First time in the SW US and got to do a little herping!

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PrimitiveTim
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First time in the SW US and got to do a little herping!

Post by PrimitiveTim »

On my road trip I went through southern California and of course on over through Arizona. I didn't get to herp as much as I would have liked to in Arizona but for the couple times of getting out of Phoenix I was pleased with my finds. I really liked Arizona and the rocks, hills, and elevation give a whole new element of herping to consider that a Floridian isn't used to. We didn't cruise much because, though it can be very productive, I really like getting out into the wilderness and getting an idea of the habitat and finding stuff in a more natural setting. That was pretty much the extant of herping I've done though I did find an adorable little horned lizard right near the edge of the south rim of the grand canyon... if anyone would mind IDing for me, it was tiny.

In this video I got some rattlesnake footage that I'm really proud of that I think y'all will appreciate. The rattlesnakes start at 5:08 in case you're not interested in mud volcanoes, canyons, and deer.


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Steve Bledsoe
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Re: First time in the SW US and got to do a little herping!

Post by Steve Bledsoe »

My guess would be Greater Short-horn, P. hernandesi, on your little horned lizard.
The only other species in that area, to my knowledge, is P. platyrhinos.
Yours looks like a juvenile short-horn to me.
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Fieldnotes
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Re: First time in the SW US and got to do a little herping!

Post by Fieldnotes »

Dang that was awesome. Well done video. Did you have a plan ready incase the drone crashed in the hot mud? How about the ladder, did you find that left behind in the desert? That Owl call was great! :thumb:
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PrimitiveTim
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Re: First time in the SW US and got to do a little herping!

Post by PrimitiveTim »

Steve Bledsoe wrote:My guess would be Greater Short-horn, P. hernandesi, on your little horned lizard.
The only other species in that area, to my knowledge, is P. platyrhinos.
Yours looks like a juvenile short-horn to me.
Awesome thanks Steve! Yes, it was very very small. Would have never seen it but it moved when I almost stepped on it.
Fieldnotes wrote:Dang that was awesome. Well done video. Did you have a plan ready incase the drone crashed in the hot mud? How about the ladder, did you find that left behind in the desert? That Owl call was great! :thumb:
Thank you! No we had no plan for getting the drone out. Rob is a very confident drone flier. Someone had left the ladder out there in those crevices. I tried doing the owl call but I looked pretty stupid and I was terrible at it. Thanks for watching!
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