowing for upland and wetland species to be found.
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BDSkinner
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BDSkinner »

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This is a swampy spot in Francis Marion NF, SC where I have gone a few times with the ASU herpetology class. It's one of several spots we set out baited traps in hopes of catching turtles and amphiumas. Unfortunately we struck out on this trip, but previously we had found some huge Amphiuma means, musk and snapping turtles. And mosquitos. Plenty of mosquitos.


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One of my favorite places ever and prime hellbender habitat. When my buddy was doing research here, we would pull at least 14-20 individuals out every survey. Coupled with 3 magnificent waterfalls upstream and miles of river to explore, this place is just amazing. There are also good populations of queen snakes, long tailed sallys, a few frogs and Desmognathus all over the banks.


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More 'from' than 'in' habitat, but I had to show the goods....


-Brad
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Rich in Reptiles
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

ImageNorthern slimy salamander in habitat by Bethany Avilla, on Flickr

ImageEastern box turtle in habitat by Bethany Avilla, on Flickr

Prime red salamander habitat
ImagePrime ruber habitat by Bethany Avilla, on Flickr

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!! :D
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Josh Young
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Josh Young »

Everglades dwarf siren habitat.

ImagePseudobranchus habitat in Palm Beach County, FL. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr

Apalachicola dusky, two-lined, and three-lined salamander habitat, with an Apalachicola dusky salamander pictured.

ImageApalachicola dusky salamander. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr

Eastern tiger salamander in the habitat it was flipped in.

ImageTiger salamander. by Joshua W. Young, on Flickr
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BillMcGighan »

Wow.
We've been out of touch (actually we've been out of touch for years) and just got back to signal. What do we find here but a bunch of great pics that raise the bar in habitat pics.

Some skinks just like trees!

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(3 pic violation for perspective)

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, or whichever holiday you celebrate!
Ecto Hunter
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Ecto Hunter »

Hyla andersonii habitat
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Heterodon simus habitat
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-Robb Herrington
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BillMcGighan »

We'll hold for another week for the next theme, because of the holiday activity.



Which lizards would you expect in the sandy scrub?
(Looks a bit like SE sand hills; FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, etc., if you don't look too close.)


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Why Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis), of course.
Near Viernheim, Germany
When I found this spot, I immediately thought of SE sandhill scrub and race-runners; not to be disappointed.


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Noah M
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Noah M »

Went to a pretty famous prairie with in-laws from Indiana to show them a few animals Florida has to offer. The park recently took out a canal, which leaves a big stretch of land pretty barren making it easy to spot wildlife that crosses over it. Also, the rains and warm weather seemed to bring the Nerodia out, and closer to the trail than I normally see.

Both animals pictured were about 3' long.

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BillMcGighan
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by BillMcGighan »

Beware the Basilisk.

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This should be habitat from Belize or Qintana Roo, but no... It's south FL.


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JakeScott
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by JakeScott »

Home to Desmognathus conanti, Eurycea cirrigera, Eurycea l. longicauda, Eurycea lucifuga, Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus, Notophthalmus v. viridescens, Pseudotriton r. ruber, Plethodon glutinosus, Plethodon ventralis and Aneides aeneus. ALL of which I have seen within close proximity to this waterfall.
ImageWaterfalls by Jake M. Scott, on Flickr

-Jake
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Noah M
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by Noah M »

Found an A. opacum under a log in the foreground of this photo.

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cherper
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by cherper »

One of the most memorable trips I was able to take was actually a work related trip to Scottsdale, AZ in 2011. Since the meetings were in February, the worst time of year for herps in AZ, I decided to drive a distance over to Southern California to meet with a herping friend. Here is some of the habitat and a couple of finds in this area. Nothing gets my adrenalin going more than a new and unfamiliar habitat. It just screams lifers!

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Cary
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mtratcliffe
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Re: Theme 3 - "Herp-in-habitat" shots, habitat only

Post by mtratcliffe »

Thought about putting this in the Camo thread, but decided that this thread was more appropriate.

Gopher Tortoise fleeing into its burrow that's surrounded by vegetation (center of image.

ImageDSCN6112 by zeonicweapon, on Flickr
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